Lucky 13

Love, Death, and Robots

Lucky 13 ( 4.5 out of 5 stars).

The episode delivers another stunning animation. Great story that leaves a little to imagination about the futuristic war. It follows a rookie pilot being assigned to a jet number 13. Which has seen plenty of battles but survived. The animation is stunning. The action is amazing. It delivers some insane and intense aerial combat. One can wonder what the enemy was they were fighting against. It was another fun and good episode worth checking out.

I've decided to review each of the short films that make up this series individually.

More staggering CGI here for a tale about an unloved military personal carrier, involved in an unnamed conflict on a distant planet. Having lost its entire crew twice, it's deemed unlucky until skilled pilot Colby (voiced by Samira Wiley) manages a successful extraction in it under extreme combat. From there, Colby and 13 prove an unstoppable team.

The CGI in this one is amazing again, I recognised Samira Wiley immediately as she provided the template for the character visually, as well as the voice. The war scenario is a bit generic and no background is provided as to what the conflict is about, or who it's with. The story is OK, though perhaps lacking in genuine intrigue and twists to make it truly memorable.

A well-made and genuinely emotional little story.

A rookie pilot is stuck with '13', a drop-ship considered unlucky after surviving the death of two sets of crews and landing teams. Although inanimate objects have long been considered to have the capacity to be 'lucky' or 'unlucky', by the time this story takes place, the computers (and potential AI) integrated into sophisticated military hardware like 'Lucky 13' raises the question of whether 'luck' is actually 'intent' (as the climax of this tale hints). Philosophising aside, this is a nicely made 'future war' actioneer. The story is stripped down and a bit predictable, but still exciting and the CGI is excellent. I'd love to see the talent that put this together be tasked with bringing a version of Heinlein's 'Starship Troopers' that actually looks like Heinlein's 'Starship Troopers' to the big screen.

A simple story well told. I loved the idea that a simple drop-ship formed a bond with its own pilot ... a little like 'space-Herbie' . Amazing visually and the main character was well-acted and drew the viewer into the narrative. Brilliant, one of the best of this series!

A solid, simple tale about a pilot and her trusty old ship.

Excellent characterisations, impeccable CG and a heartwarming story. Could be considered a masterclass in empathy.

I never thought I could feel so emotional about steel.