This sci-fi action film takes place in a dystopian future, all 16-year-olds must go through mandatory beautification surgery in order to eradicate any and all differences, thereby removing the need for divisions among the masses. However, when her friend runs away, teenager Tally Youngblood takes it upon herself to hunt her down, putting her life at risk in the process.
Based on the screenplay by Jacob Forman, Vanessa Taylor and Whit Anderson the film recreates the world showcased in Uglies, a series of young-adult books by Scott Westerfeld. The movie has a runtime of 100 minutes.
Uglies Movie Cast
Joey King, Keith Powers, Laverne Cox, Chase Stokes, Brianne Tju, Jan Luis Castellanos, Charmin Lee, Gabriella Garcia, Ash Maeda, Jordan Sherley
Uglies 2024 Director
McG
Uglies Review
The thing that instantly got me wheezing while watching Uglies is that Joey King and all the other pretty, tan and fit men and women are termed as ugly and the people who are pretty apparently all have odd hair and golden eyes. I know that we live in a world where filters are the norm and all that but even the most brainwashed Tiktokers know that golden eyes are cute only when you’re in a medieval and fantastical world full of fairies, vampires and werewolves. What I mean by all of this is that the film feels dated in its idea of what beauty entails, even for the generation that is desperate to be the best version of themselves, look-wise.
The movie is boring and repetitive and that’s because we have watched similar films in the past that all focus on inner beauty and celebrating our uniqueness. Of course, Tally wants to be pretty but by going through some adventure she will realise that outer beauty constitutes nothing and it’s inner beauty that makes all the difference. She will, of course, stand up against those who want to put teenagers through this barbaric activity and change the world as they know it… or something similar.
Another problem with the movie is that it’s literally so dull and lifeless like it’s in this competition to go from one plot point to another timely and without fail and thus leaves behind most of its soul in the process. Although I liked Tally’s relationship with Peris and Shay, it’s the world, their interactions and the conflicts that don’t deliver much of intrigue or newness to the viewing experience. And, I know this is a YA show and all that, but even those have an interesting and refreshing twist in them, regardless of whether or not one might find them to be childish.
In the end, we are taken from one CGI-heavy place to another, with all of them so “beautiful” in the traditional sense but without depth or soul. It’s so fake-looking, just like the “pretty” people with the odd golden eyes. It’s all so funny and humorous, even when something very serious is happening. You can’t take anything they do or say seriously, even though the poor actors give their 100% to these characters it’s all just an empty husk of nothing that leaves you feeling nothing.
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Towards the end when Tally tries her best to right her wrongs, there is no conviction in her character or in anyone else for that matter. The fact that it is so shamelessly cliched makes your brain hurt and one can’t help but be annoyed with everything that is taking place. Every twist and every character’s decision can be figured out by viewers as soon as the scene starts. And you can’t help but roll your eyes.
Final Thoughts
Ending on an open-ended note and probably hinting at another instalment to come, we bid farewell to Uglies watching Joey King looking like an AI-generated model. And if that doesn’t perfectly summarise the state of this film and what it did to me, I don’t know what will.
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Yeah just what we needed today another movie/show//documentary thats saying, you need too be perfect or the world will hate you,
Young people should stay away it only going to damage how you look, they will think they have too fix their body,
I’m only at beginning but im already kinda bored,
Its mostly a teen drama movie, a bit dumb some places,
That parachute vest falling from a skyscraper UHHHH YEAH RIGHT….and that spachips tgat hunting her, it hears a small rock falling into water like 100 yards away,
Again uhhh how and why…..
My score: a wak 1.0 if 5, unless this going up a few notch.
The effects in this movie is horrible,
A teen drama alot of talk,
And that hoverboard scene was extremely bad and fake, 100% bad green screen, all of them are,
And then they finally driving the board elsewhere its goes flying like frigging 150 km per houers, Fastforward stuff makes my head dizzy,
And its stiff movements as a early 1980 movie, even those old movies was better,
Hell even back too the future was better,
I hope this movie involves more than 2 people, its smells like a lespian movie in here, mostly two girls hanging out, a very looong scene,
Loong conversations her and there, long between something happening,
Please be better….a little bit action too much too ask for??…they dont have weapons at all?? In the future??
Its too clean and perfect all the way, even the outsiders people looks cleaner than me any day.
Uglies yeah its ugly to watch, those who do the perfect surgeries BECOMES THE UGLIES,
Like the last one in the end that shay girl, THATS WAS A JUMPSCARE,
And that fake ass beyonce villian women in white, EEEEEEWWWW, even beyonce looks better that that,
Creepy ass movie,
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