Move over Robocop. Make way for The Machine.
Now available on DVD is the Sci-Fi Thriller, The Machine.
The film is reminiscent to come degree to the popular Robocop movies where a person, near death, is turned into a robot/human hybrid to help bring about law and order.
The film stars Caity Lotz, Sam Hazeldine, Toby Stephens, Pooneh Hajimohammadi and Denis Lawson.
Set in the near future The Machine is the story about computer scientists, employed by Britain’s Ministry of Defense, commissioned to turn injured soldiers into robots. Their bodies are mostly robotic but their brains are some what in tact to give the robots intelligence. The whole program is hidden away from the general public in an underground station.
A young women named Ava, who is gifted in the field of Artificial Intelligence, joins the team run by a man name Vincent. When she first arrives she is not told about everything that is going on at the base. She only knows the basics. Unknown to her several severely injured soldiers are kept locked away and used to create this new breed of robots, even if it means paying with their lives.
Ava is also a bit nosy, going to areas of the facility that are off limits to her.
Ava is murdered. Vincent takes it upon himself to turn her into one of the robots that he’s been working on. The only difference between her robot and others Vincent has created is that Ava (also referred to as “The Machine”) is almost human. She has the body, speed, skills and strength of a robot, but the mind of a person. She also shows emotion which the other robots have not done. Ava has the ability to feel sad, scared and happy.
Vincent has another motive for trying to make a robot that is as next to human as possible. His young daughter is suffering from a disease (I am not sure which one). Vincent hopes his success with Ava will help him to do the same thing with his young daughter so that he doesn’t have to risk losing her forever.
Things end up taking a serious turn for the worse. Ava seems to be getting out of control and the higher ups want all traces of her human self to be destroyed.
Vincent ends up questioning the whole program and re-evaluating his role in all of this.
Will Vincent give in an put an end to Ava? Will he subject his young daughter to the same fate as Ava? To find out you need to pick up a copy of The Machine, now available on Blu-ray and DVD.
Overall I thought it was a good movie, even if the story line is not entirely unique.
It’s a very dark film. I mean that literally – not figuratively. There was no daylight the film. It was all shot underground and at night.
This is a great film for the Sci-Fi fan. With robots like this fast becoming a reality its good to see films like this which show the not-so-good side to artificial intelligence and how “playing God” is not always a good thing, even if it’s in the name of science.
Caity Lotz who plays the role of Ava started out as the ray of sunshine that this film needed. The other characters are all dark and brooding where as Ava was cheery and bubbly when she first joined the team. She also made a great robot. There was something about her and the way she played the role of The Machine that made you feel compassion towards her. You wanted her to go on and remain the “good” Ava (The Machine) and not the machine they were trying to turn her into (a solider of sorts).
Here is the trailer for your enjoyment.
Kimberly
*I received a free screener copy in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
Christina T says
This seems and sounds like it’s a dystopian novel that I really enjoyed called The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna, really brings about the message of parents willing to do anything to always have a part of their child keep on living. I would love to see this I hope to rent it soon either online or through redbox for our weekly movie night. Thank you for the honest review and for the heads up on this movie.
Eileen Richter says
I have loved sci fi since a high school English class many moons ago. I did not recognize any actors as standing out. I will definitely see this but will not buy…probably wait until a red box release. We do not buy any movies anymore…even though was just gifted an apple tv.