The Current War movie review

MOVIE TITLE: The Current War

RATING: PG-13

LENGTH: 1 hour, 47 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: C

IN A NUTSHELL:

Inspired by true events, this drama was originally supposed to be released in the USA back in November 2017, but because of the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the #MeToo movement, it was sold and rescheduled. It explores the race to enter the modern world: electricity.

Considering the topic, the movie should be more electrifying, right? Unfortunately, it’s surprisingly dark and boring.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Kids will be bored out of their minds. So will some adults.
I love how Edison taught his son Morse Code. I’ve been trying to learn it lately and it’s not easy to keep all of the numbers and letters straight in my mind! Learning it together would be a fun activity to play with your kids! I found some helpful videos on YouTube by a guy who calls himself “The Ham Whisperer.” I have a Technician’s license for ham radio, but to earn the next level of license, I have to learn Morse Code. Wish me luck!
You see a man hang to death.
Some profanity
A horse gets electrocuted
A man dies

THEMES:

Competition
Determination
Vision

THINGS I LIKED:

Who doesn’t adore Benedict Cumberbatch? His performance is excellent, as always, although his American accent needs a little work. He and Tuppence Middleton last worked together in the movie The Imitation Game in 2014. The Imitation Game is a much better film than this one.
Michael Shannon is such a superb actor.
Louis Ashbourne Serkis is the son of Andy Serkis, who is an incredible actor who grabbed our attention with his motion capture work in Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers as Gollum.
Most of the American characters are played by British actors. What’s up with that?
Some interesting and creative camera angles. I like it when directors try to show us something we haven’t seen before. Some were better than others.
The bird’s eye view of certain US cities was cool.
I enjoyed learning about the power behind Niagara Falls. I got to cross something off my Bucket List this summer when I saw Niagara Falls for the first time. I got to ride in the Maid of the Mist boat and feel the water drops on my face. Then, I climbed up the stairs to the Cave of Winds and actually touched one of the falls with my hands. It was absolutely thrilling and magnificent to see.

I always love it when you can learn more about what happens to the people in the movie at the end when they share pictures and text on the screen.
Spider-Man: Far From Home fans will get a kick out of seeing Tom Middleton.
Katherine Waterston gave a great performance as Marguerite Westinghouse, the strong and persuasive wife behind many of George Westinghouse’s decisions….well, at least according to Hollywood.
I thought Nicholas Hoult did a great job as Nikola Tesla. Poor Nikola Tesla. Literally.
It was interesting to see all of these big names and thinkers of the time together: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, J. P. Morgan.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Science purists will be upset that Thomas Edison is spotlighted as the American hero of electricity when Serbian Nikola Tesla was truly the originator.
The timeline is a bit wonky if you’re a stickler for facts and real history.
Some of the accents (British and American) aren’t that great.
The script is sloggy. Is that a word? That’s what it feels like.
Some choppy editing.
The monotonous background sounds in many scenes were SUPER annoying and almost gave me a headache.

INTERESTING LINES:

“I thought impossible wasn’t a word in your vocabulary.” – Marguerite Westinghouse (Katherine Waterston)
“If you want to be remembered, it’s simple…shoot a president. But if you prefer to have what I call a legacy, you leave the world a better place than you found it.” – George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon)
“Though I mourn the loss of my colleague, misfortune does not trump progress.” – George Westinghouse
“There’s one thing that beats justice: fame.” –

OTHER MOVIES LIKE THIS YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

Edison