Automata

It has been some time since we have seen Antonio play such a deep and serious role. Sci-fi fans love to see a great sci-fi movie among the mountain of average dross that fills the digital distributors options lists. I hunt for months for something that will inspire me and not fail in its aim to suspend my belief in a future worldscape. It takes us on a journey with AI beings who's only aim is to be left alone to live without slavery. Sounds familiar? It also holds up a mirror to the human race and asks do you realy want to create a race of slaves? Do you want to live in a world where there are two classes human overlords and machine slaves? Do you want to disregard AI as worhtless utilitairan tools that when broken can be trashed and sent to landfill? In a world where humans do this to other humans across the globe, are we in need of a huge slap in the face!?

Automata is a dystopian science fiction. It's a wholly original story. Not adapted from anything. It's also a complete and stand alone film and not part of any franchise or trilogy. It's a european production with an international cast. And it's one of those movies that sets the scene with a lot of exposition on screen at the start. A few decades from now, and increased solar flare activity has left most of the Earth desert. With what's left of humanity clinging to existence in a few cities. Robots called Pilgrims have been built to help humanity out, but attempts by them to turn back the advance of the desert failed, so now they're just servants for human beings. Jacq Vaucan [Antonio Banderas] is an insurance agent who deals with claims against faulty robots. He's a man with a wife who is about to give birth. And he's wholly burnt out by life and his world and has a vague hope of getting to move to somewhere better. You can't blame him, because the place where he lives and the work he does will have that effect on people. As a rather depressing scene right after the opening credits makes clear. Humans are rather paranoid about Robots, in case they take over or harm people. So the Pilgrims have built in protocols that prevent. But when Jacq gets involved in a case where it appears a robot has upgraded itself, he finds there's more going on that meets the eye. Can he save his family? And what's really going on with the Pilgrims?.... A lot of this might seem familiar at first glance. An investigator in a dystopian future city is so Blade Runner. But the designers don't try to make it look futuristic. All the technology on display is very well extrapolated. There are no flying cars or laser guns, just things you might expect to see still around in a few years if things advance slowly. And the look of the robots is quite superb. Done without much cgi they really look like machines of the kind current technology could come up with, and do have a pretty original look as a result. The fact that they have blank faces and no mouths is quite striking, and makes them look machine like. The film also covers ground you might recall from films such as 'I, Robot', or 'Ex Machina', in terms of robotic advancement. But it never tries to copy those either. For the first half, it's detective thriller as Jacq looks into things. It does become quite absorbing. The second half changes direction and expands the setting, and at this point it does get into the aforementioned questions about existence. But as mentioned, it doesn't try to copy other movies. It tries to make you think about the questions the situation poses. Although it throws it a bit of action as well, that never feels out of place. And it ends in just the right way. A not entirely happy ending, but the right ending given the questions and the situation. The score of the film is quite unique and different also. But it is rather intrusive at times. This is going to be a love or hate it movie. If you're prepared to give it a chance though, you'll find it's a decent and somewhat original and thought provoking bit of science fiction. So it's worth giving it a go. It's a fifteen certificate thanks to some strong langauge and a few bits of violence The dvd has the following language and subtitle options: Languages: English. Subtitles; English. The disc begins with several trailers, which can be skipped via the next button on the dvd remote. Extras: The making of automata: This is just one of those short promotional pieces that films do rather than anything of substance, so it only runs for just over four minutes. There are some interesting comments from the director and the star, but nothing too much. Interview with Antonio Banderas: Eleven long minute feature with him answering questions on the film. This is framed as him doing just that rather than a proper interview as such, but it's a good talk anyhow.

Very compelling film it may lack some of the world building in other similar films but I found the tight focus compelling. Its not a fast film and the action sequences are relatively few probably the most 'realistic' in the genre in terms of development. Seeing a lot of comparisons to both I-robot and Blade Runner which I think is unfair in some regards theres plenty of crossover but Automata still has enough of itself to be a unique world in its own right. Side note - can't help feeling that there is some there was some crossover between the NIeR games and this film but couldn't find any confirmation (mostly was the robots visuals).

Why is this film called automata, why does it nick parts from i robot and blade runner, why doses most of the film involve some robots dragging antontino bandarras through the desert, why is antonio bandarras even in it, anyone could have played his part. These are some of the questions this movie poses, dont go expecting any answers, This film had some intresting ideas, but is mainly boring and bland.

Much better than I expected. I really enjoyed this film even if the ending left me wanting a proper closure. Nevertheless this was one of the better science fiction films I have seen for quite awhile. Hence my rating. I thought he robots were well done and acting was pretty good. If you enjoy science fiction, give it a try.... you maybe surprised.

One of these days, someone will write a sci-fi movie that is consistent with its own premise. The intro states quite plainly that "terrestrial communications have been rendered impossible" - yet there are plenty of comms in evidence. It also states that "technology is regressing" - yet there is plenty of high-tech in evidence. Tchoh.

I found this to a nice film to watch, quite a slow pace to it yet interspersed with some excellent action sequences. A curious role for Antonio but he was very, very good. Brilliant acting all round actually and the robots were fabulous. They were believable and I have no idea wether they were mechanical or computer generated which just shows how well they were done. Only four stars though as I think that the slow pace of the film did seem to make it drag a little in places. I think this may have been done to add atmosphere but it didn't quite hit the mark. I have found, that even a few days since watching it, I am still mulling over it's technological philosophy. The film certainly had an impact in much the same way as I robot and if you enjoyed that then you will probably enjoy this as well.

Good little film,recommend you watch ,enjoyable

Diese vordergründig einfache Erkenntnis greift der Film für die Grundlage seiner Story auf. Das es hierfür differenzierte Betrachtungsweisen geben kann, stellt man dann im weiteren Filmverlauf fest. Im Zenit der Story kratzt der Film sogar an der Frage, ob von Menschen geschaffene lernfähige Intelligenz, und daraus sich entwicklendes, eigenständiges Bewusstsein, auch schon zum Thema "Leben" gehört. Aus religiöser Sicht könnte man hier dem Film zumindest eine einseitige Betrachtungsweise vorwerfen. Doch stellt der Film nicht grundsätzlich die Frage, wo wir her kommen, sondern es geht vorrangig um die Entwicklung von Mensch und Maschine. Das wird in einem kurzen Dialog deutlich, bei welchem die menschliche Hauptfigur seinem machinellen Kontrahenten brüllend "Du bist nur eine Maschine!" mit auf den Weg gibt. Dieser antwortet darauf: "Uns Maschinen zu nennen ist das gleiche, als wenn ich sagen würde, du bist nur ein Affe". Was hier vordergründig wie ein humorvoller verbaler Konter aussieht, führt zu der Frage, was der Mensch letztlich aus der Entwicklung von Maschinen und Computern machen will. Da spielen dann hoffnungsvolle Herausforderungen oder tiefgründige Ängste eine große Rolle, welche in unserer Zukunft diese Entwicklung mitbestimmen werden. Da ich jetzt das Ende des Films nicht vorweg nehmen möchte kann man festhalten, dass die beschriebenen Gedanken ähnlich eines Remis beim Betrachter hängen bleiben werden. Und damit hat dieser die Möglichkeit, sich dem Thema zu widmen. Oder es zu lassen. Obwohl in diesem Film einige gestreute Action Sequenzen vorkommen, ist er aber doch von einem Action Film weit entfernt. Wer den Film unter diesem Aspekt ansieht, kann ihn nicht gut finden. Wer den Film als Sience Fiction Epos mit Tiefgang betrachtet, kommt voll auf seine Kosten. Aus dieser Sicht ist er (auch mehrmals) sehenswert, mit einem großartigen Antonio Banderas in der Hauptrolle. Für mich ein herausragender Film, klasse fotografiert, und mit toller Story.

This is a trippy movie. Original. Serious atmosphere. I salute this director for taking a chance on an original plot. Takes balls.

Jacq (played by Antonio Banderas) is an insurance assessor working for ROC, a company that produces the Automata Pigrim 7000 which is a type of robot made to assist humans in the wake of a deteriorating planet Earth. But although the robots have been programmed to be bound by specific protocols, someone has been tinkering with the robots, and Jacq has been blamed. This is a humans-headed-for-apocalypse film where the humans are relying on robots to save them. Not a particularly original idea but this film has been well made and the story is competently told, if a bit too long. It helps significantly that the robots are by and large practical props and not digital - this gives the film a greater sense of realism and it must have helped the actors react to the robots in the many scenes where they interact. In the acting department, Antonio Banderas does a particularly good job. The filmmakers have also done a good job in conveying the scale of the devastation of Earth with some sweeping views of cities in a desert landscape and lots of shots in dirty streetscapes, etc. The film is OK on Blu-ray but not excellent. The picture is cold and colourless however the clarity is good. The audio is lossless dts-HD MA but the dialogue can be unclear at times. 3.5 stars.

This is a dark movie and theme about how AI and robotics have reached a point of cohesion where you can go out and purchase a robot for your house. But the real mind-blowing part is that the robots seem to have become sentient. Antonio Bandaris gives a solid performance. It's definitely worth watching if you have the ability to engross yourself in this dark story of a dystopian future.

I like to concept of this movie. The end makes the beginning. The story is well done and keeps you guessing because of the cover picture. Worth watching.