From the creative team that brought us 2016’s The Boss comes a new high-concept comedy that doesn’t even appear to clear that low bar.
Superintelligence sees Melissa McCarthy playing “the most average person on Earth”—notably, an Earth where a single, central AI permeates through all of our electronics. With the AI being omnipresent and almost impossible to avoid, it of course sports the voice of James Corden. The superintelligence questions whether it should just blow up everything and end all of humanity, finally putting an end to Carpool Karaoke. But first he decides on a test: he’ll observe this incredibly average person for three days, then decide whether or not humans are worth keeping around. It’s basically Star Trek: TNG pilot “Encounter at Farpoint” meets Skynet meets another broad McCartney comedy directed by and featuring her husband.
There are at least a couple glaring flaws with Superintelligence‘s conceit. Firstly, if James Corbot is in practically every device in the world, why does it need to focus on one “average” person? It can quite literally take the average of nearly every person on Earth’s actions and decide that way. Secondly, a white, single woman who’s unemployed yet has a spacious apartment Seattle is 100% not the most average person on Earth. This person does not even exist. And that’s before we get to lusting over James Corden, which also does not exist.
But, hey, very funny idea, right? Like how referencing Burt Bacharach is very funny!
This thing was originally meant to hit theaters, but now has become HBO’s first-of-its-kind “Max Original,” which is absolutely how it should be labeled in resignation. Shame on everyone for wasting Sam Richardson on this tripe.
Officially described as “the perfect recipe for a Thanksgiving movie” for reasons completely unclear, it hits HBO Max on the holiday.
