User reviews

1st watched 12/20/2009 - 6 out of 10(Dir-Aaron Lipstadt): Surprisingly interesting yet cheaply made early 80's sci-fi film. This is far from being a perfect film and I still can't believe I ended up liking it, but it appealed to me by the time the movie ended. The story is about an android project in the near future being done in space and being terminated due to a funds issue and the failure of a similar project on Earth that turned into a disaster. The scientist played by Klaus Kinski receives the news but is overheard by his creation Max 404(which the movie never reveals who acts this part--which is definitely strange). Some wanted space criminals then arrive on the scene and Max lets them board the ship and then plans to escape with them back to Earth to avoid his termination. Things don't work out the way he expects them to and I won't give away the ending but it's definitely surprising. Max's replacement is suppose to be a female Android named Claudia, since the scientist really doesn't want the project ending either -- he just wants a different android to play with. The androids in this movie have obvious human feelings that get in the way very often which makes the movie interesting and sways their decisions consistently. There is some titillation added to the movie which doesn't really fit, especially in a PG-rated movie(how it got this rating I'll never know) and it's obviously a low-budget film and for these reasons this is definitely one of my few guilty pleasures. By the end of the movie, I was hoping for a sequel -- which hasn't happened and probably wont but that's how it affected me. So, despite the many reasons I shouldn't like this movie, I did --- I guess you never know, huh?

At extremely low budget, this film surprised me pretty enough.

I mean, you got an scientific space station, inside we got an archetype of mad scientist (Kinski), well to call Kinski a mad scientist is somewhat a compliment... Because he was a real genius actor, a mad actor, heavy for corporation. OK, mad scientist and his own creation Max 404.

The story gives you that... Well deja vu. An android with emotions. Honestly... An android with emotions works better than android who kills stupid teenagers. And there are no stupid teenagers here.

Circumstances brought a three people gang on a station, with them is a lovely young woman Maggie (Brie Howard), and because of her Max started to develop emotions - Love! (Max has a room with a big information computer available to him, to learn. That was the most coolest thing in the film. You can easily say that Max is using a computer like we use internet today. Google for instance, to get information). Now, you just need to watch the film to see what will happen with Maggie and Max..

Actors did a great job, especially Kinski and Don Keith Opper (Max), it is also good to see young Norbert Weisser in the film. The plot gives you a specific humor and to say that Max is actually one of the most lively, human like nature android ever to appear on screen on the beginning of the 80s. Well, like I said... Low budget... But the story and character are compensating the budget. Watch this film and enjoy it.

There was no shortage of good sci-fi in 1982: we had "Blade Runner", "The Thing", and "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan", to name the obvious ones. But we also had this offbeat little item of interest, done for Roger Corman and New World Studios on a typically limited budget. But director Aaron Lipstadt (just one of many Corman alumni) makes the most out of what he's got. Thanks to a talented crew (among them, James Cameron as a design consultant), the results are some pretty damn good sets and production value.

Top billed Klaus Kinski dials down his eccentricity for a low keyed turn as a mad scientist named Dr. Daniel, working on an illegal android program on a space station. His loyal assistant is Max 404 (Don Keith Opper, who also co-wrote the script), a cutting edge android. Shortly after a trio of criminal fugitives are allowed some temporary shelter by Max, he learns that the program will be shut down and that he himself is due to be terminated.

The heart and soul of this charming flick is Oppers' performance. Although he never became a star, he did at least get the recurring role of Charlie in all four "Critters" features. He makes Max an interesting, appealing character. The limited supporting cast is all solid: Brie Howard as the fetching Maggie, Norbert Weisser as the cunning Keller, Crofton Hardester as the brutal, intense Mendes, and Kendra Kirchner as the sexy Cassandra, Dr. Daniels' latest experiment.

Visuals, special effects, and makeup are well done, and the effective electronic score by Don Preston is supplemented by tunes from James Brown and Django Reinhardt.

"Android" is the most sober and least cheesy of the science fiction features cranked out by New World during this time, and really deserves another look.

Seven out of 10.

One of my favourites! The film has a haunting quirkiness about it. Klaus Kinski is the perfect mad scientist. The MAX404 android really projects his confusion about and desire to understand his emotions. Loved the soundtrack. This movie is not for those who only like those big Hollywood "sci-fi" films. It will appeal to those who enjoy REAL sci-fi though.

Very much a "mixed bag". The special effects and set design are terribly cheesy, with lots of random flashing lights and odd geometric shapes for no reason (why a trapezoidal water jug? because it's THE FUTURE!) and a defense system based on the classic Vectrex video game system. But the cinematography is generally decent (although typically overlit) and I rather liked the synth score, by Mother of Invention Don Preston. As far as the cast is concerned, Klaus Kinski is of course always a delight, but he's really not in it all that much and it's a rather subdued role for him. Don Keith Opper (credited only under his android name) plays the title character as a rebellious nerd, which is an interesting take but doesn't always work. Brie Howard and Norbert Weisser are barely passable, and Crofton Hardesser is downright awful. The script has some horribly clunky lines in it, but the story is pretty intriguing once you get into it, a kind of BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (or METROPOLIS, which Max 404 actually watches at one point) tale with BLADE RUNNER style commentary on what it is to be human. It doesn't run very deep, but there are some nice angles to it, and a neat ending. If you can overlook a lot of flaws and keep your Kinski expectations low, it's really not a bad watch.

ANDROID (3 outta 5 stars) Not a great movie by any stretch of the imagination but it is reasonably entertaining and certainly a lot better than most of the sci-fi swill that was being thrown onto movie screens in the wake of George Lucas' success with the "Star Wars" franchise. Klaus Kinski plays some sort of "mad scientist" on a remote space station doing some illegal research with androids. His most successful experiment is Max, an almost-human android who works as Daniel's assistant... though he shows a disturbing (to Dr. Daniel anyway) tendency to rebel. Well, if crazy Klaus Kinski was your boss, you'd probably be rebelling, too. Daniel is trying to create a newer, better android... a female... but unfortunately he needs a real woman to help him perfect some of the finer details (something to do with the sexual organs, naturally). As luck would have it, a trio of space fugitives (one of them female) docks at their space station with the intention of killing its inhabitants and taking it over. The plot isn't anywhere near as predictable as most films of this type... the acting is very uneven. Kinski and Don Opper as Max come off the best. (In fact, Opper is so convincing as an android that Max is listed in the closing credits as being played by "Himself".)

Let's face it. You know that a movie is bad when the sets and props look terribly cheesy, and the acting job being very substandard. That's the feeling I got out of watching ANDROID. It's sloppy and sleazy as you'd expect for a movie like this! I couldn't even figure out the whole thing, either. Whatever good or bad came to be, I suddenly gave up on trying to enjoy it, but after all, it LOOKS and SOUNDS too old! What's good is the occasional split second takes of the zooming spacecraft. What's really bad is the music, being the worst I've heard in a sci-fi film, so don't press "stop" during the end credits. It was true there was a soundtrack album for ANDROID! Be ready to spot a couple of microphonic goofs in this one! (and I'd admit the IMDb doesn't allow this on the subject!) This one wasn't my kind of fun. Judging by the votes, it appears that some will like it. For me, I believe MST3K has another movie to show.

This movie is a change of pace from my usual scream and wince horror flicks. Yet another movie distantly based on the P. K. Dick Sci-Fi short story "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep", this movie is somewhat slow, but enjoyable. I gave rated it a 7 when I saw it in theatrical release way back in 1982. From my movie notes - I see that I even called it "charming". That might be going a little bit overboard, but it is worth watching.

Low budget, but neatly assembled sci-fi drama is mildly entertaining with a slightly silly android coming-of-age story; Klaus Kinski, of course, is always worth the watch.

Craggy old Klaus Kinski lives with his awkward assistant Max on a space station, developing a female android. Max spends his time playing old arcade games and researching the human condition - (I heard somewhere that the external shots of the space station were done by creating a model station from a display case which used to house watches or jewelry!) Into this scenario comes band of escaped convicts on a space ship badly damaged during their escape ...

There is humour in this film but it is of a very dark shade. The LACK of special effects ADDS to the "reality" of the film.

A couple of really unexpected plot twists along the way - I rate it a "9" which is the highest I have ever given a film on the IMDb

If you like your science fiction slightly off-key, this might be a film you'd enjoy. Don Opper made several films about this time, and this is the best of them. It also helped quite a bit to have Klaus Kinski and Brie Howard (Mo's daughter, I believe) along for the ride. Brie is very watchable, and helped raise my score a bit. I gave it a 7, and recommend it.

We were rambling about films, remembered Android and what stays in the memory is the characters of Max and the doctor. Lovely film , really can't remember all the story but it is hard to forget Max

"Android" is somewhere between a cheesy film and a proper movie. The look isn't exactly on the level of "Star Wars", but those early 80s space films are both visually and plot-wise superior to any (semi-)cheesy 90s or 00s sci-fi movies. The interiors of the space station are quite good, the special effects are okay. There are certainly moments of nonsense, such as the female fugitive not being sure what an android is. If most late-20th-century people knew what an android is, then what are the odds that a relatively young woman from the year 2028 - imprisoned for corporate espionage - would not know this? Still, in spite of some logic holes, the acting isn't bad, the dialogue is okay. The movie's biggest assets are the somewhat unique atmosphere, and the unpredictability of the plot - which early on might appear to be easy to predict. Short and not dull.

Klaus Kinski rocks this one, without him my rate would be for sure only 3 or something like that. Anyway, looking past the bad and cheap special effects (Alien and Star Wars were already published a couple of years ago) the story is captivating, the performance of Kinski fine. The story: a scientist working on the ultimate android on some space-station, while androids are forbidden and hunted down on Earth. Interesting fact: Android was released the same year as Ridley Scott's Blade Runner.

The first time I saw this movie on television, I was stunned that any Director would put his/her name on the credits for, and even admit having directed, such an incredibly poor film. The second time I saw this movie on television, I had to change the channel to avoid the odeur de ordures putréfiées.

I agree with Jason Atwood : this is wonderful fodder for Mystery Science Theater 3000. Hoping to see Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo all over this one!

Le Grecque

10 minutes into this flick and immediately you know what you will get. A low budget flick. Why? Microphones pop-up in view of the camera and they stay for seconds can't imagine pro's wouldn't notice that. Not only that, camera lenses aren't put on properly and it shows.

Nevertheless, It's a typical sci-fi flick for it's time made. Funny because they are talking of 2021 and it isn't what it looks like. And still, it do has it fans. That's because the atmosphere is out there and of course the use of androids. Story is cheesy sometimes and acting is not what it should be and the gratuitous nudity do adds a point for the geeks out there.

It's the end what makes this flick strong, couldn't see that coming.

Out there on DVD and Blu Ray, only for the Kinski lovers and those in search of cheesy sci-fi flicks.

Gore 0/5 Nudity 0,5/5 Effects 1/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5

This may be low budget... but so was Dark Star!

I have to say that I strangely enjoyed this low budget attempt at a sci-fi movie. Despite its constraints it had plenty of great ideas and one thing I like: A weird atmosphere!

If you don't mind low budgetness and like weird movies (like me) then I strongly suggest this... It could easily be a cult movie!

I love eighties films, and I love science fiction. This film is a good example of both, but I have to say it was a bit 'darker' than it felt like it should have been.

The music is classic analog synthesized fun, and the setting is very cool-looking, typical of any early eighties sci-fi movie but with a certain complexity and detail that makes it seem solid and believable.

The acting is absolutely phenomenal. I generally complain a lot about bad, hard-to-believe acting in movies but in this case I have no complaints; there was nothing to distract me from the story. I half-believed that Max was played by a real android (he is credited as "Himself". lol)! The acting was overall believable and appropriately restrained.

The story could have used some work... it was a bit slow-moving and somewhat uninteresting, and the resolution wasn't entirely satisfying due to certain characters who were insufficiently developed. Also I felt that there should have been some slight comic relief, and I think the drama of the situations was not emphasized enough. But, to the story's credit, it did have a couple of nice twists and I think I like the ending.

Overall I think it was worth seeing: much better than most of the junk that comes on at 2 AM!

Writer Don Keith Opper couldn't get girls. Don wrote a play describing how he might get girls in space. Don somehow got funding for his idea. Sex sells and this is the kind of preteen garbage that you get. The dialog in the play is simplistic at best. The characters were one dimensional. Some reviewers talked about this film as another coming-of-age story, but I did not see it. Klaus Kinski was especially creepy and even though he got top billing, he was rarely in any of the scenes. I spent the entire movie trying to pinpoint Brie Howard's actual ethnic background. Avoid this one. Rent 2001: A Space Odyssey or read Playboy. This junior high play could have taken place in any 12 year old boy's bedroom.

This could of been so much more, with more story, plot filling. A real shame as in the fact, all the performances in this film are so good, the android, non android woman, Weisser, and the commanding Kinski,in particular. He android of course falls in love with this spacewoman, and wants out, out of space and onto earth. Can it happen, and what is the kinky Kinski, creator of the androids up too. This film only comes as half story. Hardly any suspense or action. Not enough going for it. On the other hand, the movie does pulls you in, and isn't a bad view, to wile away 80 minutes. Kinski's decapitated head/fresh bloodied face is an image stealer, though.the brilliant bad guy, Kinski steals every scene he's in, no matter what film he's in. There are better forms of life out there, says a female android, as there are better sci fi films out there. Awesome VHS poster cover. You'll be asking yourself at the end, "Where did the other half of movie go?" Sadly, nowhere.

Take a predictable android sci-fi plot, a coming of age story, some cops & robbers, and a pinch of "Bride of Frankenstein". Put it all in a low-budget ensemble film and stir vigorously. What you end up with is interesting, engaging, and unique in spite of its obvious flaws.

Android Max and his scientist master are living in a remote space station when they are joined by a trio of fugitives - a beauty, a beast, and a brain. The brain figures that they've stumbled onto something valuable seeing as how androids have been outlawed on Earth ever since the uprising. It turns out that at a certain age, the androids become disrespectful, insubordinate, and obsessed with sex. In other words, they turn into adolescents. So we can all sympathize with what Max is going through when he sees a female for the very first time. Meanwhile, the scientist is working on a new and improved replacement for Max, a model which just happens to also be a gorgeous blond woman.

The plot lines are cliché and full of holes, the ending is a bit of a cheat, and the special effects are weak. The film works, however, because it pays close attention to the things which matter, mainly Max and his own isolated world. Although many have criticized the cheap sets, they maintain a coherent mood and atmosphere which is entirely successful in creating a fictional space in which the story can take place. Max himself is one of the most intelligently scripted and well acted android characters to ever appear on screen. You'll be disappointed if you're looking for action or deep meanings, but if you allow yourself to take an interest in Max you may find yourself thinking about him long after the film has ended.