On September 13th, Netflix released a new movie called “The Uglies”. The film stars Joey King and Chase Stokes and is directed by McG.
Adapted from the 2005 book, “The Uglies” follows a dystopian story in New Pretty Town, where people must undergo cosmetic procedures on their 16th birthday. Anyone under the age of 16 who hasn’t gotten the surgery is deemed as “Ugly” and is not allowed to live in the main city. The story focuses on Tally (Joey King) and her dreams of joining her best friend Peris (Chase Stokes) in the main city after he undergoes the surgery. The two friends promise to stay in touch with each other until Tally gets her surgery and is able to join him in the main city. But, when Peris goes silent, Tally breaks into the city to find him.
After getting sent back to the outskirts of the city, where the Uglies live, Tally befriends Shay (Brianne Tju), an Ugly who shares her birthday. In the 2 months leading to their 16th birthday, they passed the time by skipping class, riding hoverboards, and reading books (which is a forbidden activity for Uglies). As the time approaches for their surgery date, Shay confesses that she has no intention of turning Pretty and runs away to join a rebel group called “The Smoke” instead.
The day of the surgery comes and Shay is nowhere to be found. Because of this Tally’s surgery is postponed by Dr. Cable (Laverne Cox), a government figure who knew about her and Shay’s friendship. Dr. Cable decides that if Tally brings Shay back into the city, she can then do her surgery and turn Pretty. Tally embarks on a journey to The Smoke, reunites with Shay, and meets David (Keith Powers), the leader of the rebel group. Upon encountering the world of The Smoke, she begins to realize that the world she grew up with might not be as it seems.
In her time with The Smoke, Tally begins to grow close with David and he and his family begin to share the truth of the surgeries. He explains how they limit human brain capacity, taking away thoughts and feelings so that the Pretties are easier to control. Only a few selected people are given a cure for this brainwashing so that they can become the scientists behind the experiment.
As Tally spends time with The Smoke, she begins to be more and more aware of how the government she lives with has been deceiving her. She realizes that The Smoke is not really a rebel group but is trying to save the people of New Pretty Town from a corrupt government by creating a cure to end the brainwashing of these surgeries. Tally decides to stop being loyal to the leaders of New Pretty Town and joins the cause of The Smoke. After sharing an affectionate moment with David, Tally throws the tracker she had on her in the fire to show her loyalty to The Smoke.
However, her tracker was still working, and signaled to Dr. Cable where she was. Dr. Cable then sent in troops to capture the rebels, make them do the surgery, and brainwash them. One of those troopers is Tally’s former best friend, Peris. The government changed Peris to be a powerful soldier and forced him to kill David’s father. After this ambush occurred among The Smoke, David decides that he is going to New Pretty Town to bring back the captured rebels. Tally convinces him to take her as well.
They arrive in the city and free all the rebels from the surgery except for Shay, who had already gotten it. Brainwashed from everything, Shay is taken back into The Smoke’s group as they try to give her a cure. She is hesitant to take it so Tally volunteers to get the surgery making her Pretty, allowing them to test the cure. After promising The Smoke that she won’t change once she turns Pretty, she says goodbye and returns back to New Pretty Town. Tally gets the surgery, lives in the main city, and keeps her promise to the rebels.
For years, dystopian fans have been waiting for a new addition to the movie genre and now they have one. The Uglies is creating a resurgence of dystopian fiction, being a mix of The Hunger Games and Divergent. In terms of the book to movie adaptation, the film does a good job of staying true to the story, only leaving minor details out and including all necessary information.
Senior Hannah Brown agreed with this statement saying, “I read the book in middle school and from what I remember, the creators of this movie did a good job of portraying the story on the big screen. I never felt like they left any major details out.”
As a whole, the movie is a rollercoaster going from casual conversations to action-packed fighting scenes in a matter of minutes leaving no room to breathe. The use of CGI in this movie is extensive, used to place viewers in its futuristic settings. However, it comes off as cheap and distracting. In terms of the plot, I found it flat and unprofound compared to other dystopian movies released. While the movie tends well to its younger audience, it still does little to go beyond the surface making it slightly dull and tedious.
Senior Margaret Wilson has additional critiques to the film saying, “I think the concept of the movie was pretty silly because it was based on only fitting into society if you are pretty. On top of that, the acting was subpar and over exaggerated. As well as the climax, I found it difficult to even identify where it was.”
To fans of the book, this movie is right up your alley. It stays true to the original story of the book and will allow you to see the words on paper come about on the big screen. However, as just a movie watcher, this might be a tough watch given the poor use of CGI, below average acting, and badly written plot.
