McG does almost everything wrong possible in his adaptation of the highly moralistic YA novel Uglies. The film's (and book's) rather simplistic premise, that we should question the expectations our society has drilled into us (especially those around beauty standards and the worth of human beings) isn't wrong, it's just overly simplistic with little to no nuance or analysis. The movie falls into pretty typical traps that undermine any validity the thesis has and ends up being a rather lifeless, boring film.
First of all his cast of so called "uglies" are all played by fairly typically beautiful people. The film projects their beautiful versions of themselves simply as them with more make up. Throw away that film trope of having elderly 20 somethings play teenagers (something that really needs to die (except Grease) the fact they couldn't find a cast of actors who weren't conventionally "beautiful" points out just how much hypocrisy the film is showing. The film never ties into that analysis of power based on physical characteristics anything tied to class, race, ability, or other intersectional factors which often inform so much of this problem in the real world. According to Uglies the real problem is we don't accept somewhat attractive people as full human beings.
I could go on with other critiques of the thesis such as the city representing hegemony and the country symbolizing freedom when diversity is seen most in populated areas while rural communities tend to be more homogenous. I really felt casting a trans actor as a villain who wants children to be forced to have surgeries was truly a bad choice by the film makers. There is just so much about what Uglies is doing that is gross.
But perhaps the worst crime is how dull it is. It is a slog to get through, it's predictable and cliched as shit. It is the worst thing a movie can be, boring.
Uglies
Starring: Joey King, Brianne Tju, Keith Powers, Chase Stokes, Laverne Cox
Director: McG
Writers: Jacob Forman, Vanessa Taylor, Whit Anderson
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