Customer Reviews

D.A.R.Y.L.

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am thrilled this film is out on DVD. I was about Daryl's age when this film came out, and I just loved it. It was ahead of its time in its exploration of humanity versus technology. Daryl is a part human, part robotic child, who, as you may guess has many special talents that other children do not have. He is abandoned by a scientist and left on his own, until he is adopted by a foster family. Of course, the military wants him back, and the argument ensues as to whether Daryl is a mere lab rat, or if he has developed to such a degree that there is nothing that distinguishes him from other humans. The story is very magical, and while there are many twists you will anticipate well-before, the real magic is in the performances, especially that of Barret Oliver, who was one of the best child actors of the 80s, and beyond. He breathes life into Daryl, and his melt-your-heart smile brings such genuine pathos into the story. I am a little annoyed that the DVD art has Michael McKean and Mary Beth Hurt above the title because the movie belongs to Barret Oliver. Having seen it again in adulthood, I felt that rush of nostalgia for family films that are warm and magical, yet do not insult the intelligence. With the holidays coming up, this is a movie kids will love and adults may as well. It's fast paced, charming, and has some genuine tear-jerking moments. I have noticed amid the reviews it has been compared several times to Spielberg's A.I. While I think A.I. is a brilliant film, and the comparison's are inevitable, they are VERY different films. A.I. is far too dark, disturbing, and philosophically complex for younger viewers. D.A.R.Y.L. is the kind of movie I miss, a technically well made, beautifully acted, and magical film. It stirs the imagination, and avoids degenerating into cynicism, a trait all too common in today's films. Do yourself and your children a favor and treat them to this film. You will not regret it and I assure you, neither will they.

This is one of those movies from way back in the day that I saw in the theater when it first came out when I was in fourth grade that remind of me of when life was much simpler. I recently rented it for nostalgia value, and it's interesting now to watch it with an adult perspective on its undertones and propagandistic elements which it has in common with certain other movies of around the same time. I find it interesting to observe the attitudes of the filmmakers and to be aware of the fact that their aim is not just to tug the heartstrings but to tug them in a certain direction.

Innocent-looking little boy is dropped off in the middle of nowhere by a man in a car who then proceeds to drive it over a cliff. Fortunately, there is a professional, loving institution not far away for just such cases, and the boy, after being picked up by a kindly old couple and given some lumberjack clothes, is whisked away into its hallowed halls (As a sidenote unrelated to my central thrust, throughout the post-modernist 90's, pop culture has so steeped us in irony and misanthropy that to go back in time and find none of the above has a jarring effect on the contemporary psyche; this accounts for my tone!). Before you can cough twice, he is spirited away to Everytown, U.S.A., to foster at the home of the filmmakers' Ideal Parents: warm, unassuming backyard barbecuers; not religious, magnanimously tolerant of bad language in kids and promiscuity in teenagers. Long story short, this kid is Special and we watch him blossom amidst an Everytown background of Baseball, Elementary School... even an ATM machine makes an appearance. We eventually find out that the reason he is Special is because he was incubated in a test-tube and given a microchip-enhanced brain as part of a Pentagon-sponsored experiment in artificial intelligence. Daryl gets picked up later by some of their scientists under the pretense of being his parents, and is taken back to a Secret Government Installation, where the scientists Run Some Tests on him. Alas, their benefactors at the Department of Defense have decided to nix the project, and along with it the life of this innocent little boy. But he is smuggled away once again by a Scientist With A Conscience, who risks his life to save Daryl from the evil clutches of the heartless military, etc. etc.

This film is really very well made, and does have a genuine heart when it comes to the value of human life. But it is also one of a whole oeuvre of mid-eighties films ("Short Circuit," for example) which heavy-handedly demonize the military, a theme which gets pretty hackneyed and tiresome after the nth iteration. But I guess it was all harmless after all, since we won the Cold War anyway, despite the best efforts of Hollywood. ;-) No, really, it's an entertaining movie and kids'll like it, especially boys.

This is an exciting and intelligent film for everyone. Do not let
the box cover art make you think this is a kiddie film only. It
is a neat little film that teaches many lessons. D.A.R.Y.L. is
actually a child robot that is too perfect a child and a scient
ist working with him wants him to have a life outside the gov
ernment lab. D.A.R.Y.L. winds up with a foster family, makes a
life long friend has an exciting finale. This is a uniformly
well-made and acted film with excellent special effects on what
was a shoe-string budget. This film is as enjoyable as most of
Disney's big budget offerings. Also it shows that a wonderful
film without gratuitous trash and language can be made.
The film works so well because of the performance of Barrett
Oliver as D.A.R.Y.L. He gives the presence of the perfect, loving child. He also was in The Neverending Story and Cocoon
parts one and two. Strangely he seems to have disappeared from
film in his teens. I would like to see him in more films

A heart-warming story about a genetically engineered child whose brain is a computer processor and his physical strength is that of a young adult. Daryl as he is called, however, was not created to interact with other people, least of all a childless family who grow to love him when he put into their care. His "escape" into the real world (aided by a military scientist who gets a dose of conscience) teaches him things he would never have learnt in the artificial world he was being raised in. Befriended by Turtle, an ordinary child, Daryl is integrated into family life, and soon acquires emotions, such as love, friendship and compassion, the very things he was denied in his artificial world. There are many touching scenes such as Daryl purposely pretending he can't hit the ball properly during a baseball practice so his adopted mother will feel wanted and needed by him. Eventually however Daryl is returned to his origins, to a world that is now alien to him, and his knew found emotions and ethics soon make him redundant in the eyes of his creators. However Daryl's changes have been noticed by a once hard line scientist who realizes that the boundary between computer and child have been breeched and to terminate his existence is to murder a child, even if the child has somewhat usual mental and physical capabilities such as driving cars, flying military planes and creating an effective escape stragegy that will help him return to the family and friends he has grown to love. The final scene in the movie is poignant as Daryl bought back from the brink of "death" by yet another scientist who also now realizes that Daryl is in fact a child and not a super-computer and his return to his adopted family is heart-wrenchingly touching. There is a great musical score to accompany this film, plus some above average acting, especially from Daryl, as well as many funny and often moving moments. Watch out for the scene at the Cash Point, it tickled my funny bone no end. A nice mushy family film to enjoy, and not too overtly cerebral either!

Oliver Barret is the same actor that played in Neverending Story and did a great job in that movie. He is already grown up, but he'll be my buddy for life. I like how natural Oiver Barret was in this movie. He played the part of a boy who had a "brain chip" implant, this gave him extraordinary abilities. He was eventually reclaimed by the government taken from his adopted family. Even though some of the technology is outdated like seeing an old-fashioned Atari computer the movie is still fun to see. I hope a DVD version comes out. I dearly love this movie to pieces, but I want a DVD copy for myself.

If I had any kids I would definitely allow them to see this one entertaining movie. You're the best Oliver Barret. THANK YOU

Sure it's about as syrup heavy on the compassion scale as an 80's movie can get, but where else will you find such an incredible story of humanity as in D.A.R.Y.L. ?

Government builds a robot child different than the cyborgs we've seen before. This is not a terminator type robot with a metal endoskeleton covered by flesh, this is a true human boy with a computer for a brain.

One of the research scientists sets Daryl free in the woods and there is where the adventure truly begins. He is taken in by a group home for boys and then sent to live with foster parents until someone comes to claim him. Daryl meets the boy next door, nicknamed Turtle and starts to understand what friendship is all about. His foster dad, played by Laverne & Shirley's "Lenny" Mike Mckean in a completely normal dad role, teaches Daryl baseball while Turtle's sister gets him into video games. His foster mom is surprised to find his incredible talent at piano playing and the fact that he irons his own clothes. It's all going so well that you just know trouble is on the horizon.

The other two researchers on the project show up to claim their "son" Daryl and bring him back to the lab to study his memory banks on what he's learned. Plus, even more grim is the fact the military wants Daryl to go to the scrapheap. The deadline is on to save this all too human child from being the target of the military's junk pile. The film then becomes an action filled thrill ride that is truly unforgettable.

What makes this film rise above it's all too Hollywood heavy handed emotionalism is the one fact that is inescapable about Daryl: (played perfectly by Barrett Oliver) He really IS human, and can grow up just as a normal boy with a human brain can. This movie is still just as enjoyable to watch as it was when it hit theaters in the mid 80s. Anytime I am asked about a movie with family values to the hilt, true compassion and adventure without talking down to kids, this is the movie I recommend. 6 stars

This is one of my favorite childhood movies. The foster mom reminded me of one of my aunts. That is not why I loved it though. There is just something about it. I can watch this one over and over. Even today I still enjoy it. I loved the chase scene. The plot was strong and well knited. When I first saw this I had seen nothing like it before. I am not sure I have seen anything quite like it since. It is one that stands the test of time.

Long before Steven Spielberg's A.I. came out in the summer of 2001,there was a film that came out in 1985 called D.A.R.Y.L.which is way better then A.I.I grew up on this film since the age of 4 years old and it's still wonderful to me even at the age of 22.While A.I. is a good film,it lacks the warmth,awe and the wonder that Daryl had.His name stands of Data Analyzing Robot Youth Lifeform and noone,not even Daryl himself knows he's a robot,they just think of him as a normal boy with extraordinary talents.Daryl is a warm and touching film not only for childern but for adults too.

To bad Spielberg didn't opt to make a movie more like D.A.R.Y.L. instead of AI. D.A.R.Y.L. is a boy robot. He lives with a family that falls in love with him. When it looks like he will be deactivated the ensueing chase scenes with an exceptional flight in a Blackbird jet is great. If you like movies like "Flight of the Navigator", "The Explorers", or "ET" you should enjoy this movie.

I saw this movie many years ago and just watched it again. The technology and plot were just as refreshing as when I first saw it.

It seems strange the world has not progressed beyond this point, but the military is still in charge and there are still victims of its struggle for power. D.A.R.Y.L.(Digital Analyzing Robotic Youth Life form) is a young boy played by Bret Oliver (Never ending story, Cocoon) who was created as an experiment. The intent was to create the perfect soldier, but it backfired and Daryl became a "Real Boy" with extraordinary powers. With the help he escapes his Laboratory home and I given to a foster family while his "real" parents are found. They fall in love with him but the military want him "terminated" and he is recaptured. His captures are surprised by his growth and human abilities so that save him and he is returned to his loving family and friends. A story of intrigue, love, compassion, sacrifice and friendship well worth having.

A great movie and a must have for collectors.