Android Apocalypse (2006) Reviews

• Not as bad as I expected until the last 20 minutes

  mbowman22006-06-25

  I went into this expecting the same incredibly bad movie as the rest of the Sci Fi channel's attempts. Now, I not by any means saying this was a great movie but it was far above the rest of the crop. Sure it is a ripoff of "The Terminator" and "The Defiant Ones" (thanks ted1244, I couldn't remember the name of that movie) but what movie isn't in some sense. There was conflict in several characters that gave them some dimension. I especially liked the androids coming to terms with his "humanity" and was pleasantly surprised to find the human character in which I initially found nothing redeeming actually grow and display more depth than I have ever found in any SciFi channel movie. ** possible spoiler *** The movie did fall apart in the final 20 minutes when the evil android master finally found the last key to perfecting his creations. I normally don't have much trouble with techno-babble as long as it is obscure enough or has just enough science to make it remotely possible but but here it was just silly. We're supposed to believe that what stands between man and machine is the constituents of the fluid that surrounds our brain? Give me a break, I never took much biology but even I know that the function of this fluid is more to create a safe environment for the brain and does not contribute anything to our thinking or humanity. I'm sure if they just consulted with the set nurse they could have come up with something more convincing than that. Then we're supposed to believe that a couple of humans and one android were able to overcome an army of invincible attack droids and resolve all the conflict and suspicion between man and android in one fell swoop. Despite this I give SciFi channel a mild round of applause. There may be hope for them yet.

• Like the prologue to Matrix

  sarastro72008-11-17

  Machines have taken over, but left humans thinking that they are still the ones in charge. The machine people (androids) need humans because of the human brain fluid; without it the android brains can't work. Until the mad scientist (who was once a human but has replaced all his parts with android parts) finds out how to make this brain fluid artificially. Now the androids no longer need the humans. Just as this scheme is running its course and the humans are about to be wiped out, one renegade android who was an experimental specimen that turned out to be a bit too human, thwarts the entire scheme, aided by the human man who befriended him and made him see things the human way. It's not bad. There are built-in references to a lot of classic sci-fi tropes (and movies), and both the two main characters, Scott Bairstow and Joseph Lawrence, are surprisingly likable and act very well. Too bad the budget was the pits (sand pits, to be precise), and the story - especially its resolution - didn't have much depth, but at least the characters felt real, and that's more than I was expecting. I'm going to seek out more work by these actors. So, a fairly entertaining sci-fi movie. I kinda liked it. 6 out of 10.

• Shut down

  Enchorde2008-05-17

  Recap: A (mad?) scientist that apparently works to construct androids to save mankind in a post apocalypse world secretly turns himself into one. And secretly he intends to construct more advanced androids and overthrow the human reign on Earth. However, one android develops feelings and conscience and with the help of one human that happens to find himself in the crossfire the challenge the scientist and his army. Comments: I had some hope for this, but got disappointed. This was too simple. In essence, it was a row of fistfights, nothing more, nothing less. The story and characters were thin and shallow and when the movie pretty soon became repetitive it also became boring. Once there it never redeemed itself and I pretty much shut down. Like an android. 4/10

• Not great, but much less painful than I was expecting

  TheLittleSongbird2012-07-19

  I was expecting little, seeing as how awful a lot of SyFy original movies are. Actually while not great, Android Apocalypse is not that bad. It does have a lot of flaws, which I sensed were going to be there. The CGI has been worse before and since but definitely could've done with more clarity and believability, they did look flat and fake-looking. I do agree also about the set design, they don't look bad and are decently lit but they are never authentic, when you should see a prison, then one you should see, not what looks like a factory. The writing is rather shallow and cheesy, and again never feels natural in how it flows, while the story is structurally thin with a lot of the action unexciting and the final twenty minutes were far too overly-silly for my tastes. However, the editing is less haphazard than it often is with SyFy, and the music less generic, actually having a haunting tone. But the real improvements were with the characters and the acting. Instead of the underdeveloped, stereotypical characters we usually see, there is a noble and mostly successful attempt to give the characters some humanity and depth. The acting is often bland, overdone or non-existent, I also didn't find that to be the case here, the leads are especially likable. So all in all, definitely one of Syfy's more tolerable movies though it was still lacking. 5/10 Bethany Cox

• Android Apocalypse... It's the end of the movie and I feel fine

  juliankennedy232009-10-06

  Android Apocalypse: 4 out of 10: Well it did not make me want to poke my eyes out with a dull fork... so it has that going in its favor. Dateline the future... Phoenix is a domed city surrounded by a horrifying wasteland. (Kind of like now) Humans are in short supply so androids that look exactly like humans do most of the work. Our mullet wearing racist (androidist?) hero loses his shoveling things job to an android. A few eighties flashback fistfights later and he finds himself on the run through the wasteland handcuffed to an android. (Joey Lawrence of Blossom of all people.) The leads are actually quite good and it is unusual for white trash to be a hero in these (or any) type of films. That is a nice change of pace. The story on the other hand is pretty awful. For example the ending is so truncated they either ran out of money or forgot the whole apocalypse promise of the title. While Lawrence does his best data impersonation, the other androids are all over the map. Many of them emote more than their human counterparts, while others are clearly the same five grips wearing facemasks. Set design also needs work. The prison is clearly a factory. The humans headquarters is a glorified office park complete with fernage. (I was having Overdrawn at the Memory Bank flashbacks) In addition, items such as blankets with do not remove tags and Jeep Cherokees litter the film. Overall a decent if slow Sci-fi time waster. Just do not get you hopes up for an apocalypse.