Next Gen (2018)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2018
	Director: Kevin R. Adams, Joe Ksander
	Actors (voices): John Krasinski, Charlyne Yi, Jason Sudeikis (We're the Millers, Horrible Bosses 1-2)
	Country: USA, CN, CDN
	Genre: Animation, Action, SF
	Conditions of visioning: 06.12.2018, VOD, 32" TV screen
Synopsis: Rebel teenager Mai prefers her little dog to the pet robots everybody else has. Close to the release of a new model, she encounters a special robot that will get quite attached to her.
Review: Erm erm, this sound a lot like Big Hero 6, but it is far from it. Instead of a well-built Americano-Japanese Universe (around the city of San-Fransokyo), the one in Next Gen is more like a American dream future world in which are inserted a few Chinese elements to too-obviously please the audience of the country that co-produced the thing. Add a non-subtle Steve Jobs / Apple metaphor and voila! Voila nothing. The robot is cute like it should, friendly like it should, has feelings a-la-Wall-E, the colors are pleasing, but I was too disturbed by the action poses and jokes trying too hard. Want to explain why the girl is rebel? Because her father left, as simple as that. I really blame the Chinese influence on this movie. It culminates during one the final battle scenes, when the robot and girl discuss at length what it means to be friend and why the robot likes having one etc... It is all too forced. I am not even sure it is safe to show it to kids for entertainment, because of the weird morale.
Rating: 3 /10