Top 10 Android and Robot Movies

Robots are usually cool for movies. Perhaps because androids remind us of ourselves in our capacity to create, or maybe we just love seeing metal blown to bits, but robots have been able to make us laugh, cry, and scream with excitement. Here are my favorite android/robot movies of all time. The criteria for this list are that the films must have been released in America, and the protagonists have to be robotic, or the plot must center around androids –therefore, Star Wars does not fit because R2D2 is not a main character, and robots are not the main theme of the series.

1. Wall-E: an instant classic. Not only is Wall-E my most beloved robot of all time, this is among Pixar’s finest, and I put it right up there with The Incredibles as the best animated film ever. All the robots in the movie are rife with personality. Few epic dramas have moved audiences the way that the underdog Wall-E has.

2. Terminator 2: a landmark in sci-fi and arguably Cameron’s best, Terminator 2 remains relevant and praised after all of these years. In its day, the special effects were revolutionary. Cyborg Arnold transformed from the killer antagonist to the superhero savior in this sequel.

3. Ghost in the Shell: what I recall most about this mesmerizing anime flick is the haunting cyberpunk/folk Japanese soundtrack and stunning imagery, which have to be seen/heard to be fully appreciated. The storyline does not sound awfully enticing or original anymore because of the imitation that Ghost in the Shell has since inspired, but this movie was awesome before Japanese anime became cool.

4. Artificial Intelligence (A.I.): sadly underrated and overlooked, AI is one of Spielberg’s better imaginings. Osment is, as always, fantastic and delivers a scary performance here. The visuals are wonderful, the philosophy thought provoking, and the journey entertaining. Some people are offended by AI’s bizarre ending, but watch it again, and while it is disturbing, it is also fitting. Few android characters have made me feel so much sympathy as this cast does.

5. The Iron Giant: highly regarded, The Iron Giant, like most good robots, reveals humanity’s darkest flaws but also provokes people to become better human beings. Having a heart of gold, this Giant is a monstrous sized version of Wall-E.

6. Robocop: although its subsequent films are pathetic, the original Robocop broke new ground for android and sci-fi movies. As a little child, I wanted to be Robocop, who represents the best of both worlds: robots and humans. Every police force could use a Robocop, but please get him a psychiatrist.

7. The Terminator: three Terminator films enter this list, and the one that started the franchise is also one of the best. We are first introduced to Judgment Day and Skynet in a thriller that somehow manages to make time travel seem…not idiotic. Most time travel movies are pitiful, and so are many action films, but Terminator has both elements and is still great.

8. I, Robot: a Will Smith movie that is actually tolerable, I, Robot deals with the long standing problem of sentient artificial intelligence revolting against its creators. Undoubtedly influenced by The Matrix and Ghost in the Shell, I, Robot does not measure up to either, but it does serve up a fun ride that does not conclude exactly as expected.

9. Terminator Salvation: endeavoring to distance itself from the wretched Terminator 3, Salvation succeeds for the most part. The film is much darker and grittier and is seemingly missing a prominent android character. Nowhere near the wonderful spectacles of parts one and two, Terminator Salvation is still a much better ride than 99% of action flicks out there, but by now, the themes covered here are no longer as compelling as they used to be.

10. Short Circuit: a nostalgic blast from my childhood past, Short Circuit’s Johnny 5 is the inspiration for Wall-E. Back in early to mid 1980s, artificial intelligence and androids were just becoming popular depictions in Hollywood. Short Circuit is a lighthearted and inoffensive take on a very serious and bleak subject.

For the past three decades of cinema, we have been introduced to robotic protectors (Arnold in T2, Robocop), saviors (Wall-E, The Iron Giant), destroyers (Arnold in T1, T-1000), and racialized minorities (David). Let us pray that, in reality, Google’s Android OS is a friend and not a foe.