Robot Riot

No SF gold in them thar hills, but the robots look pretty good, despite their inability to hit the broad side of a barn with rapid-fire machine gun volleys. No surprises, but no boredom either. Actors were working hard, too. The type of movie that you can enjoyably leave on while you work at something else.

My 15 yo son wanted to watch this. Killer robots, explosions and awesome tech what's not to like? Turns out it's the entirety of this dross. The plot has more holes than a fishing net. The acting is so bad it makes the worst daytime American soaps look positively Oscar in comparison. The CGI sucked and was inconsistent like a video game from the late 90's. Where were the robot riots? Yes the final scene filled me with dread....only because it leaves the door open for a sequel. Please don't make a sequel.

Pretty thin plot line sees a General with only two staff members, both sergeants, in command of hundreds of prototype military robots. Tie this in with memory erased soldiers who seem to remember how to use weapons and be overly testosteronic. Unbelievable dialogue and unrealistic action scenes make this a movie worth oassy by. The robots are kind of cool though.

Several people find themselves being hunted by robots in an isolated community. Director/co-writer Ryan Staples Scott keeps the enjoyable story zipping along at a brisk pace, generates a good deal of tension, maintains a tough gritty tone throughout, and stages the exciting action with aplomb. The solid acting from the competent no-name cast helps a lot: Ryan Merriman as the amiable Shane, Emily Hileman as the ruthless Green, Sarah J. Batholomew as the feisty Piper, Cait Brasel as the perky Madison, Duncan Barrett Brown as the jerky Brock, and Jamie Costa as the two-fisted Peterson. The CGI robots looks pretty gnarly, too. A fun flick.