Android

1st watched 12/20/2009 - 6 out of 10(Dir-Aaron Lipstadt): Surprisingly interesting yet cheaply made early 80's sci-fi film. This is far from being a perfect film and I still can't believe I ended up liking it, but it appealed to me by the time the movie ended. The story is about an android project in the near future being done in space and being terminated due to a funds issue and the failure of a similar project on Earth that turned into a disaster. The scientist played by Klaus Kinski receives the news but is overheard by his creation Max 404(which the movie never reveals who acts this part--which is definitely strange). Some wanted space criminals then arrive on the scene and Max lets them board the ship and then plans to escape with them back to Earth to avoid his termination. Things don't work out the way he expects them to and I won't give away the ending but it's definitely surprising. Max's replacement is suppose to be a female Android named Claudia, since the scientist really doesn't want the project ending either -- he just wants a different android to play with. The androids in this movie have obvious human feelings that get in the way very often which makes the movie interesting and sways their decisions consistently. There is some titillation added to the movie which doesn't really fit, especially in a PG-rated movie(how it got this rating I'll never know) and it's obviously a low-budget film and for these reasons this is definitely one of my few guilty pleasures. By the end of the movie, I was hoping for a sequel -- which hasn't happened and probably wont but that's how it affected me. So, despite the many reasons I shouldn't like this movie, I did --- I guess you never know, huh?

At extremely low budget, this film surprised me pretty enough.

I mean, you got an scientific space station, inside we got an archetype of mad scientist (Kinski), well to call Kinski a mad scientist is somewhat a compliment... Because he was a real genius actor, a mad actor, heavy for corporation. OK, mad scientist and his own creation Max 404.

The story gives you that... Well deja vu. An android with emotions. Honestly... An android with emotions works better than android who kills stupid teenagers. And there are no stupid teenagers here.

Circumstances brought a three people gang on a station, with them is a lovely young woman Maggie (Brie Howard), and because of her Max started to develop emotions - Love! (Max has a room with a big information computer available to him, to learn. That was the most coolest thing in the film. You can easily say that Max is using a computer like we use internet today. Google for instance, to get information). Now, you just need to watch the film to see what will happen with Maggie and Max..

Actors did a great job, especially Kinski and Don Keith Opper (Max), it is also good to see young Norbert Weisser in the film. The plot gives you a specific humor and to say that Max is actually one of the most lively, human like nature android ever to appear on screen on the beginning of the 80s. Well, like I said... Low budget... But the story and character are compensating the budget. Watch this film and enjoy it.

Very much a "mixed bag". The special effects and set design are terribly cheesy, with lots of random flashing lights and odd geometric shapes for no reason (why a trapezoidal water jug? because it's THE FUTURE!) and a defense system based on the classic Vectrex video game system. But the cinematography is generally decent (although typically overlit) and I rather liked the synth score, by Mother of Invention Don Preston. As far as the cast is concerned, Klaus Kinski is of course always a delight, but he's really not in it all that much and it's a rather subdued role for him. Don Keith Opper (credited only under his android name) plays the title character as a rebellious nerd, which is an interesting take but doesn't always work. Brie Howard and Norbert Weisser are barely passable, and Crofton Hardesser is downright awful. The script has some horribly clunky lines in it, but the story is pretty intriguing once you get into it, a kind of BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (or METROPOLIS, which Max 404 actually watches at one point) tale with BLADE RUNNER style commentary on what it is to be human. It doesn't run very deep, but there are some nice angles to it, and a neat ending. If you can overlook a lot of flaws and keep your Kinski expectations low, it's really not a bad watch.

Take a predictable android sci-fi plot, a coming of age story, some cops & robbers, and a pinch of "Bride of Frankenstein". Put it all in a low-budget ensemble film and stir vigorously. What you end up with is interesting, engaging, and unique in spite of its obvious flaws.

Android Max and his scientist master are living in a remote space station when they are joined by a trio of fugitives - a beauty, a beast, and a brain. The brain figures that they've stumbled onto something valuable seeing as how androids have been outlawed on Earth ever since the uprising. It turns out that at a certain age, the androids become disrespectful, insubordinate, and obsessed with sex. In other words, they turn into adolescents. So we can all sympathize with what Max is going through when he sees a female for the very first time. Meanwhile, the scientist is working on a new and improved replacement for Max, a model which just happens to also be a gorgeous blond woman.

The plot lines are cliché and full of holes, the ending is a bit of a cheat, and the special effects are weak. The film works, however, because it pays close attention to the things which matter, mainly Max and his own isolated world. Although many have criticized the cheap sets, they maintain a coherent mood and atmosphere which is entirely successful in creating a fictional space in which the story can take place. Max himself is one of the most intelligently scripted and well acted android characters to ever appear on screen. You'll be disappointed if you're looking for action or deep meanings, but if you allow yourself to take an interest in Max you may find yourself thinking about him long after the film has ended.

One of my favourites! The film has a haunting quirkiness about it. Klaus Kinski is the perfect mad scientist. The MAX404 android really projects his confusion about and desire to understand his emotions. Loved the soundtrack. This movie is not for those who only like those big Hollywood "sci-fi" films. It will appeal to those who enjoy REAL sci-fi though.