CIRCUITRY MAN. A Sci-Fi Film with a Lovestruck Android

Robert Lovy made his mark in the history of science fiction cinema by directing two sci-fi films—”Circuitry Man 1″ and “2”. While this isn’t enough to achieve cult status, in the evaluation of retro sci-fi films, often it’s not quality that matters, but rather its lack. Lovy, a man undoubtedly skilled in special effects but not in directing, didn’t last long in the business. However, his “Circuitry Man”, despite being weak, deserves more attention than just the  1,000 ratings on IMDb. The strength of the movie lies primarily in its story, because at its core is the relationship between the main heroine and a charming android with suicidal tendencies. Interestingly, it’s not his lack of identity or the global ecological disaster that struck Earth that pushes him toward such inclinations, but women—specifically, one femme fatale. And that’s where the film’s charm lies, with the cherry on top being Plughead, another blood-curdling, grotesque portrayal by Vernon Wells.

For those unfamiliar with Wells, in the 80s he played iconic villain roles in films like “Mad Max 2” and “Commando”. So seeing him again as a villain evokes sentimental emotions, at least for me. Returning to “Circuitry Man”: the film already starts off peculiarly in terms of its formal elements. The clubby-jazz soundtrack, enhanced by numerous modern inserts in the style of Penderecki, was clearly well thought-out, except perhaps for the electronic elements and their integration with the visuals. The backstory is fairly simple, which is reflected in the introduction. Apparently, after the apocalypse, people had to retreat deep underground, as throughout the entire opening credits sequence, the camera continuously moves downward. It’s a bit like the never-ending spaceship scene in “Spaceballs”. But here, it’s supposed to be a serious post-apocalypse, albeit presented with a good dose of dark humor. Not everyone will appreciate it, as the script is poorly written. The dialogues are stiff, and the actors could benefit from some practice—not in the sense of education, but in retakes. Additionally, the entire movie is poorly edited and sound-mixed. So, when viewers manage to stumble upon this production, they often describe it as amateurish. However, the special effects are noteworthy. Despite the passage of years, the underground city still looks good—much better than the set design of the above-ground bar charmingly named “The Last Breath”. The name stems from the fact that you can’t breathe on the Earth’s surface due to the low oxygen levels.

Regarding the Earth’s surface, when the plot moves there, the film’s tone changes radically. Country music plays in the background, and the sci-fi movie transforms into a typically American, western-style, post-apocalyptic road film. Even the old cars the characters travel in testify to this. Their guns, the vast plains of the United States—all of it, despite being worn out, useless, and destroyed, adds to the film’s retro charm, which will likely tug at the heartstrings of some viewers. Additionally, there’s the one-of-a-kind android. He’s played by Jim Metzler, an actor more associated with television, and if he appeared in any well-known big-screen productions, they were minor roles that I didn’t even notice. Interestingly, with his acting and pleasant demeanor, he reminds me a lot of Judge Reinhold, making him a perfect fit for the highly abstract role of a romantic android in a post-apocalyptic film with sci-fi elements. Danner’s romanticism is portrayed as an extreme stance, where love drives him to madness, and that madness to suicidal thoughts. Danner is, therefore, a fully self-aware android who loves intensely but doesn’t realize that the woman he harbors such violent feelings for is just a program uploaded into his synthetic nervous system to motivate him to do what others want—if only they suggest that they know something about his lost beloved. It’s cruel and unfair. The main heroine, Lori, also exploits Danner’s naivety, but during their dangerous journey, she begins to see her partner in a new light, ultimately treating him like a “biological” man. If you’re wondering how this is possible, I’ll give you a hint: Danner was designed as a biosynthetic organism for entertainment purposes. Women used him to satisfy their sexual needs, but none of them saw him as a being with emotions. To them, he was just an extension of a vibrator. Such a detached approach was characteristic of the underground world to which people had retreated after the Earth’s destruction. They had to survive somehow, and lofty feelings hindered that. Lori was the one to change this situation, though Plughead, the villain chasing her, tried to thwart the development of this peculiar relationship between the android and the woman at every turn. He was played by the aforementioned Vernon Wells, who did a great job in both the sci-fi and western aspects of the role.

On one hand, “Circuitry Man” is indeed a somewhat amateurish film that unintuitively combines genres. On the other hand, it’s such a strange sci-fi film that it’s hard to deny its charm. The blend of club music with a post-apocalyptic world, through which a lone woman travels with a suitcase full of chips and an android gigolo in love with an imaginary woman, sticks in your mind.