Monday, August 17, 2020

Blu-ray Review - Automation (2019)

Last year, Epic Pictures released Hungry Monster Entertainment’s low-budget science fiction film Automation on Digital and Blu-ray. It’s set in a futuristic 2026, where humans are being replaced in the workplace by automated robots. Yeah, it’s a scary concept, especially for anyone who works in factories.


Directed and co-written by Garo Setian, Automation centers on AUTO, a prototype automated worker robot who works the night shift at Alert Insulation. Despite the robot’s kind attitude towards his human employees, nobody likes him, well, except for Jenny (played by Elissa Dowling), a lonely employee who works the night shift to avoid the daytime drama of interacting with the other workers. The two have a few friendly encounters, which leads to AUTO becoming a little obsessed with her.

The co-owner of the company, Susan (played by Sadie Katz), plans on replacing AUTO and the rest of the employees with upgraded robots. She brings in a programmer, Alan (played by Parry Shen), to terminate AUTO. AUTO overhears the news, has a few technical difficulties, and goes on a killing spree at the office Christmas party. 

 

 

Special Features on the Blu-ray are:

  • Audio Commentaries
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Alternate Scenes
  • Bloopers
  • Behind-the-Scenes Featurette
  • Writing the Screenplay
  • Building "AUTO" with 'Evil' Ted
  • "AUTO's Voice" - An Interview with VO Artist Jim Tasker
  • Bonus Interviews

 


Final Thoughts

Killer robot flicks are always fun to watch, even though most of them are campy, such as the 1986's Chopping Mall. Automation is more of a workplace satire for the first half, and then it switches gears and becomes a full-fledged killer robot movie.

The acting varies from good to amateurish. For me, Elissa Dowling and Parry Shen are two standouts, and Jim Tasker does an excellent job as the voice of AUTO.

The film features mostly traditional special effects, though there were a few bad CGI shots, but nothing that bothered me from enjoying the movie.

The picture and sound qualities are topnotch on the Blu-ray. There’s an overload of special features for those of you who enjoy commentaries, deleted scenes, interviews, and behind-the-scenes featurettes.

Overall, Automation is an entertaining flick that’s funny one minute and bloody the next. 


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