Customer Reviews

Robot Jox

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I watched a screening of this at a convention where SF writer Joe Haldeman, who did the screenplay, sat in back with a something eating grin on his face.

What's not to like? In celebration of their son's visit, the family has meat--a lone weiner floating in a tureen of soup. The female pilot makes all the men nonplussed, then has the tables turned on her when an enemy robot unleashes a giant crotch chainsaw in the midst of a duel, for the obvious Freudian tie-ins (at which point Joe was grinning mercilessly.)

All the jokes and innuendos are way over the top. As Joe put it: "I was writing a movie for adults that kids could enjoy, and the director was writing a movie for kids that adults could enjoy."

Add in a Slim Pickens performance invoking Dr. Strangelove, and it's a twisted, unsubtle romp through political incorrectness, poking fun at (among others) environmentalists, capitalists, global politics and sports fanatics (the spectators who get squashed under a falling robot).

Oh yeah, and it has these kick butt robot warriors, too. Grab your friends, grab the kids, grab a pizza and a couple of beers for the adults and laugh until you choke.

"War has been outlawed" are the first words you hear as the camera slowly makes it's way through a snow covered battlefield. Meanwhile anyone past the age of 15 is thinking, "How the heck do you enforce that?" If you take this movie seriously, I fear for your children. This is a perfect example of a guilty pleasure movie if I ever saw one. Stop motion special effects, glossy form fitting spandex jumpsuits and over the top characters. It's all here!!! Adults will be howling and kids will be entertained. The stand out is Paul Koslo as the evil Russian, Alexander. He won me over with the furrowed brow, dead stare and exclamations such as "All right!! Now I Kill You!!"
This is definite Genre fun. If you liked Spacehunter, Ice Pirates, Battle Beyond the Stars and Mega Force then you know what I'm talking about. I recommend the said above as well. "Crash and Burn" Baby! Enjoy.

For most of us awkward GenY kids, this movie was great when we were children. Watching it again is excellent, but only because the movie is awful. You'll quickly come to terms with your childhood and just as quickly realize how the end to this movie is the most disapointing scene in all of film. There are jokes you pick up for the first time and wonder how this movie made any sense to you when you were a ten year old.
The DVD is fine, though it lacks any extra material that you would find interesting. It's fun, it plays, but let's face it... Robot movies from the past are the bottom of the quality screenplay pool.

I'd have to start with a contraction since that's what I'm reminded of seems to be a movie spin off of some 70's and 80's cartoon legends such as Voltron and Robotech (Macross, for the new generation). Over all Great fights, good fxs for early 90's release, a couple familar faces and good story line to run with. Hope you like it as much as I.

Re-Animator was a classic, From Beyond was too, Dolls was disappointing and Robot Jox a great film of entertainment. The setting is somewhere after a Nuclear War and 2 countries have split in to oppossing sides; 1 Good (The Market) and 2 Bad (The Confederation). War has been outlawed and terrotial possession has been settled by piloting huge mechanical robots by there nation's champions. Achilles (Gary Granham) is the Market's only help against the Confederation's unstoppable champion Alexander (Paul Koslo) must do battle once and for all. This is a great movie from Stuart Gordon i noticed some people won't like it but it's there decision. Also there are some great stop motion by David Allen Productions but the effects aren't great but there ok for the age. Overall i enjoyed it.
Note: This move is extremely rare and i bought it at half.com they should have some copies left so better hurry before they run out.

That's what this film is. Very much something along the lines of modern professional wrestling, complete with the "behind the scenes" conflicts and romances, the gym/training sequences, and the interviews, trash-talking, and the "sports commentary" that goes along with it, as well as the relatively ineffectual referees.

This is the mindset, and for the story (which isn't supposed to be taken seriously), it actually works. But because they use Giant Robots, there are matters of technological advances and industrial espionage to deal with, along with some nice touches that flesh out this future world where meat is scarce, childbirth encouraged, new jocks are disintered from test-tubes, and pollution is rampant. However, the final scene was both poignant and ironic at the same time, as we see just how little Man has advanced from the time he was fighting with rocks and sticks.

This movie was made before the ready availability of CGI, so remote controlled marionettes, and stop-motion puppets are used for the giant robots with good effect and actually offers up a good look at the old art of SPFX before the advent of the modern CGI-effects factory. The SPFX are adequate for the film albeit you can tell that this was done on a budget; but the script by Joe Haldeman (author of the award winning FOREVER WAR) is very much written tongue-in-cheek and you can tell he is having fun coming up with the world and storyline that would feature the Ron Cobb (CONAN and ALIEN) designed machines. In short, decent effects, good acting, and a fun script makes this an above average B-Movie to watch when you just want some dumb fun.

My only real complaint is that the DVD release is very bare-bones, it is the film along with the obligatory warnings; the extras are non-existant.

When I was six I loved this film I used to watch it all the time when I was younger now I can't find the video cassette tape of Robot Jox I've decided to get the DVD. finally it came out on dvd it takes them forever to release a dvd sometimes. The only thing I'm bummed about is no special features no behind the scenes or not even a theatrical trailer oh well at least they released the movie on dvd, Can't wait to get it in the mail. I might be 19 years old now but I love my childhood favorites.

In this futuristic action flick, it's Transformers meets Mortal Kombat as gladiators duke it out for territorial land disputes on post World War 3 earth. This film was great!

Anyone who knows me is familiar with my philosophy that there are only three genres of movies worth watching:
First, there's the miniature robot movies (see Batteries not Included), that feature robots much smaller than people. These movies get a little sappy but they still make me hope for a day when I can have a conversation with my toaster. Second, there are the human size robot movies (see RoboCop parts 1-3), distinguished by robots that are roughly the size of the actors playing them. Third, there is the giant robot movie (like Robot Jox!). I'd take this genre any day of the week. I would recommend this movie. You've gotta see these robots bash each other into submission! I don't know if they used models or built real robots but the special effects make them look like robots. The acting glistens with reality.
The worst part about the movie is the opening credits-everyone knows the title of the movie they're seeing either from buying the ticket or from the box the tape was in so why do they have to waste valuable movie time by showing it on the screen? Unless you want to read a title you already know and a bunch of names I would fast forward that part.
I used to watch this movie almost every day in my basement and my dad would yell at me "quit watching that movie and eating peanut butter and get a job!" I also love the soundtrack but I don't listen to it anymore because it reminds me of my ex-girlfriend.

Cheesy film with shaky special effects. Best part of movie is brief butt shot of Anne-Marie Johnson. Surprise!