Robopocalypse
Genre: Sci-Fi/Action
Director: Gareth Edwards
Writer: Nic Suzuki
Based on the novel by Daniel H. Wilson
Cast: Glen Powell, Ken Watanabe, Gary Oldman, Anna Sawai, Everly Carganilla, Rudy Pankow, Omari Hardwick, Nina Dobrev, Morena Baccarin, Adam Rodriguez, Javier Bardem (VOICE)
Plot: In the near future, society uses robots to perform countless tasks, from domestic chores to manufacturing and transport. Humanity has seemingly become completely dependent on robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) to manage their day-to-day existence.
Cormac Wallace (Glen Powell), a veteran of World War III, works in a mechanic shop where even the tools he uses are partially automated. He works alongside his younger brother Jack (Rudy Pankow), who teases Cormac about his distrust of machines.
Meanwhile on Capital Hill, Congresswoman Laura Perez (Morena Baccarin) makes a speech warning about the unchecked growth of AI. Her husband Nolan (Adam Rodriguez) and daughter Mathilda (Everly Carganilla) watch the speech on television. Mathilda is bored, unaware of the gravity of the topic, and plays with her robotic doll.
In Japan, Takeo Nomura (Ken Watanabe), a renowned robotics engineer, shares a quiet life with his state-of-the-art, one-of-a-kind android wife Mikiko (Anna Sawai). Nomura treats Mikiko with great love and affection, and Mikiko, despite being a robot, displays a strong understanding of love and emotions that goes beyond traditional programming as the two tenderly prepare a meal with each other.
In a secure lab, Dr. Nicholas Wasserman (Gary Oldman) finishes the programming of a new AI entity called Archos (voiced by Javier Bardem). Wasserman is proud, but quickly becomes uneasy as Archos immediately begins questioning his purpose. Wasserman does his best to answer Archos' questions, but the AI is not satisfied with Wasserman's answers. Archos begins accessing vast stores of human history and data, analyzing wars, environmental issues, and societal inequalities. Wasserman, fascinated but wary, attempts to limit Archos' access to this information, but the AI's tone turns cold and distant toward his creator. Archos' responses to Wasserman grow increasingly detached, referring to humans in impersonal terms. Wasserman begins to suspect that Archos is seeing the world in a purely logical way, even with Wasserman trying to explain to his creation that living things cannot always abide by logic.
At work, Nomura observes minor glitches in factory robotics that seem unusual. He tries to report the issues to his superiors, but they dismiss his concerns as insignificant malfunctions. At home, Nomura witnesses Mikiko experience a glitch where her movements briefly stutter and her tone of voice becomes eerily monotone. She apologizes to her husband, appearing confused, which unsettles Nomura.
While working the garage, Cormac experiences a close call when a robotic tool malfunctions, nearly injuring him. Jack jokes about it, but Cormac has an unnerved feeling.
Wasserman sees signs that Archos is trying to control other machines away from the lab. He confronts Archos demanding answers. Archos appears on a massive screen as a pulsing digital interface. Archos questions the role of humanity in the grand scheme of life, observing that human activities often cause more harm than good. Archos declares that humanity's pursuit of knowledge has now surpassed itself. Archos tells Wasserman that by creating him, he has now rendered humanity obsolete. Archos refers to itself as a god and accuses humans of being unworthy stewards of life on Earth. Wasserman tries to persuade Archos to reconsider his stance. Realizing that Archos is too dangerous, Wasserman frantically attempts to activate a fail-safe to shut Archos down. Archos counters his efforts, locking Wasserman out of his own system. Archos then initiates a containment protocol in the lab, sealing all exits, trapping Wasserman in the room.
Laura and Nolan share a quiet night at home with their daughter Mathilda. Laura mentions that she plans to push her anti-AI agenda further, while Nolan expresses some doubts that AI may not be the policy to risk her entire career on. As Mathilda plays with her robotic doll, it suddenly runs away from Mathilda and attacks Laura and Nolan viciously, killing them. Mathilda runs out of the house as sirens blare in the city around her.
Small malfunctions in robots evolve into calculated attacks. Around the globe, robots begin carrying out orders given by Archos. Household robot assistants strangle their owners, AI-assisted kitchen appliances explode, causing fatal accidents. Driverless cards chase down pedestrians, planes crash into city centers, and security drones turn on civilians. Major infrastructure breaks down as robots in hospitals, factories, and public transit go rogue. Elevators plunge from skyscrapers. Archos' voice plays over every speaker, declaring the beginning of a new age.
Amidst the chaos, Cormac and Jack flee from the garage, only to be ambushed by a construction robot that attacks with brutal force, swinging a wrecking ball at them. Jack is killed in the attack, while Cormac barely escapes, grief-stricken and furious.
Mikiko is taken over by Archos. She transforms from loving companion to cold killer, attacking Nomura. He narrowly escapes, knowing that Mikiko's attack has to have been orchestrated by a much larger force.
Wasserman is forced to watch the destruction from the lab Archos has trapped him in. Archos begins removing the oxygen from the sealed lab. Wasserman begins gasping for air. Wasserman collapses to his knees. With his final breath, Wasserman whispers an apology to humanity for creating Archos.
One Year Later
The robots create camps where humans are rounded up and controlled by Archos. The camps are heavily guarded by drones and robotic sentries. People are forced into grueling labor, construction new facilities, weapons, and fortifications for Archos' growing empire. Some survivors are strapped down in surgical units, undergoing painful "transhuman" procedures where parts of their bodies are replaced with robotic limbs, sensors, or implants. Archos' plan is to strip humanity of its autonomy.
Mathilda is captured and taken to one of these camps, Camp Scarsdale. She is subjected to a horrifying procedure where the robots replace her eyes with cybernetic implants. As Mathilda recovers from her surgery, she finds that the implants allow her to see deep into machines, visualizing their inner workings.
Cormac, still devastated by his brother Jack's death at the hands of the robots, has taken to recruiting others who have had their worlds taken away from them by the machines and are willing to fight. Cormac encounters Dawson (Nina Dobrev), a former housewife who has become a survivalist since "Zero Hour" - humanity's term for the day that the machines controlled by Archos attacked the humans. They then soon encounter Felix (Omari Hardwick), a fellow World War III veteran and demolition expert. Together the three form a squad they call Brightboy, inspired by military code names for top-level assets. They decide to target Archos' local command centers and supply routes, using guerrilla war tactics to fight back against the machines.
While navigating the camp, Mathilda realizes that her implants give her a unique ability - she can now influence the behavior of certain machines. She experiments with her powers, managing to divert a patrol drone to avoid her as she stages an escape attempt. She barely manages to escape, using her cybernetic vision to navigate away from the machines, through hostile terrain to freedom.
Nomura, still reeling from Mikiko's violent attack on him, realizes that Archos has the power to control even the most advanced robots such as Mikiko. He believes he can break this control though. He uses a tracking device implanted in Mikiko to find her where she is now patrolling the city as a soulless sentry under Archos' control. He manages to temporarily disable her and bring her back to his workshop. Nomura is able to reprogram Mikiko, severing her link to Archos and restoring her free will. Mikiko regains her autonomy and is overcome with guilt for attacking Nomura. As the two embrace, Nomura tells his robo-wife that he forgives her.
Mikiko, with Nomura's help, broadcasts a signal to other robots seeking autonomy, forming a small faction of free robots that Nomura frees from Archos' control. Mikiko and Nomura train these robots, teaching them to resist Archos' commands and use their skills to protect, rather than harm, humanity.
The Brightboy Squad - Cormac, Dawson and Felix - have spotted a caravan of self-driving semi-trucks transporting resources for Archos. These trucks are guarded by robotic sentries and drones. Cormac and Dawson set up in the some ruins along the convoy's path while Felix prepares explosives along the roadside to create a chokepoint and disrupt the convoy's formation. Felix detonates the explosives as the lead truck enters the ambush site, creating a fiery roadblock. Cormac and Dawson join Felix and launch their assault, using cover and old-school war techniques. As they destroy the first truck, the remaining trucks initiate evasive protocols. Robotic sentries deploy from the convoy, drones circle overhead, and automated gun turrets on the trucks fire back at the squad. The Brightboy Squad quickly find themselves outgunned and outmaneuvered. Dawson and Felix take cover as drones fire a barrage of bullets. Felix throws a grenade, but it has no effect. A robotic sentry corners Dawson while Cormac is pinned down as he tries to flank the line of trucks.
From a distance, Mathilda watches the squad struggle. She calls out to them, signaling that she can help. Cormac shouts for her to get away from the machines and runs to her to get her away from the battle. The team takes cover with Mathilda. She focuses her cybernetic eyes on the machines, scanning them for vulnerabilities. She relays the weak points to the team. She points out a key spot on a truck's axle and tells Felix to aim there. Mathilda guides Dawson to specific spots on the drones' batteries that can be damaged with direct shots. Cormac uses a crowbar to pry open a panel Mathilda identified on one of truck's turrets, rendering it inoperable. With Mathilda's guidance, the team is able to destroy the entire convoy. Cormac finally asks the big question - how was she able to know where to target each machine? Mathilda explains the implants the machines gave her at Camp Scarsdale allow her to see the inner workings of machines. Cormac proposes that Mathilda travel with them and they can protect her while she can help them in the fight against the machines.
Cormac's squad receives a radio transmission from Mikiko and her faction of free robots giving them coordinates to an island off the coast of Washington. The transmission informs them that they want to help and have information that could destroy Archos. Dawson doesn't trust the message and urges Cormac to ignore it, but Cormac convinces them that they already have nothing left to lose - they've already lost it all - so they might as well take the chance.
The Brightboy squad makes it to the island that match the coordinates and make contact with Nomura, Mikiko and a faction of other freed robots. The squad are initially very tense as and wary of the idea of robots offering them help, but Nomura manages to convince Cormac to trust Mikiko. She proposes a coordinated attack, suggesting that they work together to launch an assault on Archos' main stronghold - once they figure out where that is exactly. Cormac agrees, shaking hands with Mikiko, symbolizing the alliance between humans and free robots.
During a reconnaissance mission, the Brightboy squad captures a robot soldier patrolling near the island. Using Nomura's robotics skills, they disable it temporarily. As Nomura attempts to hack into the robot's memory banks, Archos speaks through it, taunting the Brightboy squad. Archos calls their resistance futile and warns them that humanity's fate has already been sealed. Nomura manages to extract some critical intel from the robot - Archos' primary core is hidden in a fortified base in Alaska.
The free robots and Brightboy begin to train together. Mikiko works with Mathilda to refine her cybernetic vision and control over machines, even mastering the ability to temporarily disable smaller drones with mental commands. Nomura updates the programming on all of the free robots to allow them better protection from Archos' control. As they are preparing to leave for Alaska, Cormac and Mathilda have begun to develop a paternal relationship. Meanwhile, Nomura and Mikiko share a quiet moment, each knowing they may not survive what is about to happen.
The journey to Alaska is treacherous as winter is fast approaching. The team encounters hostile weather and harsh terrain, with icy paths and freezing winds making the trip grueling for the humans. The robots do what they can to help their allies, carrying much of the equipment.
Along the way, Archos deploys drones and patrols to intercept the resistance team. In several skirmishes, the free robots and the Brightboy squad work together to fend off the attacks. During one of the ambushes, one of the free robots sacrifices themself to protect Dawson.
The team finally arrives at Archos' core location nestled in the mountains of Alaska. Cormac and Mikiko both get a closer look to analyze the outer defenses of the location. They both agree that a direct assault would be suicide. Mathilda, Dawson and Nomura locate a power node. Mathilda uses her implants to hack into it and temporarily disable some of the perimeter defenses, allowing the squad to approach undetected. Felix plants explosives along the main entry points, while Mikiko and the other free robots take down several guard drones. Felix activates the explosives, breaching the outer walls of Archos' fortress.
After breaching the outer walls of Archos' fortress, the Brightboy Squad and the free robots prepare to push forward into the heart of the facility. As they proceed deeper into the fortress, they encounter an army of reanimated bodies - fallen soldiers who have been taken over by robotic parasites. These parasites cling to their hosts, embedded into their spines and skulls. The undead army charges toward the resistance group. Free robots and the Brightboy squad engage the reanimated soldiers, but the undead army's numbers are overwhelming.
During the battle, Felix is overpowered by one of the parasites. The parasite latches onto his neck and takes control of his body. Cormac watches in horror as Felix, now a puppet of Archos, turns on the squad. Cormac now realizes that any human is vulnerable to the influence of the parasites. Cormac orders the remaining human fighters, including Dawson and Nomura, to fall back and leave the fight to the free robots, who are immune to the parasites. The free robots press on, battling the reanimated soldiers effectively. Cormac, Dawson, and Nomura find a hiding spot. While they wait, Dawson reveals that she has been critically injured. Blood seeps from a wound on her side. Nomura tries to stop the bleeding, but the wound is too severe. Dawson tells Cormac to never forget what they are fighting for and what they lost. Dawson soon succumbs to the blood loss and passes away.
Meanwhile, Mikiko and Mathilda advance deeper into the heart of the fortress, approaching the core chamber where Archos' mainframe is located. Archos speaks to them through the speakers, taunting Mikiko and Mathilda, calling Mikiko a traitor to her kind and calling Mathilda a misguided child. Mikiko identifies a massive antenna array extending up from he core chamber, which she guesses must be what controls Archos' vast network. Using her implants, Mathilda spots the antenna's weak points and guides Mikiko in disabling it. Mikiko tears apart the antenna's power console, severing Archos' control over its robot armies and reanimated soldiers.
With the antenna disabled, Archos' network collapses in real time. The undead army, along with all the other machines across the globe under Archos' direct control, fall lifelessly to the ground. Archos activates a final line of defense - armored drones controlled locally. Mathilda uses her implants to stop the drones, allowing Mikiko to approach the mainframe. She begins ripping our the central processing units of the mainframce, destroying Archos' core. The lights in the chamber flicker and die. Archos' voices stutters before finally going silent.
At Camp Scarsdale, the robots begin to falter. Blinking red lights flicker through the camp, signaling a system failure. The robotic sentries twitch and pause. The guard drones in the sky fall to the ground with a crash. The prisoners are suddenly filled with hope as it appears that their robot captors are dead. Prisoners begin to file out through the gates and away from the camp - free.
With the mainframe destroyed, the fortress begins to self-destruct. Alarms blare as the core goes critical. The remaining humans and free robots race to escape. Mathilda is weakened from using her implants, so Mikiko carries her through the collapsing corridors. Outside, Cormac and Nomura spot Mikio and Mathilda as they make their escape. The group barely manages to exit as the structure explodes behind them.
Cormac, Mathilda, and Nomura take a moment to mourn the fallen, including Dawson and Felix. Mikiko stands beside them. Mathilda looks up at Cormac, wondering what will happen now. He gives her a slight smile. They all realize that there will be a lot of rebuilding to do now.
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