This barely one hour long movie contains a lot of innovative ideas, such as a gigantic passenger-carrying robotic spider. Creative camera work in the passenger compartment of the spider really conveys a feeling of motion. The music is another pleasant surprise, as these types of films often lack considerably in that area. Considering the budget, which was slim, it should be considered an impressive production on the whole. The dialog is the weak spot, lacking the humour of its predecessor Robot Jox. Most of the acting is somewhat lame, partly due to the lack of dramatic build-ups. (Actually, creating drama seems to be a problem in general for the imaginative director Albert Band). The special effects are good, but in the spirit of the eighties. I think David Allen, who made them, is a genius, able to create satisfactory effects from virtually no budget. Anyway, this film is well worth a look for true sci-fi freaks. Only.
24 Reviews
Lame and dull semi-sequel to "Robot Jox".
Boba_Fett113831 December 2008
This movie doesn't have an awful lot to do with it's predecessor "Robot Jox". This must be also the reason why its most common name is "Robot Wars" and not the alternate name "Robot Jox 2: Robot Wars".
"Robot Jox" was basically a fun movie to watch because it had a nice premise of giant robots battling each other in the near future. This concept has been abandoned for this movie and instead it features a totally dull story that besides isn't very original or cleverly written. A shame it tried to be so much different from its predecessor really, for else this perhaps could had been a more fun movie to watch.
Just like "Robot Jox" this is a B-movie but with as a big difference that it's just not a very good one. Perhaps this also has to with the fact that "Robot Jox" got made during the '80's, when B-movies still had a certain bit of charm and class over it, even though the movie got released in 1990. This really can't be said about this movie. It's just lame, badly made, poor looking and not exciting enough. It also has an ending which leaves you thinking 'This is it? That's all?'.
What the movie its story is lacking is good clear main plot-line really. Perhaps a good main villain would had been a good idea and some other stuff such as an actual point to the story, some action, or likable main characters.
Seriously what were they thinking when they picked the actors for this movie. All of them are simply not likable in their roles and especially Don Michael Paul is annoying as the main character, who behaves as if he's God's gift to woman and Mr. Perfect who can compete with anyone. Weren't they even simply able to get the actors from the first movie?
For such a futuristic movie, with a concept of having large battle droids in it, this movie surely is lacking with its action. Had they put some more and bigger action into the movie, the movie would at least had been a more entertaining one to watch. Instead now we have a movie that fails to impress in basically every way imaginable.
You can better watch a "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers" episode, for some more action and likability.
3/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
"Robot Jox" was basically a fun movie to watch because it had a nice premise of giant robots battling each other in the near future. This concept has been abandoned for this movie and instead it features a totally dull story that besides isn't very original or cleverly written. A shame it tried to be so much different from its predecessor really, for else this perhaps could had been a more fun movie to watch.
Just like "Robot Jox" this is a B-movie but with as a big difference that it's just not a very good one. Perhaps this also has to with the fact that "Robot Jox" got made during the '80's, when B-movies still had a certain bit of charm and class over it, even though the movie got released in 1990. This really can't be said about this movie. It's just lame, badly made, poor looking and not exciting enough. It also has an ending which leaves you thinking 'This is it? That's all?'.
What the movie its story is lacking is good clear main plot-line really. Perhaps a good main villain would had been a good idea and some other stuff such as an actual point to the story, some action, or likable main characters.
Seriously what were they thinking when they picked the actors for this movie. All of them are simply not likable in their roles and especially Don Michael Paul is annoying as the main character, who behaves as if he's God's gift to woman and Mr. Perfect who can compete with anyone. Weren't they even simply able to get the actors from the first movie?
For such a futuristic movie, with a concept of having large battle droids in it, this movie surely is lacking with its action. Had they put some more and bigger action into the movie, the movie would at least had been a more entertaining one to watch. Instead now we have a movie that fails to impress in basically every way imaginable.
You can better watch a "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers" episode, for some more action and likability.
3/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
A Passable Giant Robot Flick
psamathos5 June 2007
There's nothing quite like watching giant robots doing battle over a desert wasteland, and Robot Wars does deliver. Sure, the acting is lousy, the dialogue is sub-par, and the characters are one-dimensional, but it has giant robots! The special effects themselves are actually quite good for the period. They are certainly not as polished as today's standards, but it contains a minimum of computer graphics and instead uses miniatures, so it has aged fairly well. Its shortcomings are easily overlooked given the films short runtime, and it does have a certain tongue-in-cheek humour in parts that make it quite enjoyable. I would recommend this to any fan of giant robots or cheesy sci-fi who is looking for a lighthearted hour of distraction.
Great cheesy big robot flick.
eww327 May 1999
If you liked Robot Jox for the sensational acting and amazing special effects, you're gonna love Robot Wars. Set once again in the post-apocalyptic future, our heroes are the pilots of the giant machines which defend the ill-defined border from nebulous enemies. Add in some female journalists riding hard on the trail of a nefarious secret, and some generic asian bad guys and you get what you came for: BIG ROBOT ACTION Robot Cheese at its best (or worst) Also see: Robot Jox, Crash and Burn
Remember the Alamo!
Hey_Sweden23 May 2015
Lightly entertaining but instantly forgettable follow-up to the earlier movie "Robot Jox". The story has to do with rebels dubbed "Centros" who are a threat to survivors of some sort of apocalypse. In this setting, guys like Drake (Don Michael Paul) function as pilots of enormous robot spiders that both transport passengers and can be used as battle vehicles. Drake meets crusading archaeologist Leda (Barbara Crampton), and although they get off on the wrong foot, it seems that romance will be in the air. Soon Drake's going to have his hands full battling a megalomaniac named Wa-Lee (Danny Kamekona).
Veteran film director Albert Band ("I Bury the Living") took the reigns of this one for his son, Full Moon head honcho Charles Band. While "Robot Wars" manages to be amusing to a minor degree, it's of no real distinction. It's very much a good thing that it runs a trim 72 minutes long. The cast selected is interesting: Paul (writer / director of "Half Past Dead") is a good looking but fairly bland hero, but Crampton of "Re-Animator" fame is spunky and sincere, and Peter Haskell ("Child's Play" 2 and 3) is a hoot as your standard issue greedy corporate creep. It's also amusing to see the two villains from "The Karate Kid Part II", Kamekona and Yuji Okumoto, acting together. James Staley ("Sweet Dreams") supplies the comedy relief, and Ms. Crampton and Lisa Rinna ('Melrose Place') supply the eye candy.
The two most successful elements here are typically excellent David Allen effects, and a soaring music score by David Arkenstone.
This may be passable enough for B movie junkies, just so long as they don't expect too much going in.
Five out of 10.
Veteran film director Albert Band ("I Bury the Living") took the reigns of this one for his son, Full Moon head honcho Charles Band. While "Robot Wars" manages to be amusing to a minor degree, it's of no real distinction. It's very much a good thing that it runs a trim 72 minutes long. The cast selected is interesting: Paul (writer / director of "Half Past Dead") is a good looking but fairly bland hero, but Crampton of "Re-Animator" fame is spunky and sincere, and Peter Haskell ("Child's Play" 2 and 3) is a hoot as your standard issue greedy corporate creep. It's also amusing to see the two villains from "The Karate Kid Part II", Kamekona and Yuji Okumoto, acting together. James Staley ("Sweet Dreams") supplies the comedy relief, and Ms. Crampton and Lisa Rinna ('Melrose Place') supply the eye candy.
The two most successful elements here are typically excellent David Allen effects, and a soaring music score by David Arkenstone.
This may be passable enough for B movie junkies, just so long as they don't expect too much going in.
Five out of 10.
An OK B movie
StarInspector16 February 2021
As a low budget movie this got a lot right, but there are big elements holding it back.
The Good: Barbara Cramptom is great as always. They actually built some real sets and it made it feel more authentic (instead of just in a warehouse). The stop motion effects were fine and the best way to pull off the robots on their budget. Also at 72 minutes it doesn't overstay it's welcome.
The Bad: some of the actors are passable, but most are poor (to be expected). There are some really tired tropes (jerk hero harasses strong woman who later falls in love with him), that were tired when it came out. But the biggest problem is the hero. Our main character is intensely unlikable the whole time.
It's a fine B movie that isn't painful to watch. Might even be fun with some friends to laugh at it with.
The Good: Barbara Cramptom is great as always. They actually built some real sets and it made it feel more authentic (instead of just in a warehouse). The stop motion effects were fine and the best way to pull off the robots on their budget. Also at 72 minutes it doesn't overstay it's welcome.
The Bad: some of the actors are passable, but most are poor (to be expected). There are some really tired tropes (jerk hero harasses strong woman who later falls in love with him), that were tired when it came out. But the biggest problem is the hero. Our main character is intensely unlikable the whole time.
It's a fine B movie that isn't painful to watch. Might even be fun with some friends to laugh at it with.
Garbage Wars
Sergiodave10 November 2020
I admit the only reason I saw this garbage was for Barbara Crampton. I give the movie 2 stars simply because it made me laugh. Not sure what is worse, the effects, the plot, the acting or the dialogue. Impressively awful.
A messy, chaotic, and incomprehensible Spiritual Successor to Robot Jox that maybe lacking in sense, but at least it delivers on a robot fight.
IonicBreezeMachine19 November 2021
In the future of 2041, a cataclysm has reshaped the power structure of the world with the North American based North Hemi in alliance with the pan Asian collective of the Eastern Alliance. North Hemi is in conflict with marauders known as the Centros, and its relations with the Eastern Alliance are of importance to keeping the Centros at bay. Maverick pilot Captain Drake (Don Michael Paul) pilots the Mega Robot with his co-pilot/mechanic Stumpy (James Staley). The Mega Robot is used to conduct tours for civilians, but also carries weaponry for defense against the Centros. Drake is at odds with OpCom Chief Rooney (Peter Haskell) over his recklessness involving taking civilians through hostile territory and Rooney's dealings with General Wa-Lee (Danny Kamekona) of the Eastern Alliance whom Drake suspects may be hiding ulterior motives involving the Centros. When Drake's fears soon prove to be real, Drake, Stumpy, and archaeologist Dr. Leda Fannon (Barbara Crampton) must work together to find a way of stopping Wa-Lee's plot.
Another attempt from Full Moon Entertainment to follow-on loosely from Robot Jox, Robot Wars is in some ways an improvement over the studios previous effort Crash and Burn in that the Robots on the box cover and trailer have more presence and importance in the movie, and also unlike Crash and Burn there's more thought put into the production design with OpCom actually feeling like a tangible area and not just a repurposed abandoned industrial building. But while Robot Wars doesn't have the problems of Crash and Burn's presentation, it's exchanged them for problems with comprehensibility and storytelling with its narrative a confused mess using jargon it's made-up wholesale and rarely (if ever) tells you what it means.
Clocking in at a meager 72 minutes (not including credits) the movie throws the audience into this post-apocalyptic world where the world powers have shifted but unlike Robot Jox that at least opened with an info dump at the beginning giving us context for the world, Robot Wars does the cinematic equivalent of throwing its audience into the deep end of a swimming pool and calling it a day. The movie never lets us in on what exactly North Hemi entails nor does it give any insight into the motivations behind the Centros or the Eastern Alliance so even if you "know" what's going on you'll be hard pressed to figure out the why. The movie also has an unappealing lead in Don Michael Paul who seems to be going for a "devil may care" maverick a la Tom Cruise in Top Gun, but instead comes off more like Biff Tannen from the Back to the Future films if he were framed as the "hero". Much like Bill Moseley in Crash and Burn, Danny Kamekona is having fun as the underwritten villain General Wa-Len who's basically Dr. No by way of Colonel Kurtz, but as stock and shallow as the character is you have to admire Kamekona dedication.
The effects by noted stop-motion artist David Allen are once again employed as they were in Robot Jox and Crash and Burn, and they do give Allen a bit more leeway to stretch himself with the Robots, not as much as in Robot Jox, but it's a DTV film so we're lucky we got what we did. Most of the robot sequences are pretty reserved and don't cut loose until the last 10 minutes, but I will say that as far as robot fights go it's not bad, even if it has a rather BS Deus Ex Machina button in the hero's robot that ends the fight.
Robot Jox improves upon the short comings of Crash and Burn while also adding a whole bunch of new problems. The movie's story and characters are an absolute mess with Don Michael Paul rather lacking as a lead, and the world building and motivations are muddled and confusing. David Allen's Robot effects look nice and you get more of them than Crash and Burn, but not to the point I'd recommend a viewing.
Another attempt from Full Moon Entertainment to follow-on loosely from Robot Jox, Robot Wars is in some ways an improvement over the studios previous effort Crash and Burn in that the Robots on the box cover and trailer have more presence and importance in the movie, and also unlike Crash and Burn there's more thought put into the production design with OpCom actually feeling like a tangible area and not just a repurposed abandoned industrial building. But while Robot Wars doesn't have the problems of Crash and Burn's presentation, it's exchanged them for problems with comprehensibility and storytelling with its narrative a confused mess using jargon it's made-up wholesale and rarely (if ever) tells you what it means.
Clocking in at a meager 72 minutes (not including credits) the movie throws the audience into this post-apocalyptic world where the world powers have shifted but unlike Robot Jox that at least opened with an info dump at the beginning giving us context for the world, Robot Wars does the cinematic equivalent of throwing its audience into the deep end of a swimming pool and calling it a day. The movie never lets us in on what exactly North Hemi entails nor does it give any insight into the motivations behind the Centros or the Eastern Alliance so even if you "know" what's going on you'll be hard pressed to figure out the why. The movie also has an unappealing lead in Don Michael Paul who seems to be going for a "devil may care" maverick a la Tom Cruise in Top Gun, but instead comes off more like Biff Tannen from the Back to the Future films if he were framed as the "hero". Much like Bill Moseley in Crash and Burn, Danny Kamekona is having fun as the underwritten villain General Wa-Len who's basically Dr. No by way of Colonel Kurtz, but as stock and shallow as the character is you have to admire Kamekona dedication.
The effects by noted stop-motion artist David Allen are once again employed as they were in Robot Jox and Crash and Burn, and they do give Allen a bit more leeway to stretch himself with the Robots, not as much as in Robot Jox, but it's a DTV film so we're lucky we got what we did. Most of the robot sequences are pretty reserved and don't cut loose until the last 10 minutes, but I will say that as far as robot fights go it's not bad, even if it has a rather BS Deus Ex Machina button in the hero's robot that ends the fight.
Robot Jox improves upon the short comings of Crash and Burn while also adding a whole bunch of new problems. The movie's story and characters are an absolute mess with Don Michael Paul rather lacking as a lead, and the world building and motivations are muddled and confusing. David Allen's Robot effects look nice and you get more of them than Crash and Burn, but not to the point I'd recommend a viewing.
Robot Crap
DavyDissonance14 December 2017
Some Japanese guy kidnaps people in his scorpion bot for some stupid reason and some douche bag who wants to rape a blonde woman must stop him. Not bad. Expected worse. What stands out is the special effects with the robots even though it's cheesy as hell. What lacks is its deficient story and plot. Not a wasted assimilation but I wouldnt get all horny over this $#!+ either. Just when its convenient.
More '90s cheese
Leofwine_draca28 March 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Bad acting, cheap styling, and moronic storytelling are the order of the day in this typical Full Moon production, one of many films made by Charles Band which utilised some stop motion robot effects that he had access to. I love the stop motion work but it's very limited here and the rest of the film is merely an example of the usual cheap science fiction. The main actors are very poor indeed with the exception of Barbara Crampton, who is wasted as the usual blonde love interest/sidekick type character. The film smacks of racism in its depiction of stereotypical Chinese villains while the hero is one of the most useless ever. Unless you have a high tolerance for cheese this isn't really worth your time.
One of my top worst movies EVER!
meowdammit9931 December 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This film has a weak plot, weak characterization, and really weak special effects that I question why I lost valuable life by watching it. It has random characters who add nothing to the story and seem like excuses for the director to get his girlfriend in the film. The robots are sad and the main "hero" 'bot is turned on by a huge knife switch. If this movie weren't so bad it would be laughable, but there's nothing funny about it. The main antagonist is one of the only redeeming characters, and he is killed. It's sad when you root for the bad guy, because he's the best one to cheer for. When all is said and done, this movie was better left on the cutting room floor, or never funded at all.
Robot Wars
dave-189316 July 2006
This is an Excellent little movie! The acting is good and the music is fantastic!! Play it on a 5-1 sound system and enjoy! It will never win any awards but its good clean fun for all!! I recommend this movie to all fans of pretty girls funny and hansom men as well as robot lovers everyone!!1 P.S. It also stars Lisa Rinna! Enjoy!!This is a very hard movie to find, It is out of print. I first saw it on Showtime many years ago but recently found a used VHS copy. Its still a must see for all!!!This is an Excellent little movie! The acting is good and the music is fantastic!! Play it on a 5-1 sound system and enjoy! It will never win any awards but its good clean fun for all!! I recommend this movie to all fans of pretty girls funny and hansom men as well as robot lovers everyone!!1 P.S. It also stars Lisa Rinna! Enjoy!! Dave Engle This is a very hard movie to find, It is out of print. I first saw it on Showtime many years ago but recently found a used VHS copy. Its still a must see for all!!!
Surprisingly better than one usually assumes of Full Moon
I_Ailurophile30 December 2022
Sometimes you don't want a high quality movie. Sometimes a light distraction, something you don't have to actively engage with, is preferable to a title that evokes feelings or makes you think. For such occasions - for better or for worse - the Band family and Full Moon are ready to deliver. The value of such titles can vary wildly, but tend to make an impression very quickly. In this case, on the bad side, the pacing is somewhat meager right from the start (scenes and plot development alike), and the acting is mostly decidedly bereft of any significant nuance. (The acting isn't outright awful, mind you, just less than inspiring.) On the other hand, the robots actually look really great (especially important at the climax), other special effects aren't totally terrible (if less than perfect), and I appreciate the production design, art direction, and costume design. It's no surprise that 'Robot wars' is a mixed bag - with fewer robots than the name would seem to portend - though it's at least par for the course among the company's list of credits, if not a small step above.
Between the visuals and dialogue, we're given a fair sense of this imagined future world of 2041; it's not enough to meaningfully apply the term "world-building," but sufficient to inculcate suspension of disbelief. The story is nothing terribly remarkable, but Charles Band's story, whipped into a screenplay by Jackson Barr, is suitable for a tiny, low-budget sci-fi romp. For that matter, this also applies to other facets of Barr's screenplay; the dialogue, characters, and scene writing are far from revelatory, but fine. I actually rather like David Arkenstone's score, basic as it tends to be (think mid-90s PC videogame), and the direction and cinematography is just fine. For as little as the feature requires of the cast, at least they're having a good time, which makes it easier for the audience to just kick back, relax, and take it all in.
True, we return to the issue of the nature of the narrative, which isn't just lethargic but also kind of light; not much happens in this, and it doesn't happen very quickly, either. But then, for a Full Moon title clocking in at just over 70 minutes (roughly 6 minutes of which is just credits, before and after), all this is fairly standard. We get a little bit of action, a little bit of intrigue, and a little bit of conflict and conspiracy, all written, realized, and acted with just enough care to be mildly satisfying for a lazy day. This is all that 'Robot wars' aspires to be, it's all it needs to be, and it serves its purpose thusly.
Most notable of all as detractions, at least to me, are contrivances in the writing (if A Man and A Woman appear on-screen together...), and shortcuts that are taken without any mind for connecting the dots in the story. (E.g., there's no reason Rooney should know about Leda, let alone that she and Drake are acquainted.) Even at that, though - while I assumed little of this picture, I can honestly say it exceeded my expectations. That may not be saying much, but when one is dealing with flicks on this level, a molehill can be a mountain. Those who can't abide such low-grade fare won't find anything to change their mind, yet if you're seeking a frivolous genre piece, you could absolutely do a lot worse. 'Robot wars' is, after all, well within the range of Full Moon's oeuvre, but maybe a tad better than some of its kin. If low-budget sci-fi films aren't any inherent obstacle, this is a decent enough way to spend seventy (less six) minutes.
Between the visuals and dialogue, we're given a fair sense of this imagined future world of 2041; it's not enough to meaningfully apply the term "world-building," but sufficient to inculcate suspension of disbelief. The story is nothing terribly remarkable, but Charles Band's story, whipped into a screenplay by Jackson Barr, is suitable for a tiny, low-budget sci-fi romp. For that matter, this also applies to other facets of Barr's screenplay; the dialogue, characters, and scene writing are far from revelatory, but fine. I actually rather like David Arkenstone's score, basic as it tends to be (think mid-90s PC videogame), and the direction and cinematography is just fine. For as little as the feature requires of the cast, at least they're having a good time, which makes it easier for the audience to just kick back, relax, and take it all in.
True, we return to the issue of the nature of the narrative, which isn't just lethargic but also kind of light; not much happens in this, and it doesn't happen very quickly, either. But then, for a Full Moon title clocking in at just over 70 minutes (roughly 6 minutes of which is just credits, before and after), all this is fairly standard. We get a little bit of action, a little bit of intrigue, and a little bit of conflict and conspiracy, all written, realized, and acted with just enough care to be mildly satisfying for a lazy day. This is all that 'Robot wars' aspires to be, it's all it needs to be, and it serves its purpose thusly.
Most notable of all as detractions, at least to me, are contrivances in the writing (if A Man and A Woman appear on-screen together...), and shortcuts that are taken without any mind for connecting the dots in the story. (E.g., there's no reason Rooney should know about Leda, let alone that she and Drake are acquainted.) Even at that, though - while I assumed little of this picture, I can honestly say it exceeded my expectations. That may not be saying much, but when one is dealing with flicks on this level, a molehill can be a mountain. Those who can't abide such low-grade fare won't find anything to change their mind, yet if you're seeking a frivolous genre piece, you could absolutely do a lot worse. 'Robot wars' is, after all, well within the range of Full Moon's oeuvre, but maybe a tad better than some of its kin. If low-budget sci-fi films aren't any inherent obstacle, this is a decent enough way to spend seventy (less six) minutes.
More like Robot fight
logantoxic2 April 2013
This is not a sequel to Robot Jox. Repeat. This is not a sequel to Robot Jox.
In the future, there are warring factions that use robots for transportation because there are terrorists that attack them. A bad guy from the other side takes over the transporting robot and our hero has to fight him with a older robot. Other stuff happens but you really don't remember because the main character's acting is so distracting and the plot is so muddled its hard to figure out the who, what, where and why. This movie was trying to be more complicated then it should and the whole time we are waiting for robots to fight. The robot "fighting" is maybe seven minutes throughout the entire film. You see them walking around here and there but i needs that robot action. Once you see the action, you think to yourself, that was OK, I guess.
It was a pleasure seeing Barbara Crampton in this film. You might remember her from Re- animator and From Beyond, two of her earlier better films. Even her acting dragged and fell flat just because she was playing opposite Don "The worst actor ever" Michael Paul. His machoness and blatant harassment of Barbara Cramptons character is very awkward and uncomfortable. If there were classes about overacting, I am pretty sure "Robot Wars" would be on the final. Don Michael Paul is simply bad. This film is boarder line "so bad its good". Good - no, bad - yes, Entertaining - kind of.
For more of my reviews you can visit my Youtube Page at: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtYHmNjwzVt9E0KUTrELbtA or visit my Blog http://logantoxic.blogspot.com
In the future, there are warring factions that use robots for transportation because there are terrorists that attack them. A bad guy from the other side takes over the transporting robot and our hero has to fight him with a older robot. Other stuff happens but you really don't remember because the main character's acting is so distracting and the plot is so muddled its hard to figure out the who, what, where and why. This movie was trying to be more complicated then it should and the whole time we are waiting for robots to fight. The robot "fighting" is maybe seven minutes throughout the entire film. You see them walking around here and there but i needs that robot action. Once you see the action, you think to yourself, that was OK, I guess.
It was a pleasure seeing Barbara Crampton in this film. You might remember her from Re- animator and From Beyond, two of her earlier better films. Even her acting dragged and fell flat just because she was playing opposite Don "The worst actor ever" Michael Paul. His machoness and blatant harassment of Barbara Cramptons character is very awkward and uncomfortable. If there were classes about overacting, I am pretty sure "Robot Wars" would be on the final. Don Michael Paul is simply bad. This film is boarder line "so bad its good". Good - no, bad - yes, Entertaining - kind of.
For more of my reviews you can visit my Youtube Page at: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtYHmNjwzVt9E0KUTrELbtA or visit my Blog http://logantoxic.blogspot.com
Not a very good flick.
jim bowie28 February 2001
I bought this movie at a flea market mainly because it had a neat box. It's really not all that good. Let me put it this way, the title is misleading. The giant robots are pretty cool. But you don't get to see them that often. This could have been a good movie but it isn't quite good enough to bother buying (or renting) unless your a hardcore sci-fi fan. Oh, and the acting is pretty bad, too.
You know you are terrible when MST3K reviews you.
andrewd-82 April 2022
There are only 2 robots and no wars. When MST3K chooses you to review, then you are among the worst movies ever made. The writing, dialogue, and acting are terrible. This is a Robot Jox wannabe, without the stakes or somewhat relatable characters.
Protagonist looks like a fat lazy slob, movie lacks said namesake robots!
zerobotman6 August 2013
I have to get this out right away, the main protagonist was horribly miscast. If they were making a live action movie of the Simpsons then he would have been too busy playing Barney Gumble to play in Robot Wars. Now as for the actual movie. I am lead to believe by the VHS box that it's a sequel or at very least a spin off of the movie named "Robot Jox," a movie I vaguely remember watching on the space channel late at night a few years ago. Where in Robot Jox people were fighting with super awesome robots in an arena over territory, the somewhat counter- intuitively named Robot Wars is about peace time where all those awesome robots have been destroyed save for one now used for tours through the desert or something. Then the get some other robot and fight for a bit. I hate to rag on the main character more but seriously, half the movie he's drunk and acting like a drunken slob which may be reason to retract my previous statement about him being miscast. I don't want to spoil any of this cerebral story line but you can tell in the kiss at the end that the girl was all like "hmm you smell like cheep beer and bad hygiene"
I paid $.99 for the VHS tape and the only further value I will gain from it is having filler for the back of my VHS shelf so I don't have to keep a movie I might watch back there.
I paid $.99 for the VHS tape and the only further value I will gain from it is having filler for the back of my VHS shelf so I don't have to keep a movie I might watch back there.
Lovely Bunch of Coconuts
nogodnomasters20 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
In the future the world is divided into large nations. The Eastern Alliance want to wage war against the North Hemi by stealing one robot. Only a big haired hero can save us.
Not a realistic view of the future. Bad acting all around.
Guide: No swearing, sex, or nudity even with two Playboy models.
Not a realistic view of the future. Bad acting all around.
Guide: No swearing, sex, or nudity even with two Playboy models.
Bad but Fun
exchronos3 March 2009
Warning: Spoilers
For years I've searched for this movie only remembering a couple scenes from it, because I always found it on TV right about in the middle, and I'd realize "hey...it's that one movie I like I never get to see all of" and watch the rest of it never even knowing its title...until a couple years ago.
I finally was able to watch it from start to finish today, and I must say, it was hilariously bad. Yet they tried to make it good, they had good little details and nice little gags, and the robots are awesome, but there is NO characterization at all. Literally, every character is just an action film stereotype. The acting itself is horrid. The lines border on obnoxious to just plain why on this Earth would anybody say that? Set in 2040, which they eventually get around to after noting a toxic scare in 1993, a weapons/huge killer robot ban in 2015, and some other craziness. There's one big armed robot left, and it looks like a scorpion. It takes tours across the American desert to a modern ghost town (modern as in 1993) so people can see how life was like in the 1990s...when there was still a United States (they call where they're at North Hemi, which I eventually realized was short for Northern Hemisphere...uh huh...yeah right...). The bad guy is an oriental general from the "Eastern Alliance" who takes over the giant robot with the help of "Centros" (pretty much Mexicans, or Latin Americans, you get the picture though...). Then the hero and his sidekick ace mechanic "Stumpy" find a giant robot in good condition buried underneath the supposed 1993 abandoned city...and they fight! Throw in a very incomplete love story, and wondering what happens after the robot fight, like what happens to the hostages that seemed to be running out of air and got tossed like footballs during the big fight, and you've got a great movie to make fun of while watching! Oh yeah, and they never explained how Drake (the hero) knew the villainous General Wally either. I mean, Drake didn't seem to have any quarrels with the General, but the General definitely wanted him dead...for no apparent reason...maybe his "hero sense" was tingling?
When you think 1993 you think Jurassic Park, Star Trek The Next Generation had been on for awhile, but when you see this movie, it's like that never happened and we're still in a 1985 rendition of the future...trying to use early 90s slang...seriously, if you like bad movies, this one will give you plenty of ammunition.
Sincerely, Exchronos
I finally was able to watch it from start to finish today, and I must say, it was hilariously bad. Yet they tried to make it good, they had good little details and nice little gags, and the robots are awesome, but there is NO characterization at all. Literally, every character is just an action film stereotype. The acting itself is horrid. The lines border on obnoxious to just plain why on this Earth would anybody say that? Set in 2040, which they eventually get around to after noting a toxic scare in 1993, a weapons/huge killer robot ban in 2015, and some other craziness. There's one big armed robot left, and it looks like a scorpion. It takes tours across the American desert to a modern ghost town (modern as in 1993) so people can see how life was like in the 1990s...when there was still a United States (they call where they're at North Hemi, which I eventually realized was short for Northern Hemisphere...uh huh...yeah right...). The bad guy is an oriental general from the "Eastern Alliance" who takes over the giant robot with the help of "Centros" (pretty much Mexicans, or Latin Americans, you get the picture though...). Then the hero and his sidekick ace mechanic "Stumpy" find a giant robot in good condition buried underneath the supposed 1993 abandoned city...and they fight! Throw in a very incomplete love story, and wondering what happens after the robot fight, like what happens to the hostages that seemed to be running out of air and got tossed like footballs during the big fight, and you've got a great movie to make fun of while watching! Oh yeah, and they never explained how Drake (the hero) knew the villainous General Wally either. I mean, Drake didn't seem to have any quarrels with the General, but the General definitely wanted him dead...for no apparent reason...maybe his "hero sense" was tingling?
When you think 1993 you think Jurassic Park, Star Trek The Next Generation had been on for awhile, but when you see this movie, it's like that never happened and we're still in a 1985 rendition of the future...trying to use early 90s slang...seriously, if you like bad movies, this one will give you plenty of ammunition.
Sincerely, Exchronos
Definitely a B
otherunicorn-62-58199725 February 2015
(This movie is totally unrelated to the BBC combat robot competitions, the incorrect DVD cover being shown above.)
All in all, this is the sort of production I would have expected to come from the 1970s, as a cheap, time-slot alternative to something like Six Million Dollar Man, not something made in 1993.
The technology they used to put the movie together must have been picked up cheap at another production house's clearance sale, allowing them to do more than they could have with modern equipment, while staying within their shoestring budget.
For sets, there was the usual use of pipe-filled basements, panels of unlabeled, illuminated switches, and lots of camera shaking to simulate movement. Due to the cheapness of the sets, doors for elevators, or passenger compartments always opened and closed off-screen, with the exception of one special effect.
The plot was disjointed, but if you ignored the unexplained, and great leaps of faith, it more or less held together, although it certainly could have done with a lot more robots to qualify as a war.
If you like a "good" B movie, this one qualifies.
All in all, this is the sort of production I would have expected to come from the 1970s, as a cheap, time-slot alternative to something like Six Million Dollar Man, not something made in 1993.
The technology they used to put the movie together must have been picked up cheap at another production house's clearance sale, allowing them to do more than they could have with modern equipment, while staying within their shoestring budget.
For sets, there was the usual use of pipe-filled basements, panels of unlabeled, illuminated switches, and lots of camera shaking to simulate movement. Due to the cheapness of the sets, doors for elevators, or passenger compartments always opened and closed off-screen, with the exception of one special effect.
The plot was disjointed, but if you ignored the unexplained, and great leaps of faith, it more or less held together, although it certainly could have done with a lot more robots to qualify as a war.
If you like a "good" B movie, this one qualifies.
Step down from Robot Jox
jellopuke27 August 2020
For 5 minutes of giant robot battles, you have to sit through an hour of pointless and awful waste of screen time. They use cheap sets to put off having to actually show the neat robots and the plot is laughably thin and full of holes. BUT at least you get 5 minutes of robot battles!
Retro Mecha Fun
DC85Lynch24 August 2023
Mechs and Barbara Crampton. What's not to like?
I believe this is the second part in a loosely connected trilogy - Robot Jox, Robot Wars, and Crash and Burn.
Set in a post apocalyptic world in which wars have been banned and territorial disputes between nations are settled via mech battles, Robot Jox is regarded as a minor B-movie cult classic.
Robot Wars and Crash and Burn are not held in the same regard as Jox but personally I adore the stop-motion special effects and miniatures. I appreciate the creativity, effort, and heart that went into some of these older low-budget movies.
I feel modern movies have lost a lot of their magic with their over reliance on CGI, with certain exceptions such as the spectacular Star Wars: Rogue One.
If you like post-apocalyptic settings, mechs, and B-movie Goddess Barbara Crampton, then I'm sure you'll dig this robotastic blast from the past.
I believe this is the second part in a loosely connected trilogy - Robot Jox, Robot Wars, and Crash and Burn.
Set in a post apocalyptic world in which wars have been banned and territorial disputes between nations are settled via mech battles, Robot Jox is regarded as a minor B-movie cult classic.
Robot Wars and Crash and Burn are not held in the same regard as Jox but personally I adore the stop-motion special effects and miniatures. I appreciate the creativity, effort, and heart that went into some of these older low-budget movies.
I feel modern movies have lost a lot of their magic with their over reliance on CGI, with certain exceptions such as the spectacular Star Wars: Rogue One.
If you like post-apocalyptic settings, mechs, and B-movie Goddess Barbara Crampton, then I'm sure you'll dig this robotastic blast from the past.
This is is a very average movie that's a fun popcorn flick for those who enjoy 80s caliber science fiction pictures
kevin_robbins27 February 2022
Robot Wars (1993) is a Full Moon Feature I recently watched on Tubi. The storyline follows a futuristic world in the year 2032 where a gas has been unleashed on the surface making it virtually inhabitable. Groups of survivors scour the Earth's surface using large robots they can drive. One pilot decides leadership is no good and quits, until it is brought to his attention leadership's desire to unleash a new robot that could destroy humanity. The pilot may be the only one who can stop the new super robot.
This movie is directed by Albert Band (Ghoulies II) and stars Don Michael Paul (Jarhead: Law of Return), Barbara Crampton (You're Next), James Staley (National's Lampoons Vacation), Lisa Rinna (Days of Our Lives), Danny Kamekona (The Karate Kid Part II) and Yuji Okumoto (Inception).
The storyline for this is very straightforward; however, the robot special effects are awesome and the claymation is fun. I did really enjoy the robot fight scenes. The acting isn't good, especially the main character. The writing and the dialogue are solid. The sets were also pretty cool.
Overall this is is a very average movie that's a fun popcorn flick for those who enjoy 80s caliber science fiction pictures. I would score this a 5.5/10 and recommend seeing it once.
This movie is directed by Albert Band (Ghoulies II) and stars Don Michael Paul (Jarhead: Law of Return), Barbara Crampton (You're Next), James Staley (National's Lampoons Vacation), Lisa Rinna (Days of Our Lives), Danny Kamekona (The Karate Kid Part II) and Yuji Okumoto (Inception).
The storyline for this is very straightforward; however, the robot special effects are awesome and the claymation is fun. I did really enjoy the robot fight scenes. The acting isn't good, especially the main character. The writing and the dialogue are solid. The sets were also pretty cool.
Overall this is is a very average movie that's a fun popcorn flick for those who enjoy 80s caliber science fiction pictures. I would score this a 5.5/10 and recommend seeing it once.
Excellent
benchrsen11 April 2024
Narly and bodacious, early 90s late 80s sci-fi movies are THE best. This is much better than Robot Jox from 1989, much more sophisticated stage settings, much better script, much better and sexier casting, women are much more beautiful in this. Much better looking robots. Thus is actually the third part in a series of 3 giant robot movies, robot jox 1989(part 1), Crash and Burn 1990/1991(part 2) and this. Crash and burn is absolutely excellent as well and my personal favorite. I think Charles Band also made fantastic movie APEX from around this time, I just love that dystopian sci-fi early 90's movies graphics actors everything, the best sci-fi era in history just way too few movies.
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