Assassin

This mid-80s made-for-TV sci-fi thriller takes its cues from The Terminator, with a human-like robot assassin, created by a top secret government agency, programmed to kill those on a hit list compiled by its deluded, deceased designer. Ex-agency operative Henry Stanton (Robert Conrad) reluctantly comes out of retirement to try and stop the renegade mechanical menace, aided by attractive robotics expert Mary Casallas (Karen Austin).

Writer/director Sandor Stern is no James Cameron, but he still manages to deliver a fair bit of tension and some hokey fun from the premise, with his murderous machine (effectively played by Richard Young) interfacing with an ATM to extract cash, taking a couple of high dives from several stories up, leaping over moving cars, opening up compartments in his body to modify himself, and even bedding a desperate bar floozy when his mission calls for it (he's anatomically correct and can go for hours on a full charge!).

The plot does get unnecessarily convoluted and clichéd at times, with Henry haunted by his past, developing a relationship with Mary, and discovering that his superior has been hiding a terrible secret, but Stern just about keeps the pace going right up to the hilariously explosive ending.

5.5 out of 10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb.