Automata
asks a humongous theoretical question: Do androids dream of electric sheep?
STORY:
The
entire Earth is a crap-hole desert, diminishing the population to 21 million
survivors living in disgusting cities.
To lessen the burden of no future, a corporation named ROC builds a line
of machines called the Automata Pilgrims: basic robots designed to build walls
and help humans. These clunky machines
come with two protocols: they can't harm any form of life, and they can't alter
themselves or other robots. With these
two simple protocols, what could possibly go wrong? But then a Pilgrim is shot in the head by a
cop claiming the robot was self-repairing, and an insurance agent for ROC named
Jacq Vaucan (Antonio Banderas) is called in to investigate. Can poor Jacq get to the bottom of this crazy
robotic mystery? Only a retread through
cliché ideas will tell. Suicide robots,
crippled robots, dancing robots, cute robots, creepy robots, sex robots, and
child hitmen ensue.
"I'm not sure you're grasping the scientific significance here. Let me repeat myself: an Oreo is
the greatest achievement known to man. Bar none."
THOUGHTS:
With
Blade Runner as aesthetic inspiration and grand overtures flowing in the
background, Automata asks very ambitious questions. What does it mean to be alive? Is there a creator to all life? Is humanity's future doomed? Do robots have souls? Will machines one day rule the earth, because
humans are way too stupid? These are all
thought-provoking questions, but the problem is they have all been brought up
in funnier and in most cases, better movies already. If the story above sounds familiar, it's
probably because you've seen I, Robot.
Or maybe Short Circuit or Blade Runner or any of the robotic films that have
come in the past. So, the real question
is does Automata add anything new to the formula? Grim
future? Seen it. Robots
claiming to be alive? Already
done. One guy contemplating the universe?
Been there. Robot dancing? Pfft…Short
Circuit had that covered. There is one
slight twist to Automata's plot that hasn't really been implemented in past
movies, but once you get about half way through the film, you'll have already
guessed it.
"Nothing would make me happier than slipping under the sheets and checking your battery."
THE ACTING:
Antonio
Banderas is exceptional. His performance
delivers the seriousness needed to create a good Sci-Fi movie (just wait until
you see him eat chocolate). His dialogue
is superb and his emotional ride of rediscovering life through mechanical eyes
gives the film a tad bit of heart. But
sadly, that's where the acting and character building ends. The rest of cast is forgettable and the
Automata Pilgrims—as clunky and generic as they are—end up being much more
interesting then there human owners.
Birgitte
Hjort Sorensen plays Rachel, Jacq's upset pregnant wife, who's used only as a
metaphor for new life. Her relationship
with Jacq attempts to add drama and concern to the storyline, but in the end falls short when compared to the grand robotic theme. Melanie Griffith pops in as Dr. Dupre, the
super smart robotic engineer that works in the ghetto. Now if you're thinking, "Huh, when I think genius level robotic
engineer, Melanie Griffith isn't the first name that comes to mind,"
you aren't alone. But just wait until
you see her action, only then will you truly realize how far off base her
casting really is. Luckily, if you
sneeze you might miss her on screen, but her voice does screech out of Cleo the
sex-bot for the rest of the movie.
This
brings us to the talented Dylan McDermott.
He plays Wallace, a drugged out cop looking to kill some bots and stab
people in the neck for no reason.
Whether the guidance from the director was off or Mr. McDermott just
wanted a paycheck, one thing is for sure: his acting stinks. How his lines are delivered, the way he
moves, even his slick hair yells, "I
don't want to be here." As for
everyone else, their acting is below par and the cookie-cutter bad guys could
have been replaced by the California Raisins and it wouldn't have made a
difference.
"They call this scent, Le Automata. It's French for motor oil."
"She'll love it. Wrap it up."
CREEPY ROBOTS:
Have
you ever seen a homeless, crippled robot?
Well you will now. It's not the
cumbersome way they walk, or the rigid movements of their arms or necks. It's their expressionless faces that make the
automata extremely creepy. None of the
robots have lips or eyes that move and only a select few can carry a conversation,
most of the time they just repeat a programmed line over and over again. So if you're looking for heavy conversations
like in I, Robot or Blade Runner, you've come to the wrong place. The one bot in the flick that does make an
impression doesn't do so because of his thought-provoking dialogue, no…he's
memorable because of his Spanish accent.
Can you think of the last time you heard a robot with a Spanish
accent? He probably picked it up
vacationing all those years in Barcelona, so it does make sense.
"So what do you think, HK-47?"
"I think after I get the motor running, Meatbag, I'll dip my unit in its socket."
CONCLUSION:
Automata
is a low budget Sci-Fi film that treads over cliché questions. If you haven't seen any previous movies that
feature robots that believe they are alive, then this will be a fresh, creative
experience for you. If you have, then
wait until Automata hits TV. With creepy
bots and only the main character giving a worthy performance, this movie slides
into the generic Sci-Fi category easily.
But Automata isn't that bad a
film, it's just one you've seen many times before.
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