Every week at SiftPop.com, we challenge our writers to come up with their favorite answer to a movie-related prompt tied to a recent release. This week, with the release of Borderlands, which features a robot named Claptrap, we’re discussing some of our favorite movie robots! Let us know your favorites @SiftPop!
10 long years ago, we were all treated to Big Hero 6, an out-of-the-blue belter of an animated Disney film. And still today, one of the biggest crimes in film history continues. Where is our sequel to this superb and adorable animated modern classic? The heart of the film lies within its puffy white medical robot named Baymax. As basically a newborn, fish-out-of-water droid, Baymax supports a ragtag gang defending San Fransokyo, accidentally-ing himself into, and out of almost every situation he is placed in with great humor and tons of great animated action. Big Hero 6 is a great family adventure and one we deserve to see more of on the big screen. Ba-la-la-la-la. (Adam Ritchie)
What is one of the original iconic robots in cinematic history? Robby the Robot. His look has been etched in the legacy of science fiction for such a long time. If you look at this design with the rounded body, big domed head, and iconic voice, you will recognize it even without having seen Forbidden Planet. This robot is so iconic and instantly memorable that he graces the film’s poster. His has a supporting presence, but his scenes are so darn memorable. Still, this science fiction classic is so much more than just a support robot character (even if he is so iconic). It is a story of galactic castaways, a mad scientist, and the creature from the Id. There are so many deeply ingrained elements of Freud in this intelligent and thought-provoking film which add some engaging layers (despite its quite outdated influences). Leslie Nielsen (in an early serious role), Walter Pidgeon, and Anne Francis deliver strong central performances in the an impressive classic. (Shane Conto)
Long before Vin Diesel was making us feel things with just one syllable as an alien tree-like life form, he was making us feel things as a giant alien robot that crash lands on Earth in The Iron Giant. He befriends a nine-year-old boy in the woods of Maine and, through that bond and comic books, learns that what he was made for doesn’t have to define who he is, effectively utilizing its Cold War setting to illustrate what paranoia can do to people. The story of the bond between a boy and his robot friend is an emotional one, a preview of the pathos director Brad Bird would later bring to his Pixar films. DC only wishes it could get us to feel as much as this movie does with its Superman. (Jake Bourgeois)
Though movies in the MCU have developed a recognizable sense of humor over the more than 15 years of its existence, going into Iron Man, people weren’t quite sure what to expect. Obviously, a lot of the humor comes through the quippy portrayal of Robert Downey Jr. as the titular character, but his poor robot assistant manages to steal every scene that it’s in. Though Dum-E (the name itself is a multilevel joke) may be just a simple robotic arm retrofitted with a fire extinguisher, it’s somehow able to be imbued with so much expressiveness, despite its limitations. That’s why it stands out in my mind after all these years. (Jake Bourgeois)
For all its faults, one thing Disney has perfected in their stewardship of the Star Wars Universe are the memorable droid companions. Chief among them? Rogue One’s K-2SO, voiced by the incomparable Alan Tudyk. In a movie with such a dark overarching narrative, humor is a must for the mission to steal the plans for the Death Star to not turn into a depressing slog. Whether interacting with long-term companion Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) or Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), his sarcastic wit is a needed mood lightener. There’s a reason Tudyk has become one of Disney’s go-to voice actors. Whether he’s voicing a chicken or a reprogrammed security droid, he always understands the assignment. (Jake Bourgeois)
To quote Kendrick Lamar, “Mother**** the big three. It’s just big me!” There is no robot, android, or artificial intelligence who is pound for pound or computer chip for chip more heroic than R2-D2. He is severely underequipped compared to the other folks on this list with no weapons and only two “limbs,” if you can call them that. His accomplishments far outweigh them. He’s saved the lives of thousands of humans by flipping switches and hacking systems. The bot is a better pilot than the chosen one Anakin Skywalker and Han Solo. On top of this, he is feisty, heartfelt, and funny. Respect R2. (Samuel Nichols)
WALL-E is the best of us. Left stranded on a polluted earth and the last of his kind, he has one simple task: to collect and compact trash until Earth is habitable again. This little robot, who is the cutest robot to ever be put on film, manages to take that task and not only work diligently every day at it with his pet cockroach. WALL-E also manages to fall in love, discover biological life on Earth, and eventually discover and expose a conspiracy theory that is meant to enslave the remainder of humankind. His little quirks, fun collection of trinkets, and lovable gaze make him a lot more than a Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class; it makes him the perfect movie robot. (Aaron Schweitzer)