Autómata (2014) Reviews

• Visually outstanding achievement. Underrated by critics and worth the watch

  pootc2014-12-31

  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

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• A Blader Runner based on Asimov, rather than Dick, and made by Europeans

  siderite2014-10-11

  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.

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• In the unending parade of bland, horrible movies this stands out as a gem

  starfleetengineeringcorp2014-10-19

  I watched this movie without any preconceived notions. In fact, I didn't even know what it was about. I was VERY surprised. Rarely does quality come out anymore. Most movies are all flash and no substance. This however was vastly different. The movie has a lot of depth that makes you think. I wasn't so sure about casting Antonio Banderas in it however. He did fine, but I think it could had easily done as well or better with another actor. The end result is, however very well made. If you're looking for a Michael Bay film you will be disappointed however. I sincerely wish more movies like this were made. I know it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but it is different from the rest. You will be pleasantly surprised.

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• Making robot sci-fi interesting again

  juujuuuujj2014-12-21

  It was totally unexpected and refreshing to stumble upon a new sci-fi movie with unique character, and an interesting and gritty atmosphere created with the help of practical effects and good old-fashioned artistic vision. The robots and old technology, obsolete computers and oscilloscopes in the background were absolutely fun to see and this couldn't have been done with CG alone (something many studios are attempting to do on a regular basis now). The movie could have benefited from a higher budget, and I'm sure the artists' vision could have been more fully realized that way, but I think they really have something to be proud of, and I hope to see more of their work. The plot is good, could have been a bit deeper and developed a bit further. But it successfully creates an interesting world - one much better than, say, "I,Robot" (the movie). Some of the most sympathetic characters were the robots, which is not do diminish the work of the actual human beings here, but the character design and behavior of the protagonists was really believable. The antagonists, not so much. Contrast that with something like I,Robot and you can see that it's possible to make something far more original on a far tighter budget. I really wish more movies were made with such passionate vision, instead of the Michael Bay CG roller-coaster rides being churned out each year now, as a tradition. I'm glad new authors are breaking the mold and making sci-fi interesting again.

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• Intense thriller with a plot that makes us wonder about our existence, and it's concept.

  mederao2014-11-05

  When 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."

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