REVIEW: 'Superintelligence,' Starring Melissa McCarthy And James Corden, Is Super Terrible!
Carol Peters, a former corporate executive, has her earnest yet unfulfilled life turned upside down when she is selected for observation by the world's first superintelligence – an artificial intelligence that may or may not take over the world.
We’re kind of in a weird space right now with cinema and I’m still not sure if movies are at a disadvantage or advantage coming out at this time. You could consider it an advantage because we’re all starved for new content and are willing to make concessions to shitty movies because we’re fiending. It also might be a disadvantage because every new movie is now under a massive microscope. This movie, though, was glass shattering. Quarantine or not, this movie is objectively pure ass.
Wallace Shawn voice this movie fell for the classic blunder. It presents itself as a comedy and it cast Melissa McCarthy as the lead and had her play a bumbling, klutzy fool who is despised/looked down at by everyone. Listen, that time is over. OVER. It was pretty funny the first few times with 'Bridesmaids' and all that, but it just doesn't play anymore. She is an OSCAR NOMINATED actress that is capable of so much more than this tired cliche.
It also is an over-long advertisement for Tesla, The Seattle Mariners and James Corden. The movie revolves around an AI that becomes self aware and decides to use Melissa McCarthy as a litmus test as to whether or not it should Help, enslave or destroy humanity. It uses James Corden's voice, because his is the most comforting to McCarthy, and uses it's supercomputing to give her a new house, new car and billions of dollars. Since she is now a billionaire, she obviously has to drive the billionaire's car of choice, a Tesla Model X. Lol. After the car is introduced, there are at least 20 "jokes" referencing how "cool" and high tech the Tesla is.
Whatever! I don't even hate Tesla, the cars are cool but I don't need them shoved in my face every 5 minutes of an already crappy movie. The next advertising came in form of ballwashing James Corden. Let me say this: Corden is a fine dude. Carpool karaoke is charming and I like him as a host. His movie career, though? Woof. 'The Emoji Movie', 'Cats', 'Oceans 8' and more. Not great, chief. Something Trillballins pointed out on our review that is extremely true is that most of his movie appearances have the same purpose. They introduce whatever character he is playing and said character rarely has a true purpose other than to make the audience say "That's James Corden". This might be the most egregious example of that phenomena to date.
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Lastly, if you weren't aware that this movie took place is Seattle, the Mariners merchandise at every turn made sure you knew. McCarthy's love interest, played by Bobby Cannavale, was apparently the biggest fan because he had half the fanshop on display in his house and knew the first 3 tabs of Ken Griffey Jr.'s Wiki page. It's almost like the studio got the rights for the team's image and overcompensated to make it worth the purchase.
\Watching it makes me think that director Ben Falcone (husband of McCarthy) called in every favor he had and also asked his wife call in every favor she had to because he was convinced this movie was the one. It’s a vapid, waste of a movie, a waste of an oscar nominee actress, and just a waste of time. It’s too long, it thinks it is smarter than it is, it recycles plotlines and jokes and is otherwise just a waste of time.