Cool Killer Robots

[Andrew]

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.

[AndyC]

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.

[nshumate]

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.

[Damien]

Some of the best killer robots that come to mind:

2001
Phantasm (1979)
Westworld
Blade Runner
The Terminator

[Gerry]

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!

[Creepozoid]

Damn! Did everyone forget CHOPPING MALL?

[Brother Ragnarok]

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

[Flangepart]

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!

[Brother Ragnarok]

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

[JohnL]

>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.

[nshumate]

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

[Flangepart]

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?

[Fearless Freep]

"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

[Brother Ragnarok]

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

[Todd 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.