Brian Cox – STREAMING MOVIE NIGHT

2025 Netflix

Rated: PG-13

Length: 2 hr 8min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Sci-Fi

Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, Jason Alexander, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, Giancarlo Esposito and Stanley Tucci.

“Rage with the Machines.”

THE BOOK:

The Electric State A Graphic Novel by Simon Stålenhag 2018

In late 1997, a runaway teenager and her small yellow toy robot travel west through a strange American landscape where the ruins of gigantic battle drones litter the countryside, along with the discarded trash of a high-tech consumerist society addicted to a virtual-reality system. As they approach the edge of the continent, the world outside the car window seems to unravel at an ever faster pace, as if somewhere beyond the horizon, the hollow core of civilization has finally caved in.

THE MOVIE (Netflix Tudum):

In the world of The Electric State, the ’90s look a little different. Sure, plaid flannel shirts and grunge black eyeliner are still in, but a catastrophic war between humans and robots has left the world scarred and divided. With robots banished to a remote wasteland, an uneasy peace has been reached — but it may not last for long.

The Electric State tells the story of Michelle ( Millie Bobby Brown), a young woman traveling with a sweet but mysterious robot. The pair reluctantly team up with eccentric drifter Keats (Chris Pratt), and set out on a cross-country road trip to find Michelle’s younger brother. Along the way, they have to navigate an electrified, retro-futuristic US landscape with eerie similarities to our own time.

The Electric State is an explosive adaptation of Simon Stålenhag’s 2018 graphic novel of the same name about a young girl and her small yellow toy robot who travel west through a high-tech wasteland. The Russos’ version takes the story concept and runs with it, expanding the world while remaining true to the emotional threads Stålenhag weaved into his work.

“I’m blown away by the movie,” Stålenhag told Netflix. “It was an amazing experience watching things that I have drawn come to life this way. What resonated most with me was the emotional core of the movie, which is the need for family. Even though the movie has changed genre from the book a bit, that main core is still the same and has been expanded on beautifully.”

The Russos and writers Markus and McFeely were in communication with Stålenhag throughout the film’s development, and he was pleased to see the creative liberties they took to make the film stand on its own. “They asked me questions about the timeline and backstory, but it’s their work,” he said. “They’re the best in the world at what they do, and to see them work on a project that comes from me, it’s beyond satisfying, surreal. I am so positively surprised by the end result.”

THE REVIEW:

I didn’t know that the movie was based upon a book until after I watched the movie. I included a lot of information about that because I think I would have had a better appreciation of the movie if I had known that going in. After the fact, looking at the illustrations of the book, the movie does a great job of bringing those illustrations and the book to life. I love Millie Bobby Brown and I think she was good in this, but I don’t think the movie would have survived with another actress. Chris Pratt was good as well but I think the stars were Millie, Cosmo and Devyn Dalton. Devyn Dalton is the Motion Capture actress that played Cosmo.

I appreciated all the robot characters, they started to grow on me. Herman (Anthony Mackie), Mr. Peanut (Woody Harrelson), Popfly (Brian Cox) and Penny Pal (Jenny Slate) were my favorites, after Cosmo of course. Yes, they started to feel like human beings to me. They drew me in to their struggle to be accepted. Robots co-existing side by side with Humans. And to quote Millie in the end, “We are going to do it right this time.” I liked it, but if you don’t like Robots and Sci-Fi, you’re gonna think it was dumb.

Again, take a look at the book the movie was based on, you’ll appreciate it more.

2024 Netflix

Rated: PG

Length: 1 hr 31min

Adventure ~ Animation ~ Christmas ~ Comedy ~ Family

Directed by: Simon Otto

Starring: Brian Cox, Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker and Bill Nighy.

“Down to one Reindeer and the worst snowstorm in history, and a town that needed a sack full of Christmas fixing….You’re about to hear the tale of one of the most challenging nights of my long career.”

Brian Cox stars as The Handsome Fellow in the Red Onesie, and narrates as he tells the tale of one of the most challenging nights of his long career. Wrap up and get warm as he tells the Tale of That Christmas. At the end of his Christmas Eve journey and down to one reindeer, Santa Claus and Dasher have to make one last stop to Wellington-On-Sea. It has just shown up on his radar as having nothing but Christmas trouble all over town. He believes he can pinpoint the start of all the trouble to the School Christmas Play December 22, 4 PM.

And that’s where the story begins, at the school play and follows the trials, tribulations and troubles the townspeople face as they hurry to pull Christmas together over the next two days. The next day December 23 turns into a snow day as the town wakes up under feet of snow. Which hampers and changes everyone’s plans. To make matters worse, a huge unexpected snowstorm is headed right for the little seaside town later that evening.

The animation is outstanding in this movie. The story is great, full of adventurous twists and turns as the families try to deal with the many obstacles thrown in their way. The characters are all very loveable, and there is something very familiar and comforting about Brian Cox’s voice as Santa. It makes you want to nestle up all comfy with a nice big cup of Hot Chocolate. I really like Sam’s Christmas wish of a metal body Resonator Guitar, one of my personal favorites. I love the Blue Volkswagen bus, it is too cute.

Heck, I love everything about this movie. It takes me back to the standards from when I was a kid. There were certain movies you couldn’t wait to see every year….Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Santa Claus is Coming To Town, Frosty The Snowman, The year without a Santa Claus……I think this belongs in that category. It should be the next new Christmas classic you want to watch every year.

With that being said about this Family/Kids Animated Christmas Adventure Comedy, I highly Recommend it as part of your Christmas season and viewing. Better hurry, there’s only 2 days left…….

Two Thumbs Up!

April 6, 2025

I just discovered that this movie is based on the Trilogy of Children’s books by Richard Curtis: Snow Day, The Empty Stocking and That Christmas.