Robot Jox (1989) and the Use of the Word "Robot" in Movie Titles

There are certain key words in movie titles that send of red flags to the possible viewers that the movies are trying to get.  These trigger words come in a wide range and variety.  They make the movie sound appealing when, in most cases, the movie is anything but appealing.  Something about these words get people excited, when the movies are nothing worth getting excited for.

One of the most common words that is used to get people to watch something is the word “robot.”  This word is used commonly throughout movies to tickle people’s fascination with advancing technology.  Some of the movies are half decent, such as I, Robot.  These movies help to give some sort of credibility to the word.  Most movies are not as well made as that one, and thus tarnish a word that need not be tarnished the way it has been.

Two red flag words!  Two!

Most movies that have the word “robot” in their title, however, do not live up to the potential of the word.  Perhaps it is because the movies that tend to be better made, and more enjoyable tend to have more thought put into their title than simply tossing the word “robot” in there and hoping that it will earn them more viewers.  Most of these movies lack the depth and enjoyable aspects of movies that stray away from the word.

One exception of note is the movie Robot Jox.  Though heavy handed, Robot Jox tried to add some depth to itself by telling a cold war story in a futuristic world.  Two nations are fighting over the ownership of Alaska by pitting people against each other, fighting in giant robots.  This is a depth that I’m definitely not used to seeing in the typical “bad” movies that I watch.  The other part of making Robot Jox an exception was how enjoyable it was to watch.  Nothing in Robot Jox was all that great.  The acting, script, direction, and effects were all passable but nothing special.  However, when combined, these aspects helped to make a fun science fiction action flick involving giant robots that beat the crap out of each other.  This is an hour and a half that was well spent.

Die, robot, die!

Movies like Robot Jox show that movies featuring the word “robot” in their title are not always a complete loss.  The problem is that so many lesser movies use the word in their title to gain interest that it is almost a sign of a bad movie when you see a title use it.  It makes the potential audience wary when they see a movie with the word “robot.”  The same could be said for some other words that are used in titles, but that’s for another time.

Let this be a warning that a catchy title is not always a good thing.  Keep your eye out for potential red flag words that will let you know that the movie is most likely not worth your time.  Look into the movie a little bit more if one of the words is in the title.  See Robot Jox if you want a robot movie that isn’t a complete waste of time.

Crash and burn.

There is one note that I would like to make:

• Any suggestions for movies to be watched for the Sunday "Bad" Movie can be left in the comments, or sent to me on Twitter.