Last Updated on September 20, 2024 by
Uglies is a 2024 dystopian sci-fi Movie Directed by McG. It stars Joey King, Chase Stokes, and Laverne Cox and was released on September 13, 2024. The film has a runtime of 1 h 40m.
An enormous flood of dystopian young adult, or YA, films based on books started in the early 2010s, with The Hunger Games in 2012. This was succeeded by other great flicks in the following years including Divergent, The Maze Runner, and The Giver among others. These movies enchanted audiences with stories about futuristic worlds with divided or destroyed societies, with teenagers as the protagonists who had to fight for change. At the same time, there was another popular dystopian YA book series that didn’t get a movie adaptation until recently: Uglies, authored by Scott Westerfeld. Finally, after years Uglies is on the screen, now directed by McG, known for movies like Charlie’s Angels and The Babysitter. The movie is set in the future which depicts how society has solved all its issues through physical appearance enhancement. The concept is that when everyone is beautiful there is no more concept of class, race, and other issues that lead to conflict. In this society, individuals go through major surgery once they reach the age of 16 years and become “pretties”. They get elongated limbs, more vibrant eyes, smooth skin, and a perfect face. But for now, you are “ugly” and being ugly can only mean that you have to live in the colorless, gray outskirts of the city, away from the fabulous, bright city of the pretties.
The movie revolves around the character of Tally, portrayed by Joey King who cannot wait for the day she undergoes the turning process at the age of sixteen. Her best friend, Peris (Chase Stokes), has undergone the surgery too, but after turning into a pretty boy, he starts ignoring her. Tally is determined to meet him again, and to do so she sneaks into the city of the pretties. But when she does, Peris treats her like she’s beneath him because she’s still “ugly. ” Feeling rejected, Tally becomes even more determined to become pretty herself.
When she is waiting for her birthday, Tally meets her ugly new friend named Shay (Brianne Tju), who is going to turn sixteen. Still, unlike the fairy Tally, she does not wish to turn pretty. However, she intends to go to a city called “The Smoke,” where individuals stay true to themselves without taking the operation. This rebellious group that Shay brings Tally to begins to make her doubt the society she has been living in. It becomes worse when Shay decides to run away. The high-ranking official Dr. Cable (Laverne Cox) hence delays Tally’s operation and informs her that the only way she can become pretty is by assisting the government in capturing and rehabilitating Shay. Given a choice between betraying her friend and receiving the operation she has dreamed of, Tally takes the path that transforms the way she views the world. Although she brings clothes to the pretty neighborhood and meets Shay’s group leader, David (Keith Powers), she realizes that the world of pretties and uglies is even darker than she could have imagined. The crystalline technology portrayed in the movie Uglies puts the viewers in a futuristic environment where there are hoverboards, intelligent rings, and other smart gadgets. Nevertheless, while such concepts represent an enjoyable thought process, the movie fails to provide an atmosphere of thrilling realism to these themes. Unfortunately, much of the world-building seems to exist only to have an excuse for a fancy CGI set piece as a plot device. There are, however, several weaknesses that this film possesses, for example, the movie is very slow at some moments. A viewer is taken from one scene to another without enough time for the viewer or audience to easily comprehend the environment or the characters. Of course, it helped to reveal that being obsessed with beauty until the most substanceless aspect of life is shallow, nevertheless, the picture doesn’t explore this theme in more detail as it continues.
Characters and Performances
Joey King does a reasonable job portraying Tally and her desire to conform to the culture and become one of the Specials. However, the script doesn’t give her character a lot of depth, and she often comes across as the typical YA dystopian heroine: daring, but wavering. While Laverne Cox plays the character of evil scientist Dr. Cable, she is not persuasively depicted as a dangerous villain, but rather appears indifferent. Cox tries as much as possible to scare the audience with the role but the efforts do not make her stand out as scary. On the other hand, the rest of the characters seem to put in some emotional and depth in their performances: Brianne Tju as Shay and Keith Powers as David.
Shay has to decide about some concepts of authentic living, and David, who leads the rebellious group, is more layered than many other characters in the movie. Their contribution gives a ray of light to an otherwise clichéd movie. In the end, Uglies looks more like a lost potential.
The movie fails to bring anything original to the dystopian narrative, supposed to be a provocative and thrilling commentary on beauty and control. Compared to other dystopian films in the same Young Adult genre, it is impossible to say that it contain the same level of revelation and causes the same emotional response as The Hunger Games or Divergent. In the context of the world of Uglies, the aim is to negate the concept of perfection as a source of primary happiness, but the movie does not address it at all.
Uglies 2024 Parents Guide Age Rating
Uglies is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Rating (MPA) for some violence and action, and brief strong language.
Violence & Intense Scenes: The movie has several action sequences especially those that involve the characters in the movie using hoverboards to move around the film setting. These sequences, as aggressive and spectacular as they are, incorporate various risky scenes, for instance, the characters falling from great heights or avoiding dangerous objects. There is little use of violence and no gore but there are scenes where characters are put in dangerous situations. Yes, there are some scenes where characters engage in fisticuffs especially towards the end of the film when characters are fighting for their liberty. These fights are not particularly violent, but there is a feeling of high stakes because of the context of the rebellion against the tyrannical government. Discussed collisions involve buildings and hoverboards which enhance the movie’s intensity during specific scenes. However, those scenes are not as violent as one would expect; the primary goal is to shock the audience, but there are no scenes that would show actual blood or show an act of violence being performed. The movie explores the ideas of mind control and societal pressure particularly shown by the pretties’ transformation In essence, characters of the movie undergo psychological transformation where they are made to change into beautiful beings, though this concept may seem disturbing to some.
Language: There is some mild language used in the movie, although no strong or vulgar words are used. Sometimes, such words as ‘damn’ or ‘hell’ are employed, though sparingly. There is little use of obscene language or excessive swearing and while there is some violence, this is also well within the ratings board PG-13 remit.
Sexual Content: This movie has an element of romance though it is not very explicit and some instances suggest the growing attraction between Tally and David, a rebel leader. As the two become friends spending most of their time together, any signs of romance are very limited and least portrayed at a teenage standard. Some characters may try to ask the other character out on a date or even dance and/or kiss for a moment. These moments are innocent, and there is no direct sexual scene or any kind of reference to it. Beauty, physical transformation, and swapping bodies all pertain to issues concerning beauty that can be addressed in the movie. Some comments that everyone is regarded based on appearances could be risqué to some viewers, especially to those who are sensitive to issues of beauty. Substance Use: There is no portrayal of the use of drugs or alcohol in the movie. Nevertheless, the city of pretties is presented as a place of celebration per se having the newly transformed ‘pretties’ looking like they are always on a euphoric revelry. Despite this, actual substance use is never depicted in the film, although the “pretties” could be seen partaking in hedonistic behavior reminiscent of a party.
Conclusion: Uglies is a PG-13 movie with mild action, some intense scenes, and a powerful message about the importance of being yourself. Some of its themes include body image, rebellion, and pressure, which are easier to decipher for teenagers but parents should be ready to explain to their children watching. Despite a relatively moderate level of violent scenes the depicted appearance and conformity can cause essential discussions about self esteem, individuality, and freedom.
