The Electric State Isn't the Most Expensive Sci-Fi Flop Ever – This $432 Million Sequel Is
Some movies may make huge amounts of money at the box office – but that doesn't change the fact that they have no artistic value.
On March 14, The Electric State was released on Netflix – an adaptation of Simon Stålenhag's graphic novel of the same name, inspired by retro futuristic aesthetics.
For their new project, the Russo brothers collected a phenomenal budget of $320 million, but critics destroyed the movie, giving it a 14% on Rotten Tomatoes. The Electric State has a chance to become one of the biggest failures of the year.
At the same time, the movie cannot technically be called a failure – it collected about 20 million views in one week. What is important is that the Russo brothers' film is an ideological failure that simplified an impressive original source into yet another faceless Netflix blockbuster.
But do you know what movie, made for more than $430 million, is an even worse artistic failure? It's Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Is an Expensive and Impressive, but Soulless Attraction
Colin Trevorrow's Jurassic World was a rare example of a reboot that was embraced by both critics and viewers – the film received mostly positive reviews and grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide, clearly indicating that dinosaurs were back in vogue.
The sequel came three years later – seemingly enough time to come up with something exciting and spectacular. However, Trevorrow and director J. A. Bayona turned the story of man's confrontation with nature into an attraction: spectacular, beautiful, but meaningless.
Michael Crichton's novel and Steven Spielberg 's first Jurassic Park based on it told what happens when a man decides to play God.
In Fallen Kingdom, Owen and Claire's adversaries are ruthless corporate traders who dream of making money off of poor dinosaurs. The villains are just bleak, and their brilliant plan does not stand up to criticism.
The Movie Relies Heavily on Impressive Special Effects, but It's Not Enough
The visuals are the only thing that can be praised. The dinosaurs seem alive and real, and the volcanic eruption gives you shock and awe. But behind all this grandeur is a cold and sober calculation.
The movie tries to scare you, delight you, and keep you in suspense, as if on schedule. Steven Spielberg once made Jurassic Park because he loved dinosaurs, and the creator of the park, Hammond, was partly written off by him.
And Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was made just to make another billion.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Is a Purely Commercial Project With No Artistic Value
Of course, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom can by no means be called a failure – with a budget of a whopping $432 million, the movie made more than $1.3 billion.
But like The Electric State, it traded a unique vision and soul for expensive special effects that conceal nothing but commercial profit.
