Joe and Anthony Russo are heroes among Marvel Cinematic Universe fans. Their work on Captain America and Avengers films was memorable, creating some of the better films in the cinematic universe. In fact, their return for the upcoming Avengers films is giving fans hope. But what about their non-MCU films?

In between those hits, they’ve frequently worked with MCU stars on big-budget, high-profile films set outside that world. Those have often flatlined as disappointments with fans and audiences alike. Can they turn the tide with The Electric State, a new film debuting on Netflix Friday?

In short, they can’t. This film is not only directed by the Russo brothers and starring Chris Pratt and Millie Bobby Brown, among others, it’s based on a script from Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the scribes that worked with the Russo brothers on all those MCU projects. That combined with a whopping $300-million-plus budget had people excited. But the final product is a star-studded, costly disappointment.

The film, based on the novel from Simon Stålenhag, picks up in 1990 with the world on the cusp of a war with robots. We meet Michelle (Brown) who has a very close relationship with her brother Christopher (Woody Norman), a genius who is on the verge of getting into college. They are as close as can be with an incredibly strong bond.

Flash-forward to 1994, with the war over. Humans won thanks to a technology created by Ethan Skate (Stanley Tucci). But it’s come at a cost. Robots are relegated to a detention zone, while humanity has adopted this new technology as an escape from life. But no one really knows how it works.

Michelle, orphaned after a crash took the lives of her parents and brother, eschews the technology and fights through a series of foster homes. When she encounters a robot that claims to be linked to her still alive brother Christopher, it sets her off on an adventure.

Soon, Michelle crosses paths with a salvager, Keats (Pratt), a former soldier who frequently goes into the robot detention zone. He reluctantly helps her as a mechanized soldier (Giancarlo Esposito) hunts Michelle and her brother, who may hold the key to the future of humanity.

This is an interesting and dense story that has potential. It’s paired with an incredible cast. In addition to the actors mentioned, the cast includes Holly Hunter, Ke Huy Quan, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Coleman Domingo, Jenny Slate, Alan Tudyk, and Brian Cox, among others, appear to lend their voices to this project.

The cast combined with the talent in the production, the budget, and the big world-building are all promising. But all of it comes together in a bland, by-the-numbers way. The production doesn’t make use of the talent in front of or behind the camera. It goes through the motions and, though there are some visually interesting robots and sets, it has no emotional center to hook viewers and draw them into this story.

This is yet another non-MCU project from the Russo brothers that fails to life up to its potential. Doubtless many will check it out, but few will be impressed by what they see.

The Electric State is now streaming on Netflix.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.