The Electric State

It might not belong in the cinematic junkyard, but The Electric State essentially recombines spare parts and hand-me-downs from thematically similar predecessors.

The latest venture outside the Avengers realm for sibling directors Joe and Anthony Russo features an ambitious futuristic concept that’s actually set in the recent past.

It’s a dystopian cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked technology, fringe scientific experimentation, and capitalist greed. It tries to promote acceptance, coexistence, and human connection at a time when — in the real world — we’re overwhelmed by devices and distractions.

That sounds admirable enough, except such messaging is delivered with heavy-handed sentimentality in a film that lacks the subtlety and nuance to resonate beyond the elaborate set pieces.

The story takes place in an alternate early 1990s, with sentient robots having been a part of daily life for decades until an uprising put them at odds with humans who refuse to grant them equal rights.

In the aftermath of the conflict, a tech guru (Stanley Tucci) has developed virtual-reality devices that allow users to bifurcate the work and play segments of their brain. But innovation often comes at a cost.

Meanwhile, feisty teenage orphan Melissa (Millie Bobby Brown) is still grieving her precocious younger brother, Chris (Woody Norman), when he apparently reappears as a robot version of his favorite cartoon character — characterized by a smiling yellow ball.

Endeavoring to find the real Chris by reluctantly teaming up with a wisecracking drifter (Chris Pratt), Melissa heads to the New Mexico desert, searching for a doctor (Ke Huy Quan) who might have some answers. But since owning and fraternizing with robots is illegal, they also have authorities on their heels.

The film showcases some impressive visual effects and imaginative world-building infused with a retro vibe, including some amusing vintage mascots. At least it doesn’t take itself too seriously, thanks in part to a distinguished voice cast including Colman Domingo, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, and Brian Cox.

The screenplay by frequent Russo collaborators Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (The Gray Man), adapted from a graphic novel by Swedish artist Simon Stalenhag, seems to make up the rules as it goes along with regard to its revisionist historical setting.

As it funnels toward an inevitable final showdown to determine the planet’s future, The Electric State bogs down in convoluted plot mechanics. Rather than escalating the human stakes, the emotions unintentionally feel robotic.

Rated PG-13, 125 minutes.