Badmovies.org Forum

I was watching this movie that other night and suddenly realized that it contained one of the better killer robot designs that I can think of.  The movie is not great by any means, but it simply sets up a plot for the characters to be trapped in the building with the Death Machine.

Lots of people seem to like "Hardware."  The film does have a gritty feel to it, but the robot design just does not do it for me.   Other designs that did not work well:  "Virus," "Saturn 3," "Lost in Space," (the new movie) or "Evolver."  Really, the list just goes on.

Though they might be considered cyborgs, the Daleks from "Dr. Who" have always rocked.  Ditto with the robots from "Terminator" or Ed 209.

Personally, I liked the robot from Saturn 3, and Virus as well.

I haven't seen Death Machine, but if it's got a cool robot, I probably will.

Hard to think of any really cool killer robots that haven't already been mentioned, at least in live-action movies. Anime is chock full of them.

I suppose I've always liked the Cylons.

Ah yes. the huge mechanical rabid squirrel.  I barely remember the robot design, to be honest; everything in that movie pales in comparison to the stoic hardiness that is Rising Sun Dude.

Some of the best killer robots that come to mind:

2001
Phantasm (1979)
Westworld
Blade Runner
The Terminator

I agree with Damien on the Yul Brunner robot from WESTWORLD.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the insane robot, Box, in LOGAN'S RUN.
TOMB RAIDER - the training robot!
SW: THE PHANTOM MENACE - those rolling robots were cool.
RED PLANET - movie sucked; robot was cool.
As for VIRUS, the robot was the ONLY good thing about that movie.

There are some good ones in the anime genre:
ROBOT CARNIVAL - antho film with a segment featuring a giant killer robot.
GHOST IN THE SHELL - OK technically cyborgs, but they are BADASS!
METROPOLIS (2001) - some very cool robots who don't want to take it anymore!

Damn! Did everyone forget CHOPPING MALL?

What about the really sad-looking giant robot from "Crash and Burn."  Well, it had Bill Moseley in it, at least.
Yeah, Death Machine is a badass robot.  It would be cooler if it could fire blades or spears or something.  I think its coolness would be ruined if it had machine guns or missiles.
The Evangelions rule.
And the best damn killer robot ever...the original 1974 Mechagodzilla.

Brother R

What? No one mentioned one of my all time favorites, MechaKong from King Kong Escapes? Thou knaves!
Mechakong was cool. He had Grenades, for Torgo's sake! A little more armor, some laser eyes, and he could kick Kaiju keester! Bring back MechaKong, Toho!

Mecha Kong damn near fought Godzilla after Godzilla 1984 was made.  They couldn't get the rights, so we got Biollante, which is just as good.

Brother R

>I was watching this movie that other night and suddenly realized that it contained
>one of the better killer robot designs that I can think of. The movie is not great by
>any means, but it simply sets up a plot for the characters to be trapped in the
>building with the Death Machine.

I liked the movie, but I wasn't crazy about the robot design. Why does it have a big set of teeth that it 'chomps' continuously? Wouldn't blades and projectile weapons make it a more efficient killing machine? Why does it only respond to fear? Wouldn't it make more sense to have it track by sound and body heat?

>Lots of people seem to like "Hardware." The film does have a gritty feel to it, but
>the robot design just does not do it for me.

Don't forget that you never get to see the complete robot design. The one in the film is the best the robot could do with the available parts. I think it would have been much cooler if all the part had been there.

>Damn! Did everyone forget CHOPPING MALL?

Nope, that's the first film that I thought of. Of course I always think of its original title, Killbots.

Not really a robot so much as an android, but how about Don Opper's character from Android. near the end he gets reprogrammed and slaughters a bunch of people.

Also, not that much of a killer, but in Planet of Storms/Prehistoric Planet, the robot is asked to carry two astronauts across a river of lava and suddenly decides halfway across that it needs to shed the extra weight.

Then there are the killer robots/androids from Class of 1999.

"Just as good"?  You're comparing Mecha-Kong to a giant rosebush, you realize.

A giant rose bush with alligator headed tenticles, i might add! Shirley, you jest.....
Realy, the thought of John the robot wanting to throw those Russians into the lava, made me immediatly think of Asimov. Where are the 3 laws when you REALY need them?

"Stop calling me Shirly"

I agree with Andrew about "Hardware".  To me, for a robot, android, whataver to be intimidating it has to look tough, solid, durable, etc..  Robots that look and move like marrionettes or puppets just don't instill much fearful respect in me

Hey, "Boillante" is one of my favorite G-flicks.  And it's incarnation at the end is badass, you have to admit.  Plus, it's the best Godzilla suit they ever built.

Brother R

The huge ABC robot in JUDGE DREDD is very fearsome-looking, in my opinion. As far as I can tell, it's not done with CGI, which is always a plus.

Gotta love that staggering robot in WAR OF THE PLANETS, too.

Hmmm,
Why hasnt anyone mentioned C-3pO or R2-D2???? They are a fearsome duo
How about that robot Short Circuit???????? Now that is one mean metal machine
Lets not forget those robotic bears from the Thundercats... Now they were tough!!
And then there is Crow and that other one from MST3K.... grrrrr

Well, she doesn't kill anyone outright, but she is responsible for lots of death & destruction:  The robo-gal from Fritz Lang's METROPOLIS.  Yeah, yeah, I know she almost instantly becomes cyborg/human-looking, but that moment when ROTWANG -- what a great name!-- is creating her in the electric rings, or whatever they are, she looks goddam scary and intimidating, sort of a soul-less insect thing.  I think she's creepy as all hell . . .
peter johnson

Tom Servo
and crow t.Robot

none are fiercer....

Creepozoid wrote:
>
> Damn! Did everyone forget CHOPPING MALL?

Creepozoid, I was wondering the same thing. Ya beat me to it.

Best robot in my opinion has to be Kryten from 'Red Dwarf'. He of the oddly shaped head.

Lister: Kryten 2X4B 523P? Is that your full name?
Kryten: Yes, but I don't like the 2X4B. Such a dorky middle name. Then again, I knew an android who's middle name was 2Q4B.

For second place I second Evan3's second suggestion of Johnny Five from 'Short Circuit'.

Pete

I really love the robot from THE COLOSSUS OF NEW YORK. Even though I'm not a huge fan of the movie I still think Maximillion from THE BLACK HOLE was a cool robot. Weirdest robot would have to be the giant energy sucking robot machine thingy from KRONOS: RAVAGER OF WORLDS.

Other Faves Already Mentioned By Others:

The droids from CHOPPING MALL
The original Mechagodzilla
Mechanikong from KING KONG ESCAPES

Side issue: Biollante rocks. Possibly the most hideous monster in the Toho batch, and that mouthful of teeth is downright frightening. It's really too bad she didn't get a scene in which she really clamps that mess on G's dead and shake him like a terrier for a bit...

I have an unnatural obsession with MOGERA from "Godzilla vs Space Godzilla."

Some 'bots I am surprised to not see on the list:
--That moronic hipshootin' sidekick-bot from "Starcrash"
--The rock-'em sock-'em robots of "Robot Jox" and "Robot Wars"
--ED-209 from "Robocop," even if it can't walk down stairs
--Twiki. He don't actually kill, but he does inspire suicidal tendencies.
--The Cylons and their cybertronic commander with the transparent noggin, whatever his name was.
--Them There Hat Wearin' Robots of "The Phantom Empire."

I like Twiki. BEE BUH DEE BUH DEEP!

Kryton: Well twist my nipple nuts and call me Susan!

Thanks, Squishy.  I'm glad someone else agrees with me about Biollante.  The second incarnation definitely didn't get enough screen time.

Brother R

Now, now, Brother R. I did not say Biollante was not a cool monster, but i did not see the comparison factor regards Robot monsters.
Re: Kryten..he ain't no monster, but i do so like the boy. He's smeggin funny, 'e is!

It's groovy.  I guess I wasn't really comparing.  We just traded a robot for a plant because the rights were tied up.

Ell!!  - "I'll clean out your sinuses but good!"

Hey,
The transformers (original ones and the animal ones in 1999 I think) were damn cool. But the cartoon Network one sucks. The best one of them all was the giant world transformer voiced by the infamous Orson Welles.

>Twiki. He don't actually kill, but he does inspire suicidal tendencies.

Actually, in the second Buck Rogers movie (on TV), Planet of the Slavegirls, Twiki flew one of the fighters and bagged a couple of the enemy.

>The Cylons and their cybertronic commander with the transparent noggin,
>whatever his name was.

The head Cyclon was the Imperious Leader (voice of Patrick McNee), while the next highest ranking one you saw (with lights in his pointed head) was Lucifer (voice of Jonathon Harris).