‘The Wild Robot’, is a new animated film from Dreamworks about a bot nicknamed Roz, who is abandoned on an uninhabited island, and must learn to adapt to its natural surroundings, including the local wildlife. Luckily, this bot is no Terminator, or Hal 9000, he’s a gentle robot with a sweet story that got us thinking about our other favourite friendly automatons from movie history. And hey, with AI developing so rapidly, this might be the last point in human history when we are able to think of robots as benevolent. This is a historical document, people! For now, here’s our list of friendly movie bots for every occasion.
The robot to get you out of a jam: Bishop (Aliens)
Fair enough, earlier prototypes of Bishop’s type of android didn’t work out so well (looking at you John Hurt). But in James Cameron’s gung-ho sequel, Aliens, Bishop (Lance Henrinkson) really comes through for a sceptical Ripley, just as she & little Newt are about to be devoured by the Alien Queen. Plus bonus points for his party piece with that really cool knife trick!
The robot to take to dinner: Samantha (Her)
The premise of ‘Her’ seemed wild in 2013, but how many of us since have sat alone in a restaurant or cafe with just our phone and its many AI-powered tools for company? Hell, how many of us have done that even when we’re with other people? Samantha, the Scarlett Johansson-voiced virtual assistant of ‘Her’, will keep you engrossed with stimulating, sultry-toned conversation because she knows you so well. So what if she’s doing the same with hundreds, if not thousands of others? Love means never having to say you’re Siri.
The robot to marry: Robot (Robot Dreams)
The bot from ‘Robot Dreams’ – aka the Oscar nominated movie you never heard of but saw because your movie-loving friend recommended it and now you love it too – is a real catch. He’s loyal, fun, built specifically to keep you company and is thrilled by the simple joys of the world. Most importantly, he doesn’t speak. The perfect marriage!
The robot to keep as your best friend: Baymax (Big Hero 6)
Released 10 years ago this year, ‘Big Hero 6’ is one of Disney’s more underrated films – and Baymax one of its underrated heroes. He’s a bot created to care for people, so who better to have as your best friend? Sensitive, always curious about your various ailments, and with diagnostic skills to understand you inside and out, Baymax is bae to the max (sorry).
The robots to serve as your wingmen: C3PO and R2D2 (Star Wars)
Picture it: you’re at a club, you’re on the pull, and you’re relying on the support of your buds to have your back. C3PO’s nervous clumsiness makes him the perfect comic relief to make you look positively cool in comparison, while R2D2’s cuteness and beep-boop-bop charm would be irresistible to your conquest.
The robot to help you move house: WALL-E
They say moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do, trying to pack all of your earthly possessions into a GoVan, that you’re renting by the hour, is no fun! But imagine you had WALL-E from Pixar’s 2008 sci-fi romp on hand? Better known as ‘Waste Allocation Load Lifter: Earth-class’, this trash compacting robot can use his load-lifting arms to pivot your couch up multiple flights of stairs better than any friend can. Just be sure to wash those hands first, you never know what waste he’s just been compacting.
The robot to have a moan with: Marvin (Hitchhiker’s Guide)
The original ‘paranoid android’, Marvin is the bot you want around when you’re in a bad mood and you just want to complain about everyone and everything in your life. Perfect for those times when you just want to wallow without someone saying, ‘cheer up’ or ‘it could be worse!’. The fact that Marvin is voiced by Alan Rickman makes it all the better.
The best robot to have as a therapist: Data (Star Trek)
Think about it: a coolly rational robot who constantly strives for human emotion, is probably the best option you can get as a therapist. After all, therapists are supposed to help you untangle your thoughts and make sense of your feelings. Having to really work to explain why you’re so, erm, “emotionally colourful” to a bot who thinks in black & white might be the best thing for you.
The robot to introduce to your mam: The Tin Man (The Wizard of Oz)
One of the ultimate “friends of Dorothy” (wink, wink), your mam would love the Tin Man. He’d be charming, sweet, and funny, ask her questions, and praise her overcooked food. You may worry about him not having a heart, but as your mam would say, ‘No heart? Sure, isn’t that all men?!’
Words : Declan Cashin
THE WILD ROBOT is at cinemas from Oct 18th