Robot Overlords - DVD Review

The Robots have taken over the world but four teens are making their escape.

Robot Overlords is an unusual film in a lot of ways. The most obvious is that it’s a sci-fi action adventure on a pretty large scale but was made in Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man for just over $20 million. The film also sets itself apart by its English setting and by being a totally British thing in a genre saturated with American stories.

It’s also a bit of a rollicking adventure, intent on recalling films like The Goonies and The Explorers more than the eye-splitting intensity of Transformers. And it mostly succeeds at that endeavour thanks to some decent writing, a hard-working young cast and some pleasingly chunky special effects, courtesy of Nvisible.

They’re the British effects house behind the exceptional work in Grabbers from 2012. And they’re reteaming with that film’s director Jon Wright here. His first flick Tormented was a horror picture and now he’s moved from drunken sci-fi to a full on genre picture. Wright has a good handle on the humans in his picture thanks to a spry script by himself and Mark Stay.

Robot Overlords is an efficient piece of entertainment, zipping along from its opening breakout and not giving its audience or characters a moment to rest. It might even be a little too fast paced to give us proper time to get to know the characters – for that I’d recommend picking up Stay’s novelisation which expands on everything here without the limitations of a budget.

That budget does occasionally become a consideration especially as the end game approaches. A few effects shots are unfortunately compromised and it does distract you from the film, while the ending doesn’t quite hit the high emotional notes you’d like it to.

Which is a shame because there’s a lot to like, including a great villainous role for Ben Kingsley and some fine support by Gillian Anderson. Lead kid (and actual Aussie) Callan McAuliffe has great screen presence and we’re definitely going to be seeing more of young fella Milo Parker.

In the end it’s a fine adventure, pitched more at teens than young kids and with enough to keep older audiences engaged. The ending isn’t quite high-five worthy and the effects are sometimes disappointing but this would make decent Sunday afternoon viewing for the whole family.

Robot Overlords is out now on blu-ray, DVD and download.

3.5/5

-Daniel Anderson