Androïde

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.

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.

"Android" is somewhere between a cheesy film and a proper movie. The look isn't exactly on the level of "Star Wars", but those early 80s space films are both visually and plot-wise superior to any (semi-)cheesy 90s or 00s sci-fi movies. The interiors of the space station are quite good, the special effects are okay. There are certainly moments of nonsense, such as the female fugitive not being sure what an android is. If most late-20th-century people knew what an android is, then what are the odds that a relatively young woman from the year 2028 - imprisoned for corporate espionage - would not know this? Still, in spite of some logic holes, the acting isn't bad, the dialogue is okay. The movie's biggest assets are the somewhat unique atmosphere, and the unpredictability of the plot - which early on might appear to be easy to predict. Short and not dull.

I think most of the budget of this New World sci-fi film probably went toward Klaus Kinski. It's amazing how many low-budget specials this guy has made. Nevertheless, "Android" does have some charms to it. Don Keith Oper does double duty as screenwriter and Max, the android of the title and helps make this somewhat interesting. Neither of the ladies in this film really had much of a career after it and watching them one can see why. They don't really bring much to the party. The director does a decent job considering the budget limitations and went on to a successful career doing TV shows and occasional TV movies. But can you guess which of these performers actually appeared in "Saving Private Ryan"? Yes, tough guy Mendes, Crodton Hardester.

I love eighties films, and I love science fiction. This film is a good example of both, but I have to say it was a bit 'darker' than it felt like it should have been.

The music is classic analog synthesized fun, and the setting is very cool-looking, typical of any early eighties sci-fi movie but with a certain complexity and detail that makes it seem solid and believable.

The acting is absolutely phenomenal. I generally complain a lot about bad, hard-to-believe acting in movies but in this case I have no complaints; there was nothing to distract me from the story. I half-believed that Max was played by a real android (he is credited as "Himself". lol)! The acting was overall believable and appropriately restrained.

The story could have used some work... it was a bit slow-moving and somewhat uninteresting, and the resolution wasn't entirely satisfying due to certain characters who were insufficiently developed. Also I felt that there should have been some slight comic relief, and I think the drama of the situations was not emphasized enough. But, to the story's credit, it did have a couple of nice twists and I think I like the ending.

Overall I think it was worth seeing: much better than most of the junk that comes on at 2 AM!