The Machine (DVD REVIEW)
The
Machine
DVD Review by Kam Williams
Futuristic Fembot Sci-Fi Thriller Arrives on DVD
Vincent McCarthy
(Toby
Stephens) is an English computer genius conducting
experiments in Artificial Intelligence with the assistance of Ava (Caity
Lotz), a brilliant scientist recently arrived
from the United States.
He’s highly motivated because he hopes to mend his mentally-disabled daughter.
However, Vincent’s research is being underwritten by Britain’s Ministry of Defense which
might have less peaceful plans for the fruits of his labors. The plot thickens
soon after Ava perishes in an accident, and he implants her brain in the body
of a robot which looks just like her and… Voila! A babelicious cyborg is born!
Ava 2.0 is so
naïve she can neither understand the concept of death nor appreciate her own
superhuman strength. That innocence taps into Vincent’s protective parental
instincts.
Unfortunately,
the army is only interested in weaponizing what they see as an invention with
unlimited military potential. After all, it’s currently in an arms race with a
resurgent China,
and Ava will give the West the competitive edge.
Written and
directed by Caradog W. James, The Machine is a very compelling sci-fi thriller,
for a film resting on a preposterous premise. The film is blessed with shadowy
cinematography and just the right pseudo-scientific babble to make this critic
think maybe it’s all possible.
Of course, it
doesn’t hurt that the title character is cute and curvy and not a confounding
concatenation of nuts and bolts. This cautionary tale also has a sobering
message to share about the perils of allowing technology to fall into the wrong
hands.
Beware, the
Manchurian android!
Very Good (3 stars)
Rated
R for violence and profanity
Running
time: 91 minutes
Distributor:
XLrator Media
DVD
Extras: “Inside the Machine,” a behind-the-scenes featurette; and the
theatrical trailer.
To
see a trailer for The Machine, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTCdsVXsXsA&list=UUT2y7rBCCyX23tnco82vIuw
To
order a copy of The Machine on DVD, visit:
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