Top 5 Best Robots in the Movies

Fictionalized accounts of robots have been in film since the 1930’s so the idea itself of robots in movies isn’t really a novel concept, but we all love them just the same. Who hasn’t thought of having a robot version of themselves to do all their work for them? There is something very Frankenstein-esque about humans building a mechanized version of themselves to perform tasks they aren’t equipped or, more times than not, willing to do.

Robots in movies come in all shapes and sizes. They can be depicted as cute and cuddly (Johnny 5 from Short Circuit), not so cute and cuddly (Agent Smith from The Matrix series), or just plain misunderstood (Robocop from, well, Robocop). Whatever they are, they have made for some interesting movie characters in the past. With that in mind, I present:

tMF Top Five – Best Movie Robots
by Jeremy Welsch

	#5 - The Iron Giant, The Iron Giant (1999)This may be the first animated film I remember seeing that I thought was truly a great movie. With the perfect setting, the title role was, surprisingly, also perfectly cast. Like most robot characters in movies, this is ultimately a fish-out-of-water story whose true beauty lies in its heart. Think E.T., if E.T. had gone nuts and defeated the Army.
	#4 – HAL 9000, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)2001 speaks of the perils of technological advancements. Less a robot than a soft spoken computer, HAL 9000 is a great, if not haunting example of what can happen with the machine does not have the full capacity to comprehend human emotion beyond its own artificial intelligence.
	#3 – Optimus Prime, The Transformers: The Movie (1986) & Transformers (2007)For all you geeks out there (such as myself), was there anything cooler than seeing the commander of the Autobots come to life on the big screen last year? Say what you will about the movie itself, but there is no denying the jaw-dropping action the movie conveyed. And with a message that was little more than, “Can’t we all just get along?” it is hard to ignore Prime’s spot on this list. Plus, no other movie I remember seeing in recent memory made me want my truck to come to life and blow stuff up after I saw it.
	#2 – the Terminators, The Terminator series (1984, 1991, 2003)The T-101, a cyborg assassin sent from the future to kill the woman whose future son founds a resistance against the machines. So it’s not a romantic comedy? The Terminator launched both Schwarzenegger and director James Cameron’s careers and may be solely responsible for the 80’s action movie as it were. Subsequently, it spawned one of the best movie sequels of all time and yet another special effects marvel to behold, T-1000. Fan or not, with a Terminator television series premiering in Jan. 2008, it is hard to deny the relevancy and appeal of a robotic character that is almost 25 years old.
	#1 – C-3PO and R2-D2, Star Wars trilogy (both of them)Two of the most beloved movie characters in the franchise, never have there been characters more iconic to a films mythology than C-3PO and R2-D2. With all of the science fiction and technology presented to us in these movies, isn’t the best part watching these two display their limitations? Aside from the primary task he as designed for, communication, C-3PO is really a clumsy oaf who rather hates the adventures he always ends up mixed in with. Conversely, at least once per film, R2-D2 finds a way to save the day. One without the other would not be as effective, and are used perfectly for comic relief when the tension begins to mount. Think of them as the Jay & Silent Bob of the Star Wars universe.

Source: The Movie Fanatic

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