Automata To Take A Shot At The 'Humans V Robots' Movie Genre

The upcoming movie Automata has a somewhat tired storyline; big, bad company creates robots that turn on humans, and an investigator close to cracking who is behind it all. The difference with this one is that it doesn't seem to bend to the undertow of "there has to be something good behind all of this". There is no clean takeaway — the robots aren't friendly, and humans are being edged out of the picture.

Automata may have a battle tested treatment, but it also gives a fresh take on an age-old story as well: evolution. This time, robots (or androids, if you like) are repairing themselves, as well as each other (breaking the second protocol!), in an attempt to take over. Rather than be content with creation and existence, these androids are trying to thrive.

Another bit of "this again" comes from a b-story of humans destroying Earth. That's the genesis of the creation of these bots, which has now gone horribly awry. The official synopsis of the movie notes Automata circulates around a time when "mankind struggles to survive as the environment deteriorates and the slow regression of the human race". We're out, and robots are taking over.

Automata is a computer science theory that has to do with machines acting independent of human interaction, and this movie nails that. As we slowly roll into an existence where machines will coexist with us in our real lives, this movie serves as a cautionary tale against overstepping our bounds. Automata doesn't look to have much of the "aww, the robots are just sad" factor that causes eye rolls at movies like "I, Robot", either. Antonio Banderas is still a badass, too, so this works well on several levels.

Automata is set to premier October 10. Check out the official trailer below to get a feel for what two hours of your life late this Fall will be all about.