Kill Command, a sleek and fun sci-fi action flick.
Ever wonder what happened to basic themed action sci-fi flicks that didn't make you think too much but kept you interested the whole time by using visually stunning graphics and natural performances? Do you ever miss the old school shoot 'em up movies of the '80s? Ever missed chemistry between actors?
Well, every once in a great while, a crew of unknowns comes along and busts out an unexpected science fiction thrill ride. Steven Gomez directs a film that can easily cut heads with almost any larger scale action release. He does it with a meager budget of 1 million dollars and a cast of little known actors. Despite some minor performance flaws, Kill Command gives me hope that sci-fi still belongs to the fans and to creative minds that know how to make movies like this.
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| No. I'm not the sex robot you were looking for. Check aisle 7. |
Kill Command is way better than it should be considering its low budget. Mixing standard military training film tropes with the man against machine plots that fill today's landscape of science fiction, this is a love note to video game fanatics and the legions of viewers that will appreciate how hard they tried with this production. With excellent looking visuals, and a decent yet amateurish cast, Kill Command is a cool mix of the better seasons of Falling Skies crossed with the militant style of Edge of Tomorrow and the autonomous tech of Richard Stanley's Hardware. All of this is topped off with a hint of Dog Soldiers, replacing werewolves with flesh shredding, fiercely unhinged robots.
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| Someone get me a band-aid and a towel. |
What truly sets this apart from many other films in this category and budget is the overall look of the movie. Instead of looking fully digital, Kill Command has a film like quality that rests on steady camerawork and better than average editing. The robotic visual elements are just icing on the cake. The villainous mech antagonists have a weight and depth that at times feels more like practical effects than total CGI. Fans of first person shooters will be engrossed in the way this is put together. Loyal followers of movies that pit humans against their own mechanical creations will immediately fall in love with how badass this movie looks and sounds.
Being a fan of the '80s and '90s movies like the original Terminator, the previously mentioned Hardware, and all the mech entries in between, Kill Command is a solid throwback that revitalizes a sometimes boring sub-genre. Setting this on a remote island inhabited by self aware robots feels strangely familiar at times but refreshing enough to give it a suggested viewing. Check this one out. You might be happy you did.
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