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MOVIE REVIEW: We review Robot Overlords

February 8th, 2015 by Irwin Fletcher Comments

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Robot Overlords (12)
Directed by: Jon Wright
Starring: Gillian Anderson, Ben Kingsley & Callan McAuliffe
Running time: 90 min

Earth has been conquered by robots from a distant galaxy. Survivors are confined to their houses and must wear electronic implants, risking incineration by robot sentries if they venture outside.

In a small coastal village, a group of teenagers are being cared for by Kate (Anderson), whilst they are under the ever watchful eye of The Moderator Mr Smythe (Kingsley). But the kids are cunning and devise a way to neutralize their implants, thus preventing the robots from detecting them whilst they are finally able to venture outdoors.

Robot Overlords is an interesting sci-fi low budget flick with decent performances from the young cast. The adult cast, including Gillian Anderson and Sir Ben Kingsley are the main draw here and the chilling collaborator of Mr Smythe is without doubt the best performance in the movie.

That said, the low budget features some rather impressive cinematography in that the locations include the Isle of Man and several parts of Northern Ireland such as Carrickfergus Castle, the coastal town of Donaghadee and Tullymore Forest Park. It’s these scenic shots and the general set dressing that add another character and dimension to this fairly familiar plot of a son searching for his lost father.

The Robots themselves look in size and shape akin to Transformers, though they are devoid of character or personality, except for their leader… Thankfully they are used sparingly throughout the movie and the viewer has little time to closely examine them during the short running time.

The underlying themes in Robot Overlords won’t be new to anyone who is familiar with the history of WWII or other well-known sci-fi television series such as V, but it’s the execution that will impress. Yes, the script can be a little hit and miss and the ending is certainly right up there with most unbelievable stunt in a movie, but it’s all in good fun.

A teen movie that doesn’t try to be anything other than entertaining and one that young and older teens might enjoy.

3 out of 5 Nerds

3nerds

I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.