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With a reported budget of $320 million, an all-star cast and a mere 14 per cent approval rating from critics, Netflix's The Electric State is certainly a spectacle to behold.

The film, set for release in 2025, boasts a stellar line-up including Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, Stanley Tucci, Woody Harrelson, Jenny Slate, Giancarlo Esposito, Jason Alexander, Brian Cox, and Anthony Mackie. These stars lend their talents to a mix of live-action and voiceover roles in this action-packed sci-fi adventure.

The Russo brothers, Anthony and Joe Russo, directed and produced the film, which is loosely based on Simon Stalenhag's 2018 illustrated novel of the same name. The screenplay was adapted by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely.

Released on Netflix on March 14 this year, The Electric State is the streaming giant's most expensive film to date, with a staggering price tag of over $300 million. The film presents an alternate 1990s where a war between robots and humans has left the world in chaos.

Despite its lukewarm reception from critics, The Electric State garnered 25.2 million views within the first three days of its release. It even inspired a video game, The Electric State: Kid Cosmo, released by Netflix Games for iOS and Android just four days after the film's debut, reports .

However, despite all this, The Electric State could not escape the harsh criticism it received from reviewers.

Some critics panned the film, with one saying: "It looks phenomenal - the quality of the special effects is exceptional. But this is soulless, emotionally inert storytelling."

Another critic dismissed it, adding: "The plot is a watered-down grab-bag of old, tired ideas."

One reviewer bluntly described the movie as "The movie is obvious, garish and just plain dumb", while another found it "dull as dirt".

A further critic chimed in, saying The Electric State had "no soul, no originality, just a great big multicolour wedge of digital content".

However, audience reviews were more positive, with one viewer raving: "This movie is absolutely fire. What were the critics thinking when they made a review. This movie is always action-packed, has a beaming audience and has a good mix of action, horror and humour. Definitely worth a watch!".

Another audience member praised the film, saying: "I really enjoyed this movie. It was fun, light, creative, and had a non-formulaic plot. No, this is not a critics darling or a Cannes contender, but I would watch it again. What a fun cast! I wish Hollywood took more risks like this."

One viewer simply enjoyed the movie, calling it a "fun watch" and expressed confusion over "why the critics are so harsh", arguing that The Electric State was "better than so many garbage movies".

Millie Bobby Brown recalled her first encounter with Chris Pratt to Extra, saying: "I actually met him at an awards show many, many, many years ago. And I remember freaking out and going, 'Oh, my God! That's Chris Pratt!' To be able to - years, years, years forward - to work alongside him is a dream come true."