Today’s quick review: Robot Overlords. After the invasion of Earth by an army of spacefaring robots, humanity lives under occupation, confined to their houses and with no way to fight back. When teenager Sean (Callan McAuliffe) and his friends find a way to disable the robots’ tracking devices, they become the only humans able to move around freely. But the greatest threat to their newfound freedom is human: Smythe (Ben Kingsley), a robot collaborator.
Robot Overlords is a science fiction movie that pits four children against an occupying force of advanced robots. Robot Overlords is a simple movie from start to finish. The plot has a clear trajectory and straightforward conflicts. The tone caters to children and teens with its plucky young heroes and sprinkling of levity. The speculative value of the film is nonexistent: the sci-fi is there to drive the action, not explore any deeper questions.
Robot Overlords is a fairly coherent movie, but its middling quality keeps it from holding much appeal. The movie has weaknesses in its acting, writing, and action, but none of them are outrageous. The shortcomings balance each other out well enough that no single improvement would help the movie. Robot Overlords is a movie that knows its limitations and lowers its aim accordingly.
Most sci-fi fans would be better off looking elsewhere. Robot Overlords will do in a pinch, but there is little to recommend it over the other movies in its genre. Give it a shot if you are bored and looking for an easy watch. Skip it otherwise. For a better movie about resistance in occupied territory, check out Red Dawn.
4.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.5 for watchable but unimpressive sci-fi.