From Metropolis to Avengers: Age of Ultron, robots are such a staple of movie-going that it's easy to forget they haven't always been around. The idea of automated machines doing work for us has existed for as long as civilization, but it wasn't until 1920 that Czech playwright Karel Čapek coined the word "robot" to describe a humanoid machine in a play called R.U.R.
Robots have been part of science fiction since even before the word was coined, but as powerful as literary explorations of the technology can be, there's nothing like seeing it on-screen. Maybe it's because, through the power of visual effects and production design, movies can give even the most futuristic robot an existence viewers can actually see. Or maybe it's that watching real people react to robots allows audiences to explore the relationship between humanity and technology by watching actual human bodies and faces.
Updated by David Giatras March 4, 2024: As society drifts more and more towards the "future" that has been featured in many past robot movies, there has been a shift in storytelling based on today's technology. The rise of AI has gone hand in hand with anything concerning robots, and this has been reflected in some contemporary robot movies that viewers have seen over the years.
25 Robots Could Have A Director's Cut Someday
Robots
In a robot world, a young idealistic inventor travels to the big city to join his inspiration's company, only to find himself opposing its sinister new management.
- Release Date
- March 6, 2005
- Director
- Chris Wedge
- Cast
- Ewan McGregor , Robin Williams , Halle Berry , Mel Brooks
- Runtime
- 1 hour 31 minutes
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Writers
- David Lindsay-Abaire , Lowell Ganz , Babaloo Mandel
- Production Company
- Twentieth Century Fox Animation, Blue Sky Studios
Rotten Tomatoes |
IMDb |
Metacritic |
---|---|---|
64% |
6.4 |
64 |
Best Sci-Fi Shows To Watch On Max
From comedy to drama to old classics to modern hits, Max has a ton of great science fiction TV shows to choose from even without the HBO name.Robots takes place in Robot City, a city in a world that is populated by robots. Rodney (Ewan McGregor), an idealistic inventor, moves to Robot City to showcase his latest invention to Bigweld Industries, a company that specializes in inventions with spare robot parts. Rodney slowly discovers that something sinister is happening within the company.
Robots did not enjoy the same kind of success as other animated films at the time but has since gained a cult following. In the DVD commentary of the film, director Chris Wedge alluded to many things being cut out, leaving some hopeful that a director’s cut could be released someday.
24 Westworld Debuted Much Earlier Than The Hit HBO Show
Westworld
A robot malfunction creates havoc and terror for unsuspecting vacationers at a futuristic, adult-themed amusement park.
- Release Date
- November 21, 1973
- Director
- Michael Crichton
- Cast
- Yul Brynner , Richard Benjamin , James Brolin
- Runtime
- 1 Hour 28 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Action
- Writers
- Michael Crichton
- Production Company
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Rotten Tomatoes |
IMDb |
Metacritic |
---|---|---|
84% |
6.9 |
77 |
10 Best Genre-Bending Westerns
The Western genre has been blended with others countless times over the years, but only a handful of these genre-bending productions truly stand out.HBO's Westworld may have been a hit upon release, but the concept made its debut in a much earlier age of visual effects. Written and directed by Michael Crichton, Westworld still managed to channel the novelist/filmmaker's amusement park-based fears into a forward-thinking thriller that fuses together future tech and America's Old West. While mostly sharing a premise with the show, the original Westworld actually features not just one, but three "world"-simulated parks, each populated by robots that facilitate visitors' fantasies.
Its stroke of genius, however, is casting. In West World, a main attraction is The Gunslinger, programmed to duel guests, so picking the original The Magnificent Seven lead Yul Brynner lends a layer of genre commentary. This is especially true once things go wrong and the robots start attacking humans. Westworld was the first movie to use digital image processing to create the pixilated, first-person point of view now standard in depicting the world through robots' eyes.
23 Pacific Rim Was Meant To Be A Sprawling Franchise
Pacific Rim
As a war between humankind and monstrous sea creatures wages on, a former pilot and a trainee are paired up to drive a seemingly obsolete special weapon in a desperate effort to save the world from the apocalypse.
- Created by
- Guillermo del Toro , Travis Beacham
- First Film
- Pacific Rim
- Latest Film
- Pacific Rim: Uprising
- Cast
- Rinko Kikuchi , Idris Elba , Charlie Hunnam , John Boyega
Rotten Tomatoes |
IMDb |
Metacritic |
---|---|---|
72% |
6.9 |
65 |
Pacific Rim was the first film in the short-lived Pacific Rim franchise. The film depicts a war between humanity and sea monster creatures in the near future. To fight the monsters, humans have developed the Jaegers, giant robotic suits that even the odds. Directed by Guillermo del Toro, the film stars Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Charlie Day, and Ron Perlman.
The film was intended to start a franchise but was largely unsuccessful. It did get a sequel, Pacific Rim: Uprising, but not much else. It still stands as del Toro's most commercially successful film. There was talk of having the franchise cross over with the MonsterVerse to have the Jaegers fight Godzilla, Kong, and other movie monsters, but this plan never came to fruition.
22 The Transformers: The Movie Is The Best Transformers Movie To Date
The Transformers: The Movie
The Autobots must stop a colossal planet consuming robot who goes after the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. At the same time, they must defend themselves against an all-out attack from the Decepticons.
- Release Date
- August 8, 1986
- Director
- Nelson Shin
- Cast
- Eric Idle , Judd Nelson , Leonard Nimoy , Orson Welles , Robert Stack , Lionel Stander
- Runtime
- 1 Hour 24 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Studio
- Toei Animation
- Writers
- Ron Friedman , Flint Dille , Douglas Booth
- Production Company
- Sunbow Productions, Marvel Productions, Hasbro
Rotten Tomatoes |
IMDb |
Metacritic |
---|---|---|
62% |
7.2 |
43 |
Forget Michael Bay — the greatest Transformers movie is from 1986. While it may not be quite as awe-inspiring as an adult to watch a movie effectively open with the deaths of both sides' leaders, Optimus Prime and Megatron, there's plenty that will leave viewers at least surprised in a way they would not have been as a kid. The Transformers: The Movie features Monty Python member Eric Idle as the leader of a group of scavenging robots from a junk planet, who learned English by intercepting human TV signals.
The film also stars Leonard Nimoy in his second-most robotic role as Megatron's upgraded form, Galvatron. In addition to Nimoy, The Transformers: The Movie features the greatest Transformers villain ever, the planet-devouring Unicron. Unicron is voiced by none other than Hollywood legend Orson Welles, in the final role of his career.
21 The Stepford Wives Has A Far More Sinister Plot At Play
The Stepford Wives (1975)
Joanna Eberhart has come to the quaint little town of Stepford, Connecticut with her family, but soon discovers there lies a sinister truth in the all too perfect behavior of the female residents.
- Release Date
- February 12, 1975
- Director
- Bryan Forbes
- Cast
- Katharine Ross , Tina Louise , William Prince
- Runtime
- 1 Hour 55 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Writers
- Ira Levin , William Goldman
- Production Company
- Palomar Pictures International, Fadsin Cinema Associates.
Rotten Tomatoes |
IMDb |
Metacritic |
---|---|---|
68% |
6.9 |
54 |
Not many movies can spawn a whole new phrase out of their title, but the original, 1975 sci-fi horror thriller The Stepford Wives certainly did. Adapted by The Princess Bride screenwriter William Goldman from Ira Levin's book of the same name, the film dives into the seemingly perfect Connecticut suburb of Stepford, where the Berhart family has just moved. But the wives of the town are suspiciously well-mannered and vacuous, and given that there are robots involved, there is something far more sinister at play.
While director Bryan Forbes faced criticism of the film's depiction of women, the filmmakers maintained that the movie was really about the dangers of a male chauvinism-dominated world. Either way, the most praise should be due to the actresses playing the wives themselves, who manage to perfectly pitch their performances in a way that can be both frightening and darkly funny at the same time.
20 Her Explores A Unique Love Between Human And AI
Her (2013)
In a near future, a lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with an operating system designed to meet his every need.
- Director
- Spike Jonze
- Release Date
- January 10, 2014
- Cast
- Joaquin Phoenix , Amy Adams , Scarlett Johansson , Rooney Mara
- Runtime
- 2 hours 6 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes |
IMDb |
Metacritic |
---|---|---|
94% |
8.0 |
91 |
Sofia Coppola Says Scarlett Johansson's Her and Lost in Translation Characters Are Connected
Sofia Coppola addresses the connection between the characters of Scarlett Johansson and Rooney Mara, in Lost in Translation and Her, respectively.Her stars Joaquin Phoenix as Theodore, a lonely writer who is about to divorce his childhood sweetheart Caroline. Theodore buys an operating system upgrade that includes an AI that is designed to adapt and evolve to his needs. The AI names itself Samantha (Scarlett Johansson) and Theodore begins to fall in love with her.
As AI becomes more and more prevalent in society’s everyday life, the film’s themes of love and loneliness with artificial intelligence made for one of the unique films of the 21st century. Despite having one of its leads only be a voice, it proved to be one of the most poignant love stories ever captured on film.
19 Real Steel Has Robots, But Its A Father-Son Movie At Heart
Real Steel
In the near future, robot boxing is a top sport. A struggling ex-boxer feels he's found a champion in a discarded robot.
- Release Date
- October 7, 2011
- Director
- Shawn Levy
- Cast
- Hugh Jackman , Evangeline Lilly , Dakota Goyo
- Runtime
- 2 Hours 7 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Action
- Writers
- John Gatins , Dan Gilroy , Jeremy Leven
- Production Company
- Dreamworks Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Reliance Entertainment.
Rotten Tomatoes |
IMDb |
Metacritic |
---|---|---|
60% |
7.1 |
56 |
Real Steel stars Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up boxer who has turned to robot boxing to make money. He is reunited with his estranged son Max, and they train a robot, dubbed Atom, to go after the global boxing title held by the undefeated champion Zeus. The film also provides commentary about robots taking over many facets of society, something many viewers can relate to in today's world.
A modest success upon release, the film has been a hit as of late due to streaming services. It has been compared to a Rocky robot movie, but many viewers fell in love with the personal family story that goes along with it. Due to recent interest, a sequel series is being developed for Disney+ and a sequel starring Jackman has been discussed.
18 Bumblebee Is The Highest-Rated Film Of The Transformers Franchise
Bumblebee
On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small California beach town. On the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, Charlie Watson discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken.
- Release Date
- December 21, 2018
- Director
- Travis Knight
- Cast
- Hailee Steinfeld , Jorge Lendeborg Jr. , John Cena
- Runtime
- 1 Hour 54 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Action
- Writers
- Christina Hodson
- Producer
- Michael Bay, Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Don Murphy, Mark Vahradian
- Production Company
- Hasbro, Tencent Pictures, Di Bonaventura Pictures, Bay Films, Tom DeSanto/Don Murphy Production, Allspark Pictures, Laika Entertainment, Paramount Pictures
Rotten Tomatoes |
IMDb |
Metacritic |
---|---|---|
91% |
6.7 |
66 |
Bumblebee, a prequel to the Transformers film series, brings the story back to 1987. Bumblebee is on the run from the Decepticons and lands on Earth in a California beach town with his memory lost. He is discovered by 18-year-old Charlie Watson (Hailee Steinfeld), who works with Bumblebee to figure out why he is on Earth and later helps fight the Decepticons.
As the previous films in the Transformers series were not well-received, expectations were low for Bumblebee. It actually received positive reviews, particularly for its story and Steinfeld's performance, which breathed new life into the franchise. The film remains the highest-rated movie of the franchise to date by a sizable margin.
17 M3GAN Infuses AI With Child's Play's Formula
M3GAN
A robotics engineer at a toy company builds a life-like doll that begins to take on a life of its own.
- Release Date
- January 6, 2023
- Director
- Gerald Johnstone
- Cast
- Amie Donald , Kimberley Crossman , Allison Williams , Ronny Chieng , Violet McGraw , Brian Jordan Alvarez
- Runtime
- 1 Hour 42 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Writers
- Akela Cooper , James Wan
- Producer
- Jason Blum, James Wan, Michael Clear, Couper Samuelson
- Production Company
- Blumhouse Productions, Atomic Monster Productions, Divide/Conquer
Rotten Tomatoes |
IMDb |
Metacritic |
---|---|---|
93% |
6.4 |
72 |
M3GAN follows Gemma (Alison Williams), a robotics engineer, who builds a life-like doll, dubbed M3GAN. Things go from revolutionary to sinister when the doll takes on a life of her own, especially when Gemma’s 8-year-old niece Cady (Violet McGraw) becomes attached to it.
M3GAN was a surprise horror movie hit, delivering a modern spin on a story similar to Child’s Play and the infamous Chucky doll. The film’s success led to a sequel entering development, entitled M3GAN 2.0. The sequel is dated for January 17th, 2025 with Williams and McGraw planning to return.
16 Forbidden Planet Was A Trailblazer For Robot Movies
Forbidden Planet
A starship crew in the 23rd century goes to investigate the silence of a distant planet's colony, only to find just two survivors, a powerful robot, and the deadly secret of a lost civilization.
- Release Date
- June 13, 1958
- Director
- Fred M. Wilcox
- Cast
- Walter Pidgeon , Anne Francis , Leslie Nielsen
- Runtime
- 1 Hour 38 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Science Fiction
- Writers
- Cyril Hume , Irving Block , Allen Adler
- Production Company
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Rotten Tomatoes |
IMDb |
Metacritic |
---|---|---|
96% |
7.5 |
80 |
10 Horror Movie Deaths That Made No Sense
Though death is a given in horror films, these scary movie kills left audiences scratching their heads.This 1956 MGM classic isn't just considered one of the greatest science fiction movies of all time, but one of the most boundary-pushing. Directed by Fred M. Wilcox, Forbidden Planet follows the crew of C-57D, a 23rd-century starship sent to the distant planet Altair IV to investigate the mysterious silence of a planetary colony.
The film used distinctive sets, the first-ever all-electronic musical score, and beautiful, cosmic matte paintings to put humanity's space-traveling future onscreen like never before. As one of the planet's few survivors, Robby the Robot blazed the film trails as one of the first robots to be a true, distinctive character, complete with trademark dry wit. Robby actually went on to appear in over two dozen more movies and TV shows following the film's release.
15 The World's End Is A Surprisingly Thematic Film
The World's End
Five friends who reunite in an attempt to top their epic pub crawl from twenty years earlier unwittingly become humanity's only hope for survival.
- Release Date
- August 23, 2013
- Director
- Edgar Wright
- Cast
- Simon Pegg , Nick Frost , Martin Freeman
- Runtime
- 1 Hour 49 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Action
- Writers
- Simon Pegg , Edgar Wright
- Production Company
- Universal Pictures, Focus Features, Relativity Media.
Rotten Tomatoes |
IMDb |
Metacritic |
---|---|---|
89% |
6.9 |
81 |
It's no surprise that Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World director Edgar Wright and Star Trek Beyond co-writer Simon Pegg could come up with one of the best sci-fi comedies of the 21st century. When middle-aged alcoholic Gary King drags his reluctant high school friends back to their hometown in order to complete their 1990 pub crawl, it sets in motion a hilarious, but surprisingly poignant set of character conflicts, as King bemoans how the town has changed.
Only, the town hasn't just changed, it's been taken over by robot replacements of many of its people, known as "blanks." It helps that, for the first 15 minutes, the movie is a perfectly executed, darkly funny character drama. The relationship between these blanks and the dreams and disappointments of King and his friends are as thematically deep as Blade Runner.
14 Ghost In The Shell Influenced Many Films Like The Matrix
Ghost in the Shell
A cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master.
- Release Date
- November 19, 1995
- Director
- Mamoru Oshii
- Cast
- Atsuko Tanaka , Akio Otsuka , Iemasa Kayumi
- Runtime
- 1 Hour 23 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Writers
- Masamune Shirow , Kazunori Itô
- Production Company
- Kôdansha, Bandai Visual Company, Manga Entertainment.
Rotten Tomatoes |
IMDb |
Metacritic |
---|---|---|
95% |
7.9 |
76 |
Best Sci-Fi Shows To Watch On Hulu
Hulu offers many great sci-fi titles for streaming, including all-new series and old favorites like Firefly and Futurama.Mamoru Oshii's animated feature adaptation of Masamune Shirow's manga fused the wild animated action you can only find in the highest-budgeted anime movies with real philosophical introspection. Taking place in 2029, the story follows Major Motoko Kusanagi, a police detective and "full-body prosthesis augmented-cybernetic human" tasked with capturing a hacker, which quickly pulls her into a web of intrigues both political and existential.
With its Akira-esque cityscapes, explorations of artificial intelligence, identity, and the nature of life in a technology-saturated world, and wild soundtrack from Kenji Kawai, Ghost in the Shell stands on its own as one of the last great cyberpunk works. But perhaps the greatest endorsement of this cyborg-starring saga is that when The Wachowskis were pitching The Matrix, they showed the film to producer Joel Silver and said they would do it for real.
13 I, Robot Finds Will Smith Uncovering A Conspiracy
I, Robot
In 2035, a technophobic cop investigates a crime that may have been perpetrated by a robot, which leads to a larger threat to humanity.
- Release Date
- July 16, 2004
- Director
- Alex Proyas
- Cast
- Will Smith , Bridget Moynahan , Bruce Greenwood
- Runtime
- 1 Hour 55 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Action
- Writers
- Jeff Vintar , Akiva Goldsman , Isaac Asimov
- Production Company
- Twentieth Century Fox, Mediastream Vierte Film GmbH & Co. Vermarktungs KG, Davis Entertainment.
Rotten Tomatoes |
IMDb |
Metacritic |
---|---|---|
56% |
7.1 |
59 |
I, Robot stars Will Smith as Del Spooner, a detective for the Chicago police department who investigates the alleged suicide of U.S. Robotics founder Alfred Lanning in 2035. Deeply mistrusting of robots, Spooner's investigation leads to a surprising discovery that maybe a robot could have been involved.
This robot movie also begs whether robots should be trusted to make their own decisions. Part of Spooner's hatred for robots is that one saved him from drowning after a car crash but did not save a 12-year-old girl simply based on logic. The film was certainly ahead of its time as today's society grapples with the rise of AI and the moral questions that come with it.
12 Big Hero 6 Is One Of Disney's Most Popular Franchises
Big Hero 6
A special bond develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who together team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.
- Release Date
- November 7, 2014
- Director
- Don Hall , Chris Williams
- Cast
- Ryan Potter , Scott Adsit , Jamie Chung , T.J. Miller , Daniel Henney , Damon Wayans Jr. , Genesis Rodriguez , James Cromwell , Alan Tudyk , Maya Rudolph
- Runtime
- 1 hour 42 minutes
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Writers
- Jordan Roberts , Robert L. Baird , Daniel Gerson
- Production Company
- Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures
Rotten Tomatoes |
IMDb |
Metacritic |
---|---|---|
90% |
7.8 |
74 |
Big Hero 6 follows the young Hiro Hamada, a robotics prodigy, who teams up with Baymax, his late brother’s healthcare provider robot, to become superheroes. The pair look to bring the perpetrators responsible for Hiro’s brother’s death to justice.
The film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2015, and it has been a smash hit for Disney beyond the film. Big Hero 6: The Television Series, ran for 3 seasons and continued the story from the film. A second series, Baymax!, was released on Disney+ in 2022 and the characters have become mainstays that Disney theme parks.
11 The Day The Earth Stood Still Is A Landmark Robot Movie
The Day The Earth Stood Still
An alien lands in Washington, D.C. and tells the people of Earth that they must live peacefully or be destroyed as a danger to other planets.
- Release Date
- September 20, 1951
- Director
- Robert Wise
- Cast
- Michael Rennie , Patricia Neal , Hugh Marlowe
- Runtime
- 1 Hour 32 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Science Fiction
- Writers
- Edmund H. North
- Production Company
- Twentieth Century Fox
Rotten Tomatoes |
IMDb |
Metacritic |
---|---|---|
95% |
7.8 |
83 |
Reverberating through film history with the alien phrase "Klaatu barada nikto," The Day the Earth Stood Still stands the test of time, and its robot is no exception. Robert Wise created this particular black-and-white sci-fi tale based on Harry Bates' 1940 novel, in which a flying saucer lands in Washington, D.C. Klaatu, a humanoid alien and a massive, strikingly designed robot called Gort emerge, setting in motion an early precursor to movies like Arrival.
Like many of these robot greats, the movie uses its sci-fi trappings to tell a story about humanity, but more uniquely, in this case, its scope encompasses literally all of humanity. As the world tries to manage its response, the key to it all is the strong, silent Gort, who was portrayed so ably by seven-foot-seven actor Lock Martin in a rubber suit.
10 Wall-E Is Among Pixar's Greatest Movies
WALL-E
In the distant future, a small waste-collecting robot inadvertently embarks on a space journey that will ultimately decide the fate of mankind.
- Release Date
- June 27, 2008
- Director
- Andrew Stanton
- Cast
- Ben Burtt , Elissa Knight
- Runtime
- 1 Hour 38 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Writers
- Andrew Stanton , Jim Reardon
- Production Company
- FortyFour Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures
Rotten Tomatoes |
IMDb |
Metacritic |
---|---|---|
95% |
8.4 |
95 |
Andrew Stanton's masterpiece takes advantage of the unique possibilities of 3D animation to turn its two mechanical leads into universally recognizable characters. In a world that's been covered in garbage and abandoned, WALL-E is the only trash-cleaning robot left, living alone until he discovers the space probe EVE, and the two connect. However, returning humanity to Earth threatens to separate them.
It's almost hard to believe that as one of Pixar's most beloved movies, Wall-E spends almost 40 minutes without any dialogue and that it centers around a love story between two robots, but Wall-E isn't really a normal movie. The junky robot WALL-E is someone viewers can relate to even though he doesn't quite speak in words. But through his smaller tale, Wall-E pulls back to tell a larger story about humanity, both future and present.
9 The Matrix Is One Of The Most Influential Modern Movies
The Matrix
When a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.
- Director
- Lana Wachowski , Lilly Wachowski
- Release Date
- March 31, 1999
- Cast
- Keanu Reeves , Laurence Fishburne , Carrie-Anne Moss , Hugo Weaving , Gloria Foster , Joe Pantoliano
- Writers
- Lilly Wachowski , Lana Wachowski
- Runtime
- 2 hours 16 minutes
- Main Genre
- Action
- Production Company
- Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures, Groucho Film Partnership, Silver Pictures, 3 Arts Entertainment
Rotten Tomatoes |
IMDb |
Metacritic |
---|---|---|
83% |
8.7 |
73 |
The Matrix stars Keanu Reeves as Thomas Anderson, who is a computer programmer by day and a hacker by night, going by the name of Neo. Neo is confronted by Morpheus, who tells him of the reality that he is living in. A simulation called the Matrix is controlled by machines and humans who have rebelled are at war with them.
The Matrix took robots to a new level upon release, perfectly weaving them into the plot of the reality of the Matrix itself. Neo would continue his war against the machines for three sequels, as a franchise was born out of the film. It is widely considered one of the best films of the modern age.
8 The Terminator Is Synonymous With Robot Movies
The Terminator (1984)
A human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn son is the key to humanity's future salvation.
- Release Date
- October 26, 1984
- Director
- James Cameron
- Cast
- Arnold Schwarzenegger , Linda Hamilton , Michael Biehn , Paul Winfield
- Runtime
- 1 hour 47 minutes
- Main Genre
- Action
- Writers
- James Cameron , Gale Anne Hurd , William Wisher
- Production Company
- Cinema '84, Euro Film Funding, Hemdale, Pacific Western Productions
Rotten Tomatoes |
IMDb |
Metacritic |
---|---|---|
100% |
8.1 |
84 |
The Terminator stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the titular killer robot, sent back in time by Skynet to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). Sarah will give birth to the eventual leader of the human race, John Connor, and John sends soldier Kyle Reese back to protect his mother.
The film was a massive success, establishing Schwarzenegger and writer/director James Cameron as forces to be reckoned with in Hollywood. It has been synonymous with robot movies ever since its release and led to a long-running franchise that spanned over 30 years.
7 Ex Machina Leaves Viewers Thinking Long After The Credits Roll
Ex Machina
A young programmer is selected to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a highly advanced humanoid A.I.
- Release Date
- April 24, 2015
- Director
- Alex Garland
- Cast
- Alicia Vikander , Domhnall Gleeson , Oscar Isaac
- Runtime
- 1 Hour 48 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Drama
- Writers
- Alex Garland
- Production Company
- A24, Universal Pictures, Film4
Rotten Tomatoes |
IMDb |
Metacritic |
---|---|---|
92% |
7.7 |
78 |
Anyone who saw the Alex Garland-written Sunshine or 28 Days Later knew he had sci-fi skills, but his directorial debut is still something to behold. Set almost entirely in one location, Ex Machina, follows programmer Caleb as he wins the chance to stay at tech CEO/genius Nathan Bateman's secluded retreat, where he meets Ava, an artificial intelligence experiment Nathan has placed in a human female-shaped body.
Nathan wants Caleb to run a Turing test, by having a series of conversations with Ava. But once Ava starts attempting to enlist the cyber-love struck Caleb's aid in escaping the basement lab she's trapped in, Ex Machina gets crazy. Real-world allusions like these, coupled with the spectacular CG effects and the amazingly layered performances from Isaac and Vikander, make this a great movie. But what makes it a great robot movie is how victory completely goes to the machine.
6 Terminator 2: Judgment Day Is One Of The Greatest Sequels Ever Made
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
A cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her ten year old son John from an even more advanced and powerful cyborg.
- Release Date
- July 3, 1991
- Director
- James Cameron
- Cast
- Arnold Schwarzenegger , Linda Hamilton , Edward Furlong , Robert Patrick , Joe Morton
- Runtime
- 2 Hours 17 Minutes
- Studio
- TriStar Pictures
- Main Genre
- Action
- Writers
- James Cameron , William Wisher
- Production Company
- Carolco Pictures, Pacific Western, Lightstorm Entertainment.
Rotten Tomatoes |
IMDb |
Metacritic |
---|---|---|
91% |
8.6 |
75 |
10 Best Movies Where Technology Is the Villain
From old classics like Terminator to modern movies like M3GAN, evil technology is a favorite trope of the sci-fi genre.Terminator 2: Judgment Day took James Cameron's robot menace to the next level. Where the first film was essentially a great horror movie that effortlessly looped in time travel, androids, and other classic sci-fi material, the sequel expanded things to a much more epic scale. Bringing back Arnold Schwarzenegger as the T-800, Cameron made a key decision in having him portray an old Terminator reprogrammed to protect young John Connor instead of killing him.
But, as great as The Terminator is, the real hero of this movie is Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor. In the first movie, she's already capable enough of trying to escape the Terminator, but in this film, she has been training for another attack and can truly hold her own. With Cameron's unbeatable action, and the old Terminator up against the crazy, pioneering CG of the liquid-metal T-1000, T2 is some of the best robot-based cinema audiences will ever see.