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Robo Man

  • 1974
  • PG
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
5.8/10
845
YOUR RATING
Elliott Gould in Robo Man (1974)
MysterySci-FiThriller

After an American scientist is severely injured and scarred in a car crash along the border with East Germany, he is captured by East German military. The scientists use metal implants to sa... Read allAfter an American scientist is severely injured and scarred in a car crash along the border with East Germany, he is captured by East German military. The scientists use metal implants to save him. Once he's back in the States, no one can tell if it's really him, so an intelligen... Read allAfter an American scientist is severely injured and scarred in a car crash along the border with East Germany, he is captured by East German military. The scientists use metal implants to save him. Once he's back in the States, no one can tell if it's really him, so an intelligence specialist must determine who is under the "mask".

  • Director
    • Jack Gold
  • Writers
    • John Gould
    • Algis Budrys
  • Stars
    • Elliott Gould
    • Trevor Howard
    • Joseph Bova
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.8/10
    845
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Jack Gold
    • Writers
      • John Gould
      • Algis Budrys
    • Stars
      • Elliott Gould
      • Trevor Howard
      • Joseph Bova
    • 18User reviews
    • 27Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos16

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    Top cast21

    Edit
    Elliott Gould
    Elliott Gould
    • Sean Rogers
    Trevor Howard
    Trevor Howard
    • Colonel Azarin
    Joseph Bova
    • Dr. Martino…
    Edward Grover
    Edward Grover
    • Finchley
    • (as Ed Grover)
    John Lehne
    John Lehne
    • Haller
    James Noble
    James Noble
    • General Deptford
    Lyndon Brook
    Lyndon Brook
    • Dr. Barrister
    Michael Lombard
    Michael Lombard
    • Dr. Besser
    Kay Tornborg
    • Edith
    Joy Garrett
    • Barbara
    John Stewart
    John Stewart
    • Frank Heywood
    Bruce Boa
    Bruce Boa
    • Miller
    Fred Vincent
    • Douglas
    Alexander Allerson
    Alexander Allerson
    • Dr. Kothu
    Ivan Desny
    Ivan Desny
    • General Stürmer
    Dan Sazarino
    • Uncle Lucas
    Craig McConnel
    • Tonino
    Herb Andress
    Herb Andress
    • FBI Agent
    • Director
      • Jack Gold
    • Writers
      • John Gould
      • Algis Budrys
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews18

    5.8845
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    Featured reviews

    8dbdumonteil

    The spy thriller meets Alexandre Dumas.....

    ...and "Le Vicomte De Bragelonne" and its iron mask. At the beginning of his career ,Jack Gold made movies which were anything but derivative: think of "Catholics"(also featuring T.Howard) or "the Medusa touch" .

    "Who" is an overlooked spy thriller ,which takes elements from "Manchurian candidate", "seconds " and Alexandre Dumas and brings them all back home;without special effect,or almost,he creates a thoroughly disturbing atmosphere ,helped by a superlative performance by J.Bova who succeeds in making his character endearing and extremely moving ,against all odds.

    Eliott Gould's investigation does not matter much,it's not essential;the subject of the movie is "is life worth living when you've become "inhuman"?" (that perfectly explains the final death of the "second " Martino).

    Some scenes are extraordinary,spooky ,without the usual horror paraphernalia :Martino walking through the streets of the city is a great moment;the mask ,which could look like that of an ET ,a serial killer or a clown, is more frightening (and more human because of those eyes)than the bandages of the invisible man.

    The message is not "can he resume the Neptune project?" but "how can

    he find a reason to believe and to live?"If you find a way,everything's possible:it's hope for people who think they are no longer part of the human race (is there a reason to be proud of being part of them anyway?)

    let this sleeper be an introduction to the other Gold movies I mention above.
    Dethcharm

    But Oz Never Did Give Nothing To The Tin Man...

    In WHO?, Martino (Joseph Bova), a famous American physicist, returns from Russia after an automobile accident. Upon his arrival, we notice that his head, left arm, and upper body have been replaced with metal. Martino is taken to a secret debriefing facility for interrogation.

    A fairly slow-building film, nothing really happens for the first 50+ minutes. Once Martino leaves the government building, the "action" begins. Sort of. There's an assassination attempt, a car chase, an explosion, and the big reveal.

    An odd artifact from the 1970's, it gets points for originality. Modern audiences may have trouble staying awake long enough to enjoy its more nuanced approach.

    Co-stars Elliott Gould as Rogers, the suspicious government agent...
    6hokeybutt

    Roboman... Good Grief... Did They Even Make An Extra Nickel From This Lame Re-Titling?

    WHO? (3 outta 5 stars) Actually, the movie was re-titled "Roboman" for its video release (let me guess... some time after "Robocop" came out?) and has some trashy cover art making it look some kind of killer-robot-on-the-loose kind of movie... which this most definitely is not! It's actually a very interesting suspense film/character study... kind of philosophical and very low-key. Elliot Gould stars in one of his finest roles... as a US agent who has to decide whether an important American scientist returning from a Soviet country is, in fact, who he claims to be. A nasty car accident on foreign soil almost killed Dr. Lucas Martino (Joseph Bova). Russian scientists saved his life by placing him in a newly-developed robotic body... but he is hardly recognizable as human anymore... so there is some questions as to whether he really IS Dr. Martino... or a Soviet agent pretending to be him to gain access to an important defense project. The entire movie deals with Gould's quest for the truth... and a very interesting story it is, too. The ending is particularly interesting... cross-cutting a final meeting between Gould and Martino with flashbacks to the medical procedure. Is Martino really Martino? And does it really matter? You won't know until the final, fascinating moments.
    Wizard-8

    More like, "Whaa?"

    It was around this time that Elliot Gould's career started to go downhill. He must have been desperate for work if he had to star in this quite low budget British thriller. Actually, while watching the movie one can see signs that a promising movie could have been made from this material; the premise is intriguing and original. Unfortunately, the filmmakers pretty much botch all of it up. It's way too talky for its own good, and much of the dialogue is dry and not very interesting. As a result, the movie becomes quite boring; Gould himself gives a very uninterested performance. There are a couple of chuckles from the sight of the cyborg since he looks like the Mexican wrestler Santo, but even he becomes boring in short notice.

    One last thing: Does the FBI really have jurisdiction in Europe?
    6Mikew3001

    A very odd seventies spy thriller

    1973: American scientist Lucas Martino is seriously hurt and mutilated during a car accident in East Germany. The best doctors in the Communist state are doing the best to save his life, making him a kind of early cyborg with his head and most parts of his body covered or replaced by metal. Returning to the U.S.A. with a completely new "outfit", the F.B.I. tries to find out if it's the same person or an Eastern spy who's aim is getting information on a top secret military project.

    What could have been a very interesting and thrilling seventies spy story is just a lame movie about a robot man walking around stupidly. The acting is dull, but you can't blame main actor Joseph Bova as is is constantly acting with a mask on his face. The Cold-War-Conflict is just a background for a silly love story, and the worst is Bova's "make-up", as the robot outfit looks rather like the iron man of the "Wizard of Oz" or a funny figure from an old Disney movie instead of being a symbol for a human tragedy. The "Who?" script is a promising idea for a film, but the production itself is disappointing, and even stars like Elliot Gould and Trevor Howard can't rescue this movie.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This film may have had a press showing in Britain in 1974, but it never opened commercially in British cinemas. It was unseen in the UK until a BBC television showing in 1976.
    • Goofs
      When the assassin's car crashes after the failed attempt on Martini's life, it's clearly shown to be empty as it bursts into flames.
    • Quotes

      Lucas Martino: You think panic has something to do with the heart racing, the nerves getting tense, the breath getting labored? Mine doesn't. But I'm in a constant state of panic, Mr. Rogers. My mind is poised for flight. I'm on the edge of screaming all the time, except that if I did more people would stare at me and that would make me scream more until I wouldn't be able to stop!

    • Connections
      Referenced in Ban the Sadist Videos! (2005)

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    FAQ13

    • How long is Who??Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 19, 1974 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Who?
    • Filming locations
      • Germany(filmed entirely on location in Germany)
    • Production companies
      • Hemisphere Productions
      • Lion International Films
      • MacLean and Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 33 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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