Anyone who has been paying attention to Rotten Tomatoes or other sites would see that The Electric State has garnered a lot of negative reactions from critics and audiences. While these opinions are valid and I agree with them to an extent, I also don’t think it is as bad as people make it out to be. There are some positives about the movie that are overlooked.
The film’s aesthetics are well appreciated by people who like or dislike the overall product. It has a pleasing retro feel that mixes with a dystopian future, which somewhat reminded me of Ready Player One. The robot CGI is the highlight of the visuals, with each of them looking unique and merging well with the actors. The acting in the film is overall decent and inoffensive. Chris Pratt and Millie Bobby Brown give good performances, with Giancarlo Esposito playing his typical evil character once again. Robots are again the best in this category, with their fun personalities being good for a laugh or two.
The main issue people have with the film is the story and writing, which I will say are the weakest aspects here. You can predict how the story will end within the first five minutes and there is some missed potential that the film doesn’t explore or capitalize on. Some jokes didn’t land for me. Even so, the story is still serviceable and provides some engaging moments that most people can get a kick from. The pacing can give the audience good amounts of downtime and action to keep the film from feeling stretched out.
I recommend those who haven’t seen the film to check it out themselves. It is not a perfect movie by any means, but it does have some good qualities that warrant a watch.
