Automatic

For a low-budget action/sci-fi film, this is a really good movie. Of course the acting is rather crappy as you'd expect from Gruener, but the action is good and so are the sci-fi elements. I have seen a few of Gruener's movies and this one is by far his best in my opinion. One thing that really impressed me in this movie were the guns that were used. They had lcd type screens on them that allowed the holder to see around corners - a few years after this movie was made the military looked into actually using a similar system on their rifles.

I highly recommend any fan of action/sci-fi movies to rent this one as it is actually better than some of the big-budget action movies these days.

Olivier Gruner finally finds the one role he excels at, a robot who protects a woman from her boss/rapist who the corporation then decide to send an army to kill both her and the robot to avoid bad press and save face with stock holders, making Gruner the only one who can protect her and save the day. Automatic is a solid reason why one can't write off straight to video science fiction. Automatic is well directed, well made and has moments of true atmosphere. The movie also has some good ideas such as how robots are intertwined with humans and how the robot in question weren't trying to take over the world and rather provide confused responses to human nature. This is a movie where the bad guys are human and the hero is a robot who deals in black and white morals because it's the way he's been programmed. It also has that Blade Runner vibe of how the corporations are the evils of society and on its own level it succeeds rather well. This is easily the best thing you'll ever see from Olivier Gruner and aside from the bad acting from the cast (John Glover and Gruner aside...) the film works in both categories its been sold as. My only complaint was that it didn't feature more robot's responses toward issues regarding human nature but it is an Olivier Gruner movie. His best one by the way.

* * * out of 4-(Good)

Oliver Grunner stars in this very entertaining movie about cyborgs and the effect they have on a futuristic society. John Glover stars as Goddard Marx, the president of RobGen; an artificial human production company. This IS the future and these things or androids are as common as automobiles and are used for factory labor, security, entertainment and even as sexual surrogate partners. Everything is fine at the company until a RobGen executive tries to savagely rape a female secretary named Nora Rochester (well played by Daphne Ashbrook). Oliver (he plays multiple roles very well in this movie!) interrupts the attack (he IS programmed to protect life, after all!) and in the course of the encounter accidently kills the out of control corporate man. What follows after this is a mad struggle for survival and escape as Goddard Marx calls in a special human merc unit led by a Major West (well played by Jeff Kober). There is lots of good special effects action as well as a few very interesting surprises in the plot. Grunner is always at his acting best and carries the role of J269, etc. well. Add this one to your collections of movies on the science fiction shelf! Good movie!!

Olvier Gruner stars as J269 a robot who becomes the target of a group of mercenaries sent to destroy him after he kills a man trying to rape Nora Rochester (Daphne Ashbrook), fearing bad press Goddard Marx orders the machine dead in this well made yet very routine rip off of Robocop and The Terminator. Automatic however does have good actionscenes.

Mixing elements of sci-fi with your standard blend of run 'n gun action, Olivier Gruner enters the world of cyborgs again in 'Automatic'. The title is also the name of the line of cyborgs who double as personal servants & home protection. There's some light themes explored like if they can feel, their rights and discrimination, but really it's about action.

Robgen Industries and it's founder Marx (John Glover) are about to launch the newest addition much to the chagrin of financial money man Hammer (Dennis Lipscomb) who's lost faith in Marx. When a corporate exec tries to rape his secretary Nora Rochester (Daphne Ashbrook) after hours, J269 (Gruner) comes to her rescue and accidentally kills him. Not wanting a PR disaster on the eve of his big reveal, Marx turns to mercs lead by Major West (Jeff Kober) to take them both out.

I loved the opening harking back to Glover's role as a commercial salesman in 'Robocop 2'. I liked the concept and the first bit of setting the stage as the creators in these sorts of flicks are usually sympathetic and help so the opposite was fresh. Then it gets a little stagnant - lots of guns going off, some martial arts from Gruner, chase sequences ad nauseam in low lighting - but they never leave the building.

'Automatic' came awfully close to boring me as both the settings & action wear thin. Gruner holds his own as does Ashbrook though and there's a final surprise on the way to a standard ending, but seeing Gruner in a checkered button up vest made me laugh and was worth the price of admission alone.