I Bet You Didn't See... The Electric State

Walt Disney created animatronics for his theme park in California. They were a technological marvel. The park was an instant hit. Soon, animatronics were being mass produced and humans began using them for everything. And it worked... for a while.

Soon, robots started to rise up. They weren't prepared to continue being humanity's slaves. They wanted rights. Angry at their own creations' rebellion, humanity went to war. It did not go well, until Ethan Skate (Stanley Tucci) stepped in and upgraded humanity's capabilities... with robotic drones. Thus, the tide of the war turned.

I love the ruined machines scattered across the backdrops

The robots signed a treaty that recognised them as a "people" but had them confined to a restricted zone, "The Exclusion Zone", in New Mexico. There, they lived as best as they could, and many deteriorated.

Here, we enter The Electric State. Michelle (Milly Bobby Brown) is a delinquent in an alternate 1990, after the war with the robots. Her world is turned upside down when a robot Cosmo (Alan Tudyk) turns up and starts telling her he is her lost brother. So, her adventure begins. Along the way, she meets John (Chris Pratt), a former soldier who has become a smuggler of items scavenged from the Exclusion Zone, and his robot companion, Herman and numerous other robots from the war and they are all hunted by a former soldier nicknamed "The Butcher" who now terminates robots illegally out of the Exclusion Zone.

The Butcher (Esposito) and Skate (Tucci) come to an agreement

Jenny Slate voices Penny Pal

The cast is pretty epic. Pratt, Brown and Tucci are joined Ke Huy Quan and Giancarlo Esposito, with a voice cast that includes Tudyk, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Brian Cox and Hank Azaria. The quality of the film is amazing, with the robots carrying a 1950's/1960's look alongside some more retro-futuristic ones. The drones carry a 1980's cyberpunk vibe and are made to give the human's a worse, more robotic look that the robots have.

Mr Peanut (Harrelson) drives

It is not the best film, but I really enjoy it. It's funny, emotional and weird, and the CGI on the machines is really cool. Chris Pratt is as funny as always in his own Chris Prattish way, while each robot has their own unique personalities, as you would expect, but it is a great satirical comment of how reliant on robotics humans can be, and how those oppressed and down-trodden respect and embrace their own.

I recommend The Electric State. It is that fun and silly kind of film that people can get on together with. Good action, daft characters, a mechanical peanut and Herman. You will love Herman!

John (Pratt) and a big Herman (Mackie), but not the biggest, fight for freedom

Directed by: Anthony & Joe Russo

Based on: The Electric State by Simon Stalenhag

Starring: Milly Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Stanley Tucci, Giancarlo Esposito, Anthony Mackie, Alan Tudyk, Woody Harrelson, Brian Cox, Hank Azaria

Release Date: 24 February 2025

Rating: 8/10