Android
Posted by martinteller on December 28, 2011
Very much a “mixed bag”. The special effects and set design are terribly cheesy, with lots of random flashing lights and odd geometric shapes for no reason (why a trapezoidal water jug? because it’s THE FUTURE!) and a defense system based on the classic Vectrex video game system. But the cinematography is generally decent (although typically overlit) and I rather liked the synth score, by Mother of Invention Don Preston. As far as the cast is concerned, Klaus Kinski is of course always a delight, but he’s really not in it all that much and it’s a rather subdued role for him. Don Keith Opper (credited only under his android name) plays the title character as a rebellious nerd, which is an interesting take but doesn’t always work. Brie Howard and Norbert Weisser are barely passable, and Crofton Hardesser is downright awful. The script has some horribly clunky lines in it, but the story is pretty intriguing once you get into it, a kind of Bride of Frankenstein (or Metropolis, which Max 404 actually watches at one point) tale with Blade Runner style commentary on what it is to be human. It doesn’t run very deep, but there are some nice angles to it, and a neat ending. If you can overlook a lot of flaws and keep your Kinski expectations low, it’s really not a bad watch. Rating: Fair
