It is post-World War III. War is outlawed. In its place, are matches between large robots called Robot Jox. These matches take place between two large superpowers over disputed territories. The main character Achilles is a pilot in one of the large Robots. The plot revolves around him and a match for the state of Alaska.
Although I would consider myself a bigger than average Stuart Gordon fan, this was a film I never got to see until now (2015). And what a strange addition to his career. The robot fights, though perhaps "retro" or dated, are pretty great, and indeed the highlight of the film. (Why they start off just punching when we later see them fighting in space is unclear.) The acting is pretty cheesy, especially the actor who plays Tex. I would love to have seen more of the robot fights and less of the human interaction, which seemed forced. None of the people are particularly likable. How the female lead went on to be as big as she is after this is unclear.
The film began shooting in Rome in 1986, inspired by the Transformers and Macross, as well as "The Right Stuff" (which Gordon used for visual cues). The plot mixed in aspects of the "Iliad" and the story of Achilles, and the cast included Robert Sampson ("Re-Animator"), Hilary Mason ("Dolls"). This was a mix of classic Gordon elements and something all too futuristic.
For the fans of this (or Gordon's career in general), Shout! Factory has packed their new Blu-ray so full they did not even have room to write on the case what it contained. It says "two audio commentaries" and "new and archival interviews", which does not really sum up just how much is on here... you can hear some incredible stories from Gordon, Band, Koslo and others about the Italian crew, the budget issues, and the limits of pre-digital technology. Although the movie itself is not my favorite, the disc is a must-own for any fan.
Perhaps most interesting is the story about the bank that financed all the failing companies (including Empire and Cannon). The financial difficulties of Empire, Wizard and more or less everything Charlie Band touches are legendary. But who knew the problems were tied in with European finance and a handful of other seemingly-unrelated movie companies?
Pick up this disc from Scream! Factory, watch the heck out of it, and then watch "Pacific Rim". Gordon thinks the way the robots are controlled has been borrowed by others, including "Pacific Rim", and when seen side by side it is hard to argue with him. Although largely forgotten, "Robot Jox" is more relevant than ever and it is time to give it the place in science fiction history it deserves.
Although I would consider myself a bigger than average Stuart Gordon fan, this was a film I never got to see until now (2015). And what a strange addition to his career. The robot fights, though perhaps "retro" or dated, are pretty great, and indeed the highlight of the film. (Why they start off just punching when we later see them fighting in space is unclear.) The acting is pretty cheesy, especially the actor who plays Tex. I would love to have seen more of the robot fights and less of the human interaction, which seemed forced. None of the people are particularly likable. How the female lead went on to be as big as she is after this is unclear.
The film began shooting in Rome in 1986, inspired by the Transformers and Macross, as well as "The Right Stuff" (which Gordon used for visual cues). The plot mixed in aspects of the "Iliad" and the story of Achilles, and the cast included Robert Sampson ("Re-Animator"), Hilary Mason ("Dolls"). This was a mix of classic Gordon elements and something all too futuristic.
For the fans of this (or Gordon's career in general), Shout! Factory has packed their new Blu-ray so full they did not even have room to write on the case what it contained. It says "two audio commentaries" and "new and archival interviews", which does not really sum up just how much is on here... you can hear some incredible stories from Gordon, Band, Koslo and others about the Italian crew, the budget issues, and the limits of pre-digital technology. Although the movie itself is not my favorite, the disc is a must-own for any fan.
Perhaps most interesting is the story about the bank that financed all the failing companies (including Empire and Cannon). The financial difficulties of Empire, Wizard and more or less everything Charlie Band touches are legendary. But who knew the problems were tied in with European finance and a handful of other seemingly-unrelated movie companies?
Pick up this disc from Scream! Factory, watch the heck out of it, and then watch "Pacific Rim". Gordon thinks the way the robots are controlled has been borrowed by others, including "Pacific Rim", and when seen side by side it is hard to argue with him. Although largely forgotten, "Robot Jox" is more relevant than ever and it is time to give it the place in science fiction history it deserves.