ROBOT OVERLORDS (2014)

ROBOT OVERLORDS (2014)

In this British film, alien robots come to Earth and decide to become the overlords of humanity. Apparently, at some point, man just lost his will to fight and the war against the robots is stopped. The robots use humans to monitor sectors because they need to siphon the ideas out of mankind one person at a time. This process basically turns the person into a mindless living creature that does nothing. Part of the conformity to the robots comes from their promise to leave after they are done “observing” them. This is done through implants in their neck that track the human's every move. The only rule is that humans are not allowed to go outside. One day while three young kids are playing around with a battery they discover a way to temporarily shut off their trackers. 

Sean Flynn (played by Callan McAuliffe from The Walking Dead) ends up being the main character in this movie. Part of this is because after nearly having his ideas stolen, he gains the ability to control alien robots when they get close to him. Alexandra (played by Ella Hunt from ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE) is Sean’s potential love interest in the film, but for more of this one, they are basically like brother and sister. Alexandra is confident at times, but kind of falls apart when it counts later in the film. The youngest kid is played by Milo Parker as Conor and Alexandra’s brother is played by James Tarpey. Gillian Anderson from X-FILES gets a pretty good amount of screen time in this as does the legendary Ben Kingsley. Acting-wise the movie is a bit better than many movies of this type. Milo Parker nails every line he gets in this movie. Some might recognize him as Hugh from MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN. 

The score is decent at the beginning of the movie but drops off in quality as the film moves along. Effects wise this one stands out in that it is not an Asylum film and the robots feel very realistic. Where the movie kind of drops the ball is on the design of the robot. They look pretty generic overall. 

Plot-wise this sort of movie has been done a bunch of times before, but the ideas behind this one were a lot closer to home in 2020. When millions of people were literally being commanded to stay in their homes, and that feeling of tyranny for millions is not only haunting but emotionally ravaging. The swiftness in which so many gave up their freedoms without question in the name of safety and the promise of it, is something the film explores. When you watch this thing you can actually feel a bit of the fear of these people and the desperation they are in. Not complying with the commands of these robot overlords is unacceptable and instantly punished at the whim of Mediator 452 (played by Craig Garner who is most known for his work in STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS).

For its haunting concepts and acting, this movie gets a 4 out of 7 from me. It’s not going to resonate with some. I should also be clear, this is not a family film by any means. I actually find it kind of strange that the poster for the film says it is. Also, don’t let the title or artwork for the film's poster fool you. This movie is well above some of the garbage the Asylum is putting out.

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