Electric Dreams
MGM/UA Entertainment Company | Release Date: July 20, 1984 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
52
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
4
Mixed:
6
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
One of the nicest things about the movie is the way it maintains its note of slightly bewildered innocence. Read full review
75
TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not Credited)
The story gets silly from time to time, stretching credibility to the breaking point, but the final result is an old-fashioned love triangle made new by the third party's being electronic. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubSean O'Neal
For all the liberties it takes with what the computers of that era could really do, Electric Dreams offers a portrait of our relationship to technology that’s fairly prescient—while still being silly in that early-’80s Radio Shack kind of way, of course. Read full review
63
Washington PostGary Arnold
Electric Dreams can be trusted to provide some idle amusement, particularly from "users" cautious enough to keep both their demands and levels of resistance set at low-to-modest -- probably the ideal setting for summer moviegoing in general, come to think of it. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesLawrence Kirkbride
Unfortunately, Electric Dreams has another thing in common with most rock videos: It’s strong on music and visual effects, while somewhat lacking in story development. Read full review
60
EmpireLiz Beardsworth
Dated of course, being typically 80s, but maintains a certain charm. Read full review
50
The New York TimesLawrence Van Gelder
In the failure of Electric Dreams to blend and balance its ingredients properly, plot elements are lost (the brick), credibility is overtaxed (the lovelorn computer), and what remains is high tech without being high art. Read full review
50
NewsweekDavid Ansen
The viewer is diverted, but not terribly involved. As a romantic partner, hardware has considerably less resonance than Cary Grant. [06 Aug 1984, p.74]
42
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Electric Dreams tries to be as up to the minute as the latest rock video. But it looks more like a tired holdover from the ''psychedelic'' 1960s, another time when frantic visual effects were all the rage, and people rarely stopped to wonder what the point was. Read full review
40
Time OutStaff (Not Credited)
Photographically busy, though to no meaningful purpose, mildly amusing at best, the piece finally expires with what could be, but probably isn't, a parody of a feel-good ending. Read full review
30
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Jay Scott
If Electric Dreams is indicative of what MTV alumni are going to do with the big screen, the big screen is going to be in big need of something to keep it from shrinking to the size of a guitar pick. [21 Jul 1984]
25
Miami HeraldBill Cosford
Electric Dreams seems to take forever to establish its premise and its characters, who (computer excepted) are nonetheless rather one-dimensional. [23 Jul 1984, p.C6]
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