Automata

I've never been a big fan of science fiction movies, but even if you're not a fan of the genre, this movie has a lot to offer. The film has great performances and visually it's an interesting picture to look at. The robots are probably the best part of the movie as you find yourself growing emotionally invested in them. An interesting film that holds your attention until the end.

Careful marketing goes into the release of a movie, and the descriptions given of the story carry an obvious air of Blade Runner, creating an interest in people like myself. Credit should be given where it is due, and the visual effects and production design in this film are excellent. There is even a persistent plausibility to the world as it is presented, until, that is, it falls to pieces.

For example; the world as it appears, is burning up, its oceans evaporating and people retreating into shelters of man-made walls and weather. Strangely, there is an abundance of paper as businesses are portrayed as operating close to the standards of the mid nineteen- nineties, complete with communicators similar to the original blackberry.

The plot becomes caught between telling the story of the protagonist, and telling the story behind what he has discovered. In this case, despite the believable acting of Antonio Banderas, characters and dialogue often fight to tell differing stories. Whole scenes are concocted to further the plot, while sacrificing any sense of plausibility. People take completely nonsensical actions, in order to stage a circumstance that ultimately loses any credibility as a result. The end picture is that the viewer can see the twists coming far before they are revealed, stripping them of any significant impact. Other characters are so demonstratively shallow that the viewer is likely to cringe whenever they are on film. Other characters will leave you mourning the fact they didn't get more screen time.

Final Verdict: A somewhat passable story, beautifully illustrated, but poorly assembled makes this a less than memorable experience.

Automata' (2014) is a critically underrated and atmospheric science- fiction thriller in the same vein as 'I Robot' and 'Blade Runner'. It boasts excellent visual effects, as well as an engaging and intelligent story. While it borrows from other science fiction it does so successfully, especially the atmospheric and decaying world we're thrusts into from the beginning.

The story centers around Antonio Banderas's character, Jacq Vaucan - a world-weary insurance agent for a robotics corporation whose job is to investigate robots violating their protocols which are one: harming any form of life, and two: they can neither repair themselves nor alter another robot in any fashion. On the trail of a robot Vaucan discovers a robot stealing parts in an apparent attempt to alter itself. This leads him to the clock master - a fixer who may have just succeeded the second protocol.

Automata is a throwback to thoughtful science fiction. It's not for the feint of heart but if you're engaged and buy into the world and the premise then you'll be rewarded. The film surprised me in a lot of ways - especially for such a relatively small budget but imagery is fantastic and the effects are mostly practical, and built with little computer generated imagery save for some backgrounds and action scenes which make it that much more realistic.

It's slower and probably has less action but if we're comparing it to what it will inevitably be compared to, 'I Robot', Automata is a better movie. More thoughtful, grittier and executed a whole lot better visually. It's not a perfect flick by any means but it's worth watching and deciding for yourself.

7.5/10

The film has the classic "end of the world" backdrop to Asimov's I Robot. The film makers crammed in the concepts of Asimov into a nice package for everyone to grapes. I don't want to add spoilers the review but the charterers of the film were more real in their intent in a classical way to underscore the basic nature of us all. There are some unforgettable lines in the movie , which you will have to watch to hear and understand . The acting and the visuals are not real in the visual sense but they do fit the narration and the atmosphere way better than any other that i could imagine . The film was made thoughtfully with full appreciation of what the film tries to convey , the desolation , the hopelessness , the desperation to survive , the moral concepts , the grandeur of a grand vision , i could keep going but u will have to watch it to understand . A brilliant story told through a brilliant and create mind !

When I first read the synopsis, I thought it would be an action movie, 'I, Robot', or something like that. But I was wrong... and I'm glad of it.

At first we have a brief explanation about what happened to earth(as we know it) and the robots protocols, but we understand it quite well, as it is very simple and objective... The movie begins with a scene that is a real punch in the face, and we get to see how the movie has a subjective plot. Then we face the fact that those protocols ain't working like they should... And there you are... Embarking with our protagonist, Jacq(Antonio Bandeiras), in a journey for answers. Those answers can be about the robots, as well as it can about us... So called human.

The movie has a slow pace and it develops in a different way than the average thrillers does... We watch a bunch of fight scenes and gunshots, but it ain't the point of the movie, those are consequences of the journey itself.

The score is for times absent, but it doesn't make it bad... When we hear it is great, it gives the movie so much heart... It's incredible.

The acting isn't so great... You can doubt the characters frequently, as you can't relate to them frequently, as well, and it's completely understandable.

At the end there's this feeling that the movie could be really more than it really is, there was so much potential... The movie isn't bad, it is awesome, but sometimes it just lacks character(and it incredibly comes from the human ones).

If you haven't watched this: Go ahead, it's amazing.

"Dying is a part of the human natural cycle. Your life is just a span in time."