M.A.R.K. 13 - Hardware

I've never really understood what some people see in 'Hardware'. I thought it was mediocre when I first watched it a couple of years after it was released, and a second viewing more recently did nothing to make me rate it higher. The movie's special effects and overall visual look are quite impressive for such a low budget movie, and that is just about the only positive thing I can say about it. The script is lousy - a seen-it-all-before rehash of second hand ideas (most notably 'Stalker', 'Mad Max 2' and 'The Terminator') that goes nowhere... slowly. Dylan McDermott is now much better known due to his TV success, but it still doesn't mean he's a very dull leading man. Stacey Travis ('Ghost World') is also pretty forgettable. John Lynch ('In The Name Of The Father') and William Hootkins ('American Gothic') are much more interesting performers, but they weren't enough to salvage this one. And the less said about the completely pointless cameo from rock legend Lemmy (Motorhead) the better. 'Hardware' is difficult to recommend. I say stick with the much more entertaining killer robot thrillers 'Saturn 3' and 'The Terminator'. However I wouldn't let this movie put you off Richard Stanley's later movie 'Dust Devil'. It isn't without some faults but it's ten times more interesting than 'Hardware', and definitely worth a look.