Millennium Entertainment | Release Date: October 10, 2014
6.3
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 117 Ratings
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Positive:
59
Mixed:
42
Negative:
16
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4
quincytheodoreDec 4, 2014
Riddled with as many plot holes as the rust on dystopian mold, Automata stutters worse than an old wind-up toy. Although a reminiscence of "I, Robot", the movie does start with decent prospect. It is at least intriguing and Antonio BanderasRiddled with as many plot holes as the rust on dystopian mold, Automata stutters worse than an old wind-up toy. Although a reminiscence of "I, Robot", the movie does start with decent prospect. It is at least intriguing and Antonio Banderas plays as a character in torn down world with suitable heavy gait. However, the plot moves painstakingly slow and it doesn't really progress toward anything significantly. Some scenes are simply uninteresting with questionable twist or just plain lacking in exposition to clarify the story while the characters are pushed towards accepting random outcome unreasonably.

Antonio Banderas plays as Jacq Vaucan, an insurance investigator who stumbles upon evidence that the robot humanity uses to make shelter in post-apocalyptic world may become sentient. The setting, barren modern cityscape, has its charm although there isn’t any that's really outstanding. Everything just feels bogged down with bits from other sci-fi movies, but never comes into one consistent world. The story tries to deliver the same enigma that robot may have self-awareness, and does nothing to rejuvenates or at least present itself in a novel fashion.

Plot will just move with hefty confusion, events rushed with little sense and characters react in odd manners. It merely regurgitates most sci-fi movies did better, without bringing satisfying conclusion. There are too many concepts that are not answered, or answered lazily with tired "Life finds a way" of some sort, only slightly yet still lazily reworded, to convince audience of any weight to its script. What a couple decent thing it makes in the beginning will fade away as the movie crawls numbingly pass its second half. Music tries desperately to instill any form of dramatization, even to simple conversation, it comes off as really heavy-handed and fruitless attempt.

Acting isn't that good either, Antonio Banderas is capable, but even he seems disordered at some points and the script doesn't help much. In some scenes the actors feel out of place or worse, unintentionally funny. The characters just don't convey any emergence or significance, and it's hard to relate to any predicament. As for the robotic roles, they are made with slight humane gesture or accidental facial similarity as attempts to humanize them, but they look so detached it's near impossible to sympathize with them. Any CG added at this point might only worsen the matter rather than help.

Automata is an odd movie, it borrows from sci-fi blockbusters, but doesn't have their flair. It tries to be artistic, but it lacks depth. The stifling struggle for identity is truer to the movie itself than the characters in it, because it has none.
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1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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4
JLuis_001Sep 6, 2017
Frankly I really had another idea about this movie and I'm left without anything, honestly it's not a terrible job, but it's far from being a good thing.
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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5
FoxxGuthyOct 12, 2014
Interesting. More philosophical than anything, considers what it means to be alive. However, it feels you feeling a little empty, not quite what you wanted. Definitely not blade runner, not enough shooting.
3 of 9 users found this helpful36
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4
ozymandias79Nov 5, 2014
Lacking characterization and soul. It tries to be Bladerunner, but all I could do at the end was ask myself what I else I could have done for the almost 2 hour run-time. It needed more action, characters and dialog. Walking across a desertLacking characterization and soul. It tries to be Bladerunner, but all I could do at the end was ask myself what I else I could have done for the almost 2 hour run-time. It needed more action, characters and dialog. Walking across a desert for the last half of the movie didn't help. The intentions were clear but the execution lacked impact. Expand
1 of 4 users found this helpful13
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4
tvnewsguidoOct 10, 2014
Like the robots it portrays, this movie has no heart.

Another style over story movie, "Autómata" is well made with good effects but the script is TV movie quality bland. It also lacks a sense of humor. That's a personal pet peeve but also
Like the robots it portrays, this movie has no heart.

Another style over story movie, "Autómata" is well made with good effects but the script is TV movie quality bland. It also lacks a sense of humor. That's a personal pet peeve but also symptomatic of many recent sci-fi offerings that, for no good reason, take themselves far too seriously.
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2 of 10 users found this helpful28
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5
MeritCobaOct 30, 2015
(Note: I do not like a scoring mechanism that runs from 0 to 10 and therefore I devised my own value system, which works as follows: 1 for bad, 5 for mwah, 9 for good. 10 for superb.)

Because it happens, the robot answers. And there you
(Note: I do not like a scoring mechanism that runs from 0 to 10 and therefore I devised my own value system, which works as follows: 1 for bad, 5 for mwah, 9 for good. 10 for superb.)

Because it happens, the robot answers.
And there you have it. The final answer to all questions in life: because it happens.
Why does the earth revolve around the sun?
Because it happens.
Why does the sun burn the surface of the earth?
Because it happens.
And why are there no zombies in my backyard?
Because it happens?
No, because I don't have a backyard.
It happens.
I wonder why. I wonder a lot of things. Why for instance do they wear plastic see through rain coats in a world that knows no rain?
Well, cause it happens.*
Why is that doctor killed by kids?
Cause it happens.
And why does a story like this sizzle out into an underwhelming fight and philosophy that impresses by how vapid it is?
Cause it happens.
Case in point: you can't be killed when you are not alive.
Astounding observation.. how about making the same remark several times, just so we do not forget the philosophical, moral and social implications?
Here you go : you can't be killed when you are not alive.
Impressive...
So what is alive?
Oh uh. Let's not cross that bridge shall we. We only got two hours that we already filled mostly with robots and people trudging through dystopian landscapes, that are in fact mostly desert scenes and of the dusty grey kind. No time for anything too complex. Let's just repeat the remark to bedazzle everyone with our deep philosophical thinking.
Another question then, more down to earth: why are the bad guys moronic idiots given to destroying pretty expensive robots that pose no threat and killing people at large?
Cause they have shotguns. And everyone knows: weapons are meant to be used and: the gun defines the gunman. The shotgun thus defines a killer.
So why did the robots change?
Because it happens, the robot says.
A tale told in five minutes stretched out two hours to answer the one question that drives the movie and which never gets the answer it deserves. Rock bottom story telling.
The final mystery is this: how could this movie have happened?
Answer: shyte happens.
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* The real reason of course is that some people are impressed by other people's imagery and thus the plastic rain coat, used in Bladerunner, Brazil and in 12 Monkeys, has become the staple ingredient of dystopian movies. It is either a very lazy rehash or a homage: you pick the option you like.
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0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
JMotaFeb 17, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I would say anyone can watch it without vomiting... the movie goes from good to extremely predictable; the plot is the only thing I would take seriously, and even its potential gets destroyed after half an hour. If you're looking for a good science fiction movie with a deep massage behind, Autómata is not the right film for you. But I have to say, I was surprised about the fact that in Autómata HUMANS kill ROBOTS and not the other way around. Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
AWESOM-0Apr 18, 2020
You know those great undiscovered sci-fi movies with bad reviews from people who don't really understand them? This is not that kind of movie. This one deserves the bad reviews. Don't get me wrong there are some good parts. In fact during theYou know those great undiscovered sci-fi movies with bad reviews from people who don't really understand them? This is not that kind of movie. This one deserves the bad reviews. Don't get me wrong there are some good parts. In fact during the first 15 mins I was very optimistic, right up to the part Melanie Griffith came on the screen. Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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