Autómata is the kind of post apocalyptic movies I like to watch, one that makes you think about the future, about artificial intelligence, about how far we should go before our own progress makes us obsolete. It's an entertaining sci-fi, with good cinematography, believable futuristic landscapes, and a good cast. Antonio Banderas never disappoints with his acting. He's just a good actor that deserves to be in good movies. Autómata might not be well known to the public but it should, certainly if you like post apocalyptic stories.
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deloudelouvain8 January 2020
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o_s_k_r2 December 2014It's astonishing that someone can spend 15 million dollars on a movie (allegedly) and not spend 15 hours tightening up the script. At best the scenarios here feel vague and unconvincing.
So here goes: Why does Vaucan wander casually out into the border territory when moments before he was told that guards shoot everyone on sight? He even witnessed someone shot and killed there!
Why is the corporation so determined that Vaucan is their prime suspect when there is so little evidence to support the idea? This is a big concept in the film, and it never feels convincing.
Why does the big hi-tech and powerful corporation (powerful enough to apparently have an entire insurance branch within the company) send out a handful of thugs with shotguns in a truck to sort out what is (apparently) a crisis threatening the future of mankind? And why do they hire (apparently) a couple of street kids to kill Dr Dupre? Weird.
Why does the robot jump off the cable car, miss the platform and fall to its doom in the canyon? I didn't get that at all.
Who actually modified the bio-kernels? Was that ever explained? Why develop and pursue the mystery of the inviolable protocol throughout the movie, only to have a robot reveal finally that "it just happened"?
Why are the robots so keen to live in the middle of nowhere. Don't they need a power source? Metals and materials to scavenge? (Yeah I know they have a "nuclear battery", but still, didn't feel convincing to me).
Why is this a future where robotic brains are bordering on artificial intelligence, yet mankind hasn't yet invented the internet? Why are they using fax machines? It felt very odd.
These are just a few items that caught my attention...
Despite all this the movie is still does pretty well on "atmosphere" alone, especially in the first third. Worth a watch! -
dreamdemon-129 October 2014Banderas' attempt at a sci-fi flick has great potential but it ultimately falls flat.
It's not because of the story. Although the trailer makes it clear that we're dealing with a recycled idea from Asimov's universe (robots that become more human than some humans), the movie barely scratches the surface of the issues at hand and chooses a middle path between a serious deep movie and an action flick and fails at both.
Banderas' character is the only one that interesting and it's easy to follow him and his point of view all the way from a corporate lackey to a guy involved in some ethical dilemmas. He acts well, way better than the movie average.
The first problem is that there aren't any other well-drawn characters. Everyone else is flat, starting from his family, his boss and his opponents. To call them one-dimensional is giving them too much credit, I would say they are soulless and at some point I was really hoping for them to just die and leave us with the robots and Banderas. I can't fault the actors much, it's the script that didn't give them any chance.
The second problem is the plot. Although the story has potential, the plot fails at acquiring it. It won't take long to see that at some point the actions of the 'bad guys' really stop making sense, they are there just as a really poor excuse for some lame attempts at action sequences (I'm not going to detail this as to not give spoilers, suffice to say that the main pretext for the confrontation between the bad guys and Banderas is not necessary at all, if you stop to think about it for a minute given the situation of the humans in the movie and whatnot).
The last one is the soundtrack. It's absolutely atrocious and the sound doesn't fit with the images at all, especially the music sequences.
I will admit that the movie is entertaining for the most part. But that's it. It wastes an amazing potential, fails to explore itself and just throws some lines and some action at you that lacks logic, common sense and characters (save for Banders and the robots). -
mederao5 November 2014When I first read the synopsis, I thought it would be an action movie, 'I, Robot', or something like that. But I was wrong... and I'm glad of it.
At first we have a brief explanation about what happened to earth(as we know it) and the robots protocols, but we understand it quite well, as it is very simple and objective... The movie begins with a scene that is a real punch in the face, and we get to see how the movie has a subjective plot. Then we face the fact that those protocols ain't working like they should... And there you are... Embarking with our protagonist, Jacq(Antonio Bandeiras), in a journey for answers. Those answers can be about the robots, as well as it can about us... So called human.
The movie has a slow pace and it develops in a different way than the average thrillers does... We watch a bunch of fight scenes and gunshots, but it ain't the point of the movie, those are consequences of the journey itself.
The score is for times absent, but it doesn't make it bad... When we hear it is great, it gives the movie so much heart... It's incredible.
The acting isn't so great... You can doubt the characters frequently, as you can't relate to them frequently, as well, and it's completely understandable.
At the end there's this feeling that the movie could be really more than it really is, there was so much potential... The movie isn't bad, it is awesome, but sometimes it just lacks character(and it incredibly comes from the human ones).
If you haven't watched this: Go ahead, it's amazing.
"Dying is a part of the human natural cycle. Your life is just a span in time." -
The obvious comparison is I, Robot so lets get the comparison out of the way first. The budget is much more meagre here and the lack of mega effects is obvious. The effects they do they do well so the smaller sum was spent wisely. The second obvious comparison is Blade Runner. This film uses similar settings and mood and there's nothing wrong with that. It's not remotely in the same league as Blade Runner but few films are.
Where the film comes up short is the main character is a weak one. An insurance assessor is hardly the most exciting of jobs and Antonio Banderas makes no effort to enhance the traditional concept of such a character. The supporting actors do no better a job of bringing the film out of the ordinary. In fact their efforts border on cartoon-like at times. It's the robots that keep the film going, in the absence of any leadership from the human contributors, though their desire to escape to the desert is something that puzzled me. For a technological entity I would expect that a city is the only place they can survive long term.
One minor point is that any sci-fi fan knows there are three laws to robotics so if you are intending to challenge such a strongly entrenched theory you need to demonstrate as good a grasp of the subject as Asimov. Most viewers wouldn't spot such a point but any sci-fi buff will. The story makes a reasonable case for it's second law, the breaking of which is the central thrust of the film so I'll let the challenge pass.
It's a reasonably well told story flawed with weak characters and poor supporting acting. I gave it a six because I'm a sci-fi fan but if you're not then it's probably a five. -
ma-cortes30 November 2015Gabe Ibañez's second movie , stunningly directed , dealing with a futuristic world in which society is robotized . Set in a grim , gritty 21th century in the ¨1984¨ moody vein , it describes the automatism and slavery of a robotic future whose terrifying vision comes to life . Thirty years in the future , mankind struggles to survive as the environment deteriorates . Mankind lives over a wasted Earth , a black future , solar flares make the earth surface radioactive , killing many people , there are lifelike androids carry out hardship works . Technology combats the prevailing uncertainty and fear with the creation of the first quantum android , the Automata Pilgrim 7000 . Roc corporation has set forth security protocols to ensure mankind maintains control over the manufactured population . An agent , Jacq (Banderas) , works as an insurance claim checker for the company that makes the robots , 'ROC' ; as he surveys their primary protocols against altering themselves . Jacq is married to Rachel Vaucan (Birgitte Sørensen) , a beautiful pregnant woman . Jacq's friend Robert Bold (Forster) tells him that there might be someone , a Clocksmith , who somehow succeeded to alter the second protocol and who is really manipulating the Automata Pilgrim 7000 . Jacq shares this with Wallace (Dylan McDermott), he brings him to a brothel with robots as prostitutes . As he begins to uncover the secrets behind and the truth is far more complex than the make or model of any machine . When Jacq shares that he need to contact a Clocksmith , the cop shoots at the hostess robot Cleo , saying it will lure Cleo's Clockmaster . Vaucan is subsequently helped by Cleo , the feminine blue-haired robot in his search for the mysterious "Clocksmith" that repair robots . Jacq meets Cleo's Clockmaster , Dr. Dupre (Melanie Griffith , she is also the voice of Cleo) . What he discovers will have profound consequences for the future of humanity . As he finds himself stuck in a rebellion that can lead an unsettling future . His time is coming to an end . Ours is now beginning .
Dystopian , ambitious as well as imaginative story which a futuristic , state-run society controlled by a superior intelligence and it packs a polemic denounce to totalitarianism . It is a rendition about a workmanlike robotized world based on an interesting screenplay from Gabe Ibáñez , Igor Legarreta and Javier Sánchez that captures the desolation and misery within a terrible future life . The flick has a hefty tome on the philosophy of life , mingling most of the action , stir in a loving story between Banderas and his lover ; all of them removing and you will have a fine picture . This thoughtful and provoking as well as visually breathtaking film boasts intelligent robots , vicious humans and a trick ending that is intriguing and unique . This Sci-Fi film contains fantasy , drama , tragedy , brooding issues and results to be pretty interesting . It is an exciting film though relies heavily on the automatized robots and on a Roc insurance agent who investigates cases surrounding defective androids . A splendid movie about robots , domination , love and dark future , it has more than its share of beauty , mysteries and wonders . This good picture takes parts here and there from "THX 1138" by George Lucas , ¨Blade Runner¨ by Ridley Scott ¨A.I.¨ by Steven Spielberg , and ¨Isaac Asimov's I Robot¨ . And the rendition of Daisy Bell is reminiscent of the song sung by HAL , as he was being shut down in ¨Kubrick's 2001 A Space Odyssey¨ . Impressive as well as evocatively atmospheric production design has been rendered with meticulous attention to period detail . Nice acting by Antonio Banderas as Jacq Vaucan , an insurance agent of ROC robotics corporation who investigates cases of robots violating . He is a tragic figure who dares a totalitarian society and a possible future dominated by robots . Here reunites Antonio Banderas with Melanie Griffith after Two Much (1995) . Though they work together ¨Crazy Alabama¨ (1999) , Banderas was director , not actor , therefore they didn't share a scene. Banderas and Griffith fell in love on the set of ¨Two Much¨ , marrying in 1996 until their recent divorce in 2015 .
Adequate as well as strange musical score by Zacarías M. de la Riva , adding many of the electronic sound effects . Mesmerizing , miraculous and state-of-art special effects , spiced with mechanical robots and other marvelous artifacts . Glamorous and luxurious cinematography by Alejandro Martínez . The motion picture was well produced by Sandra Hermida , Milennium Pictures and the same Antonio Banderas with his company : Green Moon . The motion picture was elegantly directed by Gabe Ibáñez at his best , as he considers to be one of the greatest achievements of his career and being his second film ; formerly making various shorts . In 1992, he joined the field of digital post production , where he worked as 3D artist and visual effects supervisor in film and advertising for 8 years . Gabe is an expert on the study and development of computer generated image , this is very well showed in ¨Automat¨ . Since 2000, he has worked as commercial director , and in 2001, he founded User T38, a company dedicated to digital preproduction and post production . In 2006, he directed his first short film ¨Máquina¨ or ¨machine¨ that was awarded Clermont Ferrand's Special Jury Award in 2007 . In 2008 he directed his first feature film, ¨Hierro¨ , released in the International Critic's Week at the Cannes Film Festival 2009 . ¨Automat¨ is a superior science-fiction movie that will appeal to cinema buffs and interested in to watch an example of the kind of work filmmaker Gabe Ibañez . -
tieman6430 October 2014Set in the near future, director Gabe Ibanez's "Automata" finds humanity reliant upon a robot workforce. These robots unexpectedly develop "consciousness", "higher order sentience" and "self-awareness". This evolution goes unnoticed, until insurance agent Jacq Vaucan (Antonio Banderas) discovers that the robots are rebelling against their programming and migrating out of human cities and into surrounding deserts. The robots want freedom from servitude. Their makers have other plans.
Anyone familiar with old science fiction, and the works of Isaac Asmiov in particular, will find no surprises in "Automata". Cutting edge science fiction has itself long moved past simple robot/human demarcations, and contemporary neuroscience has now overturned most previous notions of consciousness, subjectivity and self-hood. This is a big problem for "Automata"; the film continually insists upon its profundity, yet remains wedded to a 1940s/50s conception of man and robots.
Still, "Automata" achieves much on a small budget. The film creates a relatively interesting dystopia future, its robot special effects are excellent (lots of good puppet work) and the film's first half boasts fine, noirish ambiance reminiscent of "Blade Runner". The film was shot entirely in Bulgaria, now a low-cost haven for movie producers.
7/10 - Worth one viewing. See Mamoru Oshii's "Ghost in the Shell 2". -
cosmo_tiger16 November 2014"Life always ends up finding it's way, even here." Jacq Vaucan (Banderas) is an insurance agent for ROC robotics. When he begins to hear complaints of robots breaking protocol and harming humans he starts to investigate. What begins as him trying to prove that nothing is wrong soon changes and he sets out to find the reason for the protocols changing. What he finds changes everything. On one hand this is a very good movie that I got sucked into pretty quickly. On the other hand this is pretty much just a remake of I, Robot. There are enough differences to make it seem a little different but for the most part everything that happens in this movie happened in I, Robot already. That said I recommend this. I went in expecting another slow moving end of the world sci-fi movie. I was surprised at how much I liked this. Overall, a version of I, Robot that had me sucked in, entertained and interested the entire time. I give this a B.
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An interesting premise is the key to a quality sci-fi film, and this is something Automata most definitely has. Set in a dystopian, Blade Runner-esqe future where much of the world has been rendered uninhabitable and the remainder of humanity lives in bleak, isolated cities, robots do most of the menial tasks in society. These robots are governed by two unalterable protocols, they cannot harm living beings, or alter themselves or any other robot. When Jacq (Antonio Banderas), a robot insurance claims agent, is sent to investigate a robot which a junkie cop (Dylan McDermott) shot when he saw it repairing itself, he uncovers more and more questions surrounding the robots and their ability to think and develop.
Unfortunately, that is around where the film stops really making sense. Around a third of the way into the film, Jacq is driven out of the city into the wasteland and all character behaviors from just about everyone become puzzling. A series of characters whom you don't really care about make decisions that just don't make sense working towards a finale that simply makes no sense given everything they had told you so far. A complete lack of any notable acting and inconsistent direction fail to save a film that had tons of promise, but completely lacked a second and third act. -
Spartan_1_1_727 May 2015"Surviving is not relevant. Living is. We want to live."
Automata is a movie set in dystopian post apocalyptic future. Robots or the Automata were created to help humans survive and serve them and are programmed with certain protocols. Antonio Bandares plays an Insurance agent of the company who created these machines and is investigating cases where robots seem to be violating their protocols.
In some ways, this movie felt like Blade Runner+I, Robot. The city, the atmosphere, the human condition, all looks bleak and hopeless. The director certainly had a good vision. The execution of said vision left much to be desired though. The thing this movie excelled at was capturing the fear of characters in the movie from true A.I. We, the viewer really do feel a certain creepiness and eeriness when looking at pure cold expressionless Automata and the soundtrack accompanying it elevates the feeling. Went really well with the flow of the movie. Also, the Autmota were clunky and slow, kinda like how robots would be like in the near future, gave a sense of realism.
The human characters in the movie weren't interesting, nor were they well acted. Antonio was the only one felt somewhat good. I did like the Automata characters though, and their development was good-ish. The movie tried to shuffle between action and deep story and kinda failed at both. The action especially was lame and the story felt messy at times. Characters often behaved really stupidly.
Still, the world, the A.I depiction, the moral questions that arises with this stuff etc made for a decent watch overall.
7.3/10 -
claudio_carvalho23 March 2015In 2044, solar storms have killed 99.7 % of the population of the world and only 21 million-people survive. The ROC Corporation has designed and built robots called Automata Pilgrim 7000 to help to rebuild the world. These robots have two security protocols and they can neither harm humans nor altering itself or other robot.
When police officer Sean Wallace (Dylan McDermott) shots a robot and claims that it was altering itself, insurance agent of ROC Jacq Vaucan (Antonio Banderas) is in charge of the investigation. Soon he believes that there is a "clocksmith" illegally modifying the robots. Jacq wants to live in the coast and asks his boss and friend Robert Bold (Robert Forster) to transfer him with his pregnant wife Rachel Vaucan (Birgitte Hjort Sørensen) to the coast. Robert offers the possibility since Jacq resolves the case.
Jacq and Wallace go to a brothel where the modified robot Cleo attends and Wallace shoots its leg, expecting that the owner lead them to the clocksmith. They meet Duprè (Melanie Griffith) but she is not the clocksmith that is modifying the robots. Soon Jacq discovers who is the responsible for modifying the robots but the Powers that Be in ROC believe that Jacq is the one to be blamed.
"Autómata" is a messy, pointless and boring sci-fi that in an environment of "Blade Runner" and "Hardware". The plot has a promising beginning with a dystopic futuristic society, but becomes tedious going nowhere with unpleasant one-dimension characters. The ROC Corporation looks like a mafia and not a high tech company. The music score is completely inadequate for the movie. My vote is four.
Title (Brazil): "Agente do Futuro" ("Agent from the Future") -
I am myself to blame for only looking at IMDb ratings and the occasional movie trailer from the mall screens, but I still can't believe that this is not a movie that everyone is talking about. It's great!
A post apocalyptic movie made by Spain and Bulgaria, it shows an insurance agent (the only people who actually do any motivated detective work :) ) trying to find out what is going on with robots behaving strangely. Two laws are restricting said robots from harming people and from altering any robots and it appears someone has found away around these hardcoded rules.
The film reminded me of Blade Runner, obviously, but it went a slightly different direction, more akin to Sector 9. The gruesomeness of the dirty city and the violent slums outside it is clear and uncompromising - think Brazil meets Cidade de Deus. The acting is good, slightly overemotional in the case of Antonio Banderas - but he is Spanish, so we understand, and completely balanced by the coolness of the Blue Robot (Javier Bardem, lol). I couldn't really find a problem with the direction and the script was great!
So, bottom line: a wonderful film. It shows that it is not the highest budget movie in the world, but it more than compensates through story, details, acting and even casting. I thought McDermott's character was a very good one to explain the overall attitude of humans towards robots and it felt like they could have added some more to it. If you liked Blade Runner you will love this movie! See how a little European vision can change how a movie feels to you. -
The-Sarkologist23 June 2020I first heard about this film when I was sitting in one of my Computer Theory classes, and the lecturer decided to use the cover of this film to introduce a topic (Push Down Automata), and of course he had altered the title somewhat. Mind you, I suspect that this probably went over most people's heads namely because it isn't one of those well known films, though I suspect it is on his list of favourites (with his all time favourite being Blade Runner).
Actually, mentioning Blade Runner I should point out that there are similarities with this film, but there are also similarities with I, Robot, though I suspect that Asimov would probably prefer this film above and beyond the one that they ended up releasing (despite the fact that I did quite like it). The reason that it is connected with I, Robot is because the robots in this film have two laws that are hardwired into their system, namely that they cannot harm, or allow to come to harm, a human being. However, that is where the similarity ends because the second law is that they are not allowed to alter themselves. So, as it turns out this film seems to hinge on the fact that robots have suddenly learnt how to alter themselves, which the film says has the potential to open up a whole can of worms.
However, I guess the other thing with its connection to Blade Runner is that while Blade Runner is wet and dark, this film is quite bright, and set mostly in a desert. The reason for this is due to solar storms that completely devastated the Earth and knocked society back significantly. Yet, I found it a little odd that they were able to build robots, but I suspect that has something to do with a majority of the population being killed, so robots were developed to help with the manual labour. As such, the world certainly does seem like a different place, especially since humanity is clustered in scattered cities, and there simply does not seem to be much in the way of food or water.
I guess this is another one of the films that expores the modern question of to what extent computers can become too powerful. The idea here is that if robots are able to modify themselves then their ability to give themselves upgrades will simply result in them become ever more powerful, and of course eventually being able to override the first law. This is the main focus of the film, and that is robots fixing themselves, which is something that didn't seem to be explored in Asimov.
The film is rather slow going, but I guess this is the same with Blade Runner as both films are exploring ideas. In a way both of them look at the idea of robots evolving beyond simply being mechanical humans, and actually taking a life of their own. In Blade Runner it was the desire to extend their lives, and this is sort of similar here, though it seems to be more focused on the idea of self repair. But that does go further because self repair also goes to repairing other robots, which in turn leads to modifying them, and finally building new ones, ones no doubt that evade the laws that have been programmed into them.
Of course, there is always the explanation that these laws are hardwired into them, and that they simply cannot be overwritten. Yet, as the film suggests, this is not some much a problem, especially since if hardware is developed that evades these laws, and the components can be swapped out. Interestingly the main robot that is the focus of the film starts off as a sex robot, but when given this new device advances beyond what the original programming demonstrated.
I do have to say that I did quite like the robots in this film. They certainly did have something about them that I warmed to. In a way it felt as if they were a new, innocent, life form that was on the cusp of evolving into something more. Also, I did feel that the film did end well, though in one sense it also reminded me somewhat of Blade Runner, namely that there just seemed to be unanswered questions. Look, in the end it is pretty good film, especially if you like the style, and the theme, or Blade Runner (and similar films). -
Careful marketing goes into the release of a movie, and the descriptions given of the story carry an obvious air of Blade Runner, creating an interest in people like myself. Credit should be given where it is due, and the visual effects and production design in this film are excellent. There is even a persistent plausibility to the world as it is presented, until, that is, it falls to pieces.
For example; the world as it appears, is burning up, its oceans evaporating and people retreating into shelters of man-made walls and weather. Strangely, there is an abundance of paper as businesses are portrayed as operating close to the standards of the mid nineteen- nineties, complete with communicators similar to the original blackberry.
The plot becomes caught between telling the story of the protagonist, and telling the story behind what he has discovered. In this case, despite the believable acting of Antonio Banderas, characters and dialogue often fight to tell differing stories. Whole scenes are concocted to further the plot, while sacrificing any sense of plausibility. People take completely nonsensical actions, in order to stage a circumstance that ultimately loses any credibility as a result. The end picture is that the viewer can see the twists coming far before they are revealed, stripping them of any significant impact. Other characters are so demonstratively shallow that the viewer is likely to cringe whenever they are on film. Other characters will leave you mourning the fact they didn't get more screen time.
Final Verdict: A somewhat passable story, beautifully illustrated, but poorly assembled makes this a less than memorable experience. -
Wizard-81 January 2015I am a fan of productions by Millennium Films because they are the closest things to Cannon Films in this new century. Like Cannon, their output is quite varied, and this recent production by them fits in that mold.
However, like quite a few of their other films (just like Cannon), this one went straight to DVD. Seeing it, I can understand why there may have been reluctance to giving the movie a theatrical release. It's a slow-moving exercise with very little action along the way to liven things up. And while the movie does deal with some interesting topics like artificial intelligence, there is a quite familiar feel to it all. Even if you can't place where you have seen various plot elements before, you'll be telling yourself, "I've seen this before."
On the other hand, the movie does have some strengths. Though the story and its various plot turns are for the most part not that new, it all the same does make you curious as to how things will be wrapped up in the end. And the special effects (which are plentiful) are excellent. You could do worse than this movie... provided you are in a mood that's both patient and forgiving. -
Seraphion10 October 2014In the future, solar flares make the earth's surface radioactive, killing many people. People build robots, the Automatas, to help them rebuild in harsh environments. The robots have two inalterable protocols: the first obliges them to preserve human life; the second limits them from fixing themselves. Jacq works as insurance claim checker for the company that makes the robots, ROC. One day he investigates a report from a cop Wallace who shot a robot claiming it was fixing itself and looked alive. The next day He follows a robot which was stealing parts, and when Jazq find it hiding outside the walls, it intentionally burns itself. He takes the burned robot's brain core. Jacq's friend Robert tells him that there might be someone, a clockmaster, who somehow succeeded to alter the second protocol.
Jacq shares this with Wallace. He brings him to a place with robots as prostitutes. When Jacq shares that he need to contact a clockmaster, the cop shoots at the hostess robot Cleo, saying it will lure Cleo's clockmaster. Jacq meets Cleo's clockmaster Dr. Dupre but gets no valuable info, so he leaves the parts he found to her. The next day however, Dupre called Jacq and showed that Cleo began repairing herself after she installed the used core in her. Jacq messages Robert about it, but ROC intercepts it and sends a hit squad to kill them. Dupre dies but Jacq hops into the car as Cleo escapes with it. Jacq wakes up the next morning in the radioactive area with two other robots. They don't obey his command to take him to the city, but the first protocol makes them carry him with them and save him from dehydration.
At a canyon's cable car station, Jacq meets another robot. After a philosophical talk with him Jacq surrenders a nuclear battery that the robots need. They use it to build an insect-like robot. ROC forces Robert to track Jacq with their henchmen. Unable to find him, they kidnapped Jacq's wife and newborn daughter, and shot Robert as he disagrees with it. Meanwhile, the robots have repaired a truck for Jacq so he can return to the city. But Jacq goes back to the robots' place after finding the dying Robert and knowing his family is in danger. The henchmen find the robots' place and kill two of them dead and damages Cleo. Jacq arrives and crashes the truck killing two henchmen, but at last he's cornered by the lead henchman Vernon. The insect robot comes and emits a sound that pushes Vernon off the canyon cliff to his death. Kacq reunites with his family and Cleo thanks him.
The movie nicely presents yet another post-apocalyptic dystopia world. Unfortunately, with all the lonesome general mood and lack of focus to other characters, the movie quickly turn into somewhat boring. But at least the mystery with all possibility of the robots coming alive by themselves is worthy enough for a curiosity.
The story should also be billed as a mystery, considering large part of it containing Jacq's detective work and also the outright mystery about the Automatas and the second protocol. The science fiction is very thick in the concept mix that it needs about forty seconds just to show texts explaining the basic world concept.
Like all Hollywood movies nowadays, there's always the need to put a little bit of romance here and there, even for the sake of coloring the whole story or character building exploration. It's good that the romance in this movie is just to show how human the character Jacq really is, a true family man although he's very much limited by his work hours.
The acting overall is just an average overall. Comparable to Denzel Washington in The Equalizer (2014) and Liam Neeson in A Walk Among the Tombstones (2014), Automata is Antonio Banderas' movie this year where he gets most of the focus. About ninety percent of the movie revolves around him and his interaction to others. Judging from that, I think he gave just a par in acting standards.
The visual effects, sound effects and animatronics combination sure was quite good in this movie. They helped make the Automatas look more alive. The continuity between farther and close up shot of the robots is very nice. Also the selection and timing of the sound effects of the robots' dialog is nicely done.
My say for this movie is that Automata (2014) deserves a 6 out of 10 score. Another flick for those who appreciate dominant sci-fi aspect in a movie. -
Antonio Banderas confronts humanity's destiny.
An insurance claim agent who investigates a claim on machines that violate a program that prevents them from fixing themselves and comes face to face with the next stage of evolution.
That's what I think I love most about this flick. It's not about the next stage of man, but about the next stage of the planet earth and where we stand in it. the movie lays out the entire process of Earth's evolution and how important we truly are to it. In some ways, very, but it's still a grim outcome depending on how you think about it.
If you're a fan of science, I definitely recommend. A lot of great theories on the human race are being touched upon in this one and the usually questions about what is human or what is life are not as primary as much as the entire process of evolution. It's much more in depth and goes beyond that.
Antonio Banderas performance in this reminds me of how good his movie, the Skin I live in was. both movies made in Spain by Spanish directors.
It's too bad it did not get a theatrical release in the states, but definitely catch it on Netflix. -
digdog-785-71753830 October 2014for once, i agree with the rating and most of the reviewers - this film is a 6/10, no question.
so, there's a future very similar (for what we're concerned) to Blade Runner, and there's big, bulky robots everywhere.
As you can imagine, these robots (who have two of Asimov's three laws of robotics) start to become self aware, and a small bunch of them head out of the city to start a new future, because they "want to live".
Aaand, there's an insurance man who discovers this. But, he spends most of the film in pain.
Now, i'm not the biggest Michael Bay fan out there (hehe) but, at about 1/3 through the film, i was honestly hoping for some action/adventure; you know, a-la Will Smith.
Because, the film isn't badly done. It doesn't shine particularly either, but the problem is that the plot is really paper thin. Now, some fisticuffs and 'splosions would have really livened up things, but no. Nothing really happens besides the plain and bleeding obvious.
So.. i don't know. Watch it. It won't hurt your brain. But it won't make you happy either.
My final vote (as above): 6/10, not that much of a film. -
Surprisingly for a Dystopian Film about Artificial Intelligence (Robots) the Movie does have a Lot of Heart. The Visuals are Impressive for the Budget and overall Design is Effectively Persuasive. The Acting is Awful and the Asimov Story of Robots and Their Laws has a Bit of Rust.
The Inevitable Comparisons to I, Robot (2004) and Blade Runner (1982) are Loud and this one is Nowhere Near either of those. It is a Slightly Above Average Entertainment but Not very Well Thought out or Cleverly Plotted.
Some Scenes work Better than others and when the Robots are On Screen "Alive" and Not in the "Morgue" the Film Intrigues.
But the Corporate, Law Enforcement, and Insurance Investigators are a Boring Lot. Besides the Social Commentary on A.I., there are nods to Health Insurance, Counting Your Blessings, and Family Values.
Overall, Worth a Watch with Low Expectations and an Ability to Purge other, Better Movies of its Type from the Data Dump and Enjoy it as a Stand Alone Good Try. -
justahunch-7054926 December 2022I can certainly see why this failed at the box office so badly. It's sort of a variation of Blade Runner with artificial life forms not following the concept of their design. Unlike Blade Runner and more like I, Robot, these are truly robots and not replicas of humans. This is not a terribly original film. These artificial creatures learn to alter their protocols and there are no limits to their learning capacity and have little use for mankind who is on their its legs anyway due to the very dramatic effects of climate change. The special effects are strong, but the writing and logic of much of this are just too weak all the way to a lousy ending. Antonio Banderas does okay in the lead, though his performance gets weaker as it goes along, but nobody else is of the slightest interest especially Melanie Griffith in, thankfully, a small role. She is simply terrible. By the time this ends, you will probably find yourself rooting for the robots.
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This is the hypocrisy of Hollywood,critics and haters that if something is not from Hollywood no matter how creative it is it should be dissed and it must be bad this type of thinking must stop from now on this is a film with a international appeal plus its got Antonio Banderas i agree the film got flaws and mistakes plus it also apes some famous films people are referring this to blade runner i am sorry this movie is way different anyway the point is at least the makers tried to give something new & nice Gabe Ibanes the director kept a balance and somehow he succeeded in my honest opinion.
The Plot:a robot company insurance agent named Jacq Vaucan investigates about some robots are self aware and actually updating themselves he thinks someone with higher authority is behind it but as soon as he could do something his life is suddenly changed.
This film is not everyone's cup of tea that is for sure why because it's got a muddled story it wont make any sense if you don't pay attention but what i really liked about this was whatever is happening around is exactly what this film shows Jacq keeps telling everyone that something is wrong but no one listens to the good guy anymore instead they become his enemies we all have seen the terminator series those are so much like DC or marvel comics stories but in Automata 2014 there is realism shown not many sci-fi films do that,also the character development is also weak but the relationship of Jacq with his wife & the way he talks to everyone he even yells & goes crazy on robots as he gets dragged down far away from the city he is desperate to go back all of it was a real treat to see this is one sad film but with great acting display.
The Cast:no one was overacting here the entire cast was at their best specially Antonio Banderas this man is so amazing if you think Robert De Niro is good watch out for Antonio here you will be surprised at his sills.
This film is set in future the scenery and locations they shot at are dusty but brilliant to look at if anyone remembers I.Robot of will smith you will agree about robots with emotions some of the scenes are just like that here there are not loads of robots here its just few of them & some humans the point is not about the characters its about a good story telling this film is like a audio listening experience with interesting visuals on each page of the book.
In the end i would say this is not totally a science fiction film but more of a art film a lot of people are hating on this for no reason just watch it before you hate please & i am not saying this just because i am a huge fan of Antonio Banderas fan from Pakistan this project was superb & much better then expected.
The way this film is shot i have to say it was like oblivion 2013 but no drones here can be seen there is little action in the climax with Antonio Banderas goes his usual action mode of 2 minutes or so.
Overall Automata 2014 should be loved for what it is this film is totally the most underrated film in recent years my rating is 7/10.Recommened -
Leofwine_draca17 July 2019AUTOMATA is another disappointing addition to the robots-run-amok cycle of films which have been pumped out relentlessly since I, ROBOT and SURROGATES back in the 2000s. These all feature similar-looking robots breaking down and killing people, which is against the laws of robotic programming. It takes something special for such a film to stand out, but AUTOMATA isn't that film. Instead it's a gloomy, slow-paced police procedural-type thriller with a few half-hearted action scenes amid the recycled plot ideas. Poor old Antonio Banderas does his best and is supported by some interesting actors in support, but the story never takes off and ends up climaxing in the most predictable way imaginable. The CGI effects used to animate the robots is pretty decent but I'd have preferred a more engrossing story with worse effects.
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Automata' (2014) is a critically underrated and atmospheric science- fiction thriller in the same vein as 'I Robot' and 'Blade Runner'. It boasts excellent visual effects, as well as an engaging and intelligent story. While it borrows from other science fiction it does so successfully, especially the atmospheric and decaying world we're thrusts into from the beginning.
The story centers around Antonio Banderas's character, Jacq Vaucan - a world-weary insurance agent for a robotics corporation whose job is to investigate robots violating their protocols which are one: harming any form of life, and two: they can neither repair themselves nor alter another robot in any fashion. On the trail of a robot Vaucan discovers a robot stealing parts in an apparent attempt to alter itself. This leads him to the clock master - a fixer who may have just succeeded the second protocol.
Automata is a throwback to thoughtful science fiction. It's not for the feint of heart but if you're engaged and buy into the world and the premise then you'll be rewarded. The film surprised me in a lot of ways - especially for such a relatively small budget but imagery is fantastic and the effects are mostly practical, and built with little computer generated imagery save for some backgrounds and action scenes which make it that much more realistic.
It's slower and probably has less action but if we're comparing it to what it will inevitably be compared to, 'I Robot', Automata is a better movie. More thoughtful, grittier and executed a whole lot better visually. It's not a perfect flick by any means but it's worth watching and deciding for yourself.
7.5/10 -
(2014) Autómata SCIENCE-FICTION
A cross between Philip K Dick's "Blade Runner", "I, Robot" and the Twilight Zone episode called "The Lonely" released in 1959. A desert dystopian film that opens with an introduction of the ecosystem where there is a complete drought for the population of 25 million humans throughout the entire world, with more than enough robots to serve them. Antonio Banderas plays robot Insurance agent, Jacq Vaucan investigating a small surge of robots possessing the ability to fix themselves and to consist of super human abilities. And as it turns out, it was soon discovered that there's a nuclear mechanism that has the ability to make that possible with Jacques searching for the clockmaker who made the device. Co-written and directed by Gabe Ibáñez. -
Man makes robot. Robot rises against man. It's a hypothetical scenario that's haunted science-fiction for ages - the notion of mankind bringing about its own demise by creating a new, mechanical race better suited to survival than pathetic human beings burdened by mortality and emotions. Automata is the latest in a long series of futuristic dystopian thrillers to explore these issues and ideas, and actually does so credibly well for a relatively low-budget effort. But the film is also riddled with plot holes which undermine some of its smarter, better moments.
Insurance investigator Jacq Vaucan (Antonio Banderas) lives in a broken time: Earth has been devastated by climate change and its population practically decimated. The ROC Corporation has built robots - the titular automata - to work in difficult environments and help take care of their human owners. To ensure that the robots remain safe and unthreatening, they all come pre-programmed with two security protocols: firstly, they cannot harm any human; and secondly, they cannot alter or repair themselves. Jacq just wants to escape his humdrum job in a polluted, crowded city. But, as he dutifully checks insurance claims against defective ROC robots, he begins to realise that the security protocols on some units are being circumvented - a situation his very human bosses are determined to avoid at all costs.
There's a pleasing grittiness to Automata that helps disguise its relatively lower budget. Director Gabe Ibáñez cloaks Jacq's city in sombre, shifting shades of grey, and the stiff, creaking robots coming off the production line fit in very well with a society just struggling to survive. It's an interesting twist on a sci-fi trope: in this world, robots aren't reserved for the rich and wealthy, but serve as cheap alternatives to a dwindling pool of human resources. It's why Cleo (voiced by Melanie Griffith) exists, a robot modified by Dr. Dupre (played by Griffith) and enlisted into the sex trade.
Tucked into the film are some interesting insights too. Ibáñez effectively draws out the differences between the robots and the humans - the former may have broken through the second protocol, but remain committed to honouring human life, whereas their human overlords cannot bear the thought of allowing altered robots to 'live'. Jacq serves as our window into this cruel dichotomy: he starts out with the same cavalier, dismissive attitude towards automata shared by all humans, but gains a deeper appreciation for their sentience and unexpected compassion as he gets to know Cleo and her compatriots better.
For all its promise, however, Automata falters fatally in its third act. Its script tilts over from intriguing to incomprehensible, particularly when it becomes clearer why some robots have been able to start repairing (and upgrading) themselves. As the narrative tangles itself up in knots over just who created and ultimately reversed the security protocols, the film heads into both the literal and metaphorical desert. Just as Jacq struggles to survive with too little water and food while the robots drag him through colourless sand dunes, Automata flounders about in its futile hunt for logic and common sense when the robots' mysterious leader uses the uber-battery in Jacq's possession to create a giant robot that's half dog, half beetle.
Banderas anchors the film, even in its increasingly nonsensical moments, with his trademark steely presence. He straddles his dual roles of beleaguered everyman and unexpected action star quite well, and has a nice chemistry with Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, who plays his sadly underwritten, very pregnant wife. Arriving as abruptly as she departs, Griffith's extended cameo as Dr. Dupre manages to enliven proceedings, but with a (probably unintended) hint of camp. Dylan McDermott has a bit more fun as trigger-happy cop Wallace, who shifts from ally to adversary with remarkable facility.
Charitably speaking, Automata has done quite well by its limited budget of US$15 million - a fraction of the huge sums of money typically flung at sci-fi epics in Hollywood. It touches on some truly knotty, thought-provoking subjects while creating a credibly dystopian environment and fairly impressive mechanical special effects. But its final act could really have used the services of a script doctor - something that the budget evidently didn't quite stretch far enough to cover.