Disc Reviews

Robo-Dog Review

• 19th Oct 2015

In Starship Troopers, Patrick Muldoon was a pilot who had his brain sucked out by a giant bug. 18 years later he’s inventor Tom Austin, who replaces his son’s dead pet with a robot. Go figure.

That’s Robo-Dog in a nutshell. As a concept for a children’s story, you certainly could do worse. Austin’s son Tyler (Michael Campion) struggles to bond with his new friend, while his former employer (Toy Story’s Wallace Shawn) attempts to steal the ‘super-battery’ which keeps the pup running. Nothing revolutionary, but hardly deserving of scorn. However director Jason Murphy takes a perfectly workable idea and, remarkably, turns it from something inoffensive and corny into something kind of horrifying.

The bargain basement CGI becomes distracting, particularly during conversations between Tyler and Skynet’s best friend. Robo-Dog’s mouth lip-syncs poorly, and the cold tones of experienced voice actor James Arnold Taylor plunge us into the uncanny valley. Various tools emerge from panels and orifices on the dog’s body; while one of Shawn’s employees takes the time to stalk and photograph Tyler and his friend when they head downtown. And lest we forget that Tyler’s first dog (named Dog) died of heat exhaustion in the attic.

What’s astonishing is that, despite the many WTF moments in Robo-Dog, it’s instantly forgettable. You can’t get mad at it, because that would suggest some measure of engagement. This movie just happens, and there has to be something better your kids could spend 90 minutes doing. They could look into Murphy’s previous features – the Shyamalan “inspired” The Unbroken and the zombies versus strippers opus Zombies!, Zombies!, Zombies! Fun for all ages!

Ryan Cole

[1 star]