Robots: 63

The television series Battlestar Galactica (2004–2009) followed the journey of the remaining humans from the Twelve Colonies of Kobol after they were destroyed by the Cylons. The group, led by President Laura Roslin and Commander William Adama, traveled in a makeshift fleet of ships with the Battlestar Galactica as their central command. As they evaded pursuit from the Cylons, who sought to eliminate all human survivors, they searched for Earth, a legendary and elusive ‘thirteenth’ colony. Unlike other space-themed shows, Battlestar Galactica featured no humanoid aliens; instead, the antagonists were artificial Cylon androids. Additionally, both sides used ...

I, Robot (2004) is a science fiction action film directed by Alex Proyas. The screenplay, written by Jeff Vintar and Akiva Goldsman, is adapted from Vintar’s original script Hardwired and inspired by Isaac Asimov’s collection of short stories from 1950. Taking place in the year 2035, humanoid robots follow the Three Laws of Robotics to serve humanity. Detective Del Spooner of the Chicago Police Department ...

The Animatrix (2003), a groundbreaking adult animated science fiction anthology film, was produced by the Wachowskis. Through nine captivating short films, it delves into the origins of The Matrix film series, including the epic war between humans and machines that resulted in the creation of the iconic Matrix. Not only does it provide insights into the universe, but it also connects to other franchises that have followed suit with similar projects over time. 01: The Second Renaissance Part I. During the mid twenty-first century, human flaws of vanity and ...

The Matrix Revolutions (2003), the third film in The Matrix series, was released six months after prior and was written and directed by the Wachowskis. It picks up immediately after the events of The Matrix Reloaded. Neo and Bane are still unconscious on the ship Hammer’s medical bay when the movie begins. Inside the Matrix, Neo is stuck in a zone called Mobil Ave, situated between the machine world and the Matrix. Here, he meets a group of programs, including a girl named Sati. The ‘father’ informs Neo that this area is controlled by a program called the Trainman, who is loyal to the ...

The Wachowskis’ science-fiction action film, The Matrix Reloaded (2003), continues the story of The Matrix. Neo and Trinity have now become romantically involved six months after the previous events. Morpheus receives an urgent message from Captain Niobe of the Logos for an emergency meeting among all ships in Zion. It has been discovered that an army of Sentinels is rapidly approaching Zion and will arrive in just three days. In response, Commander Lock orders all ships to return to Zion to prepare for defense. However, Morpheus requests that one ship remain behind to contact the Oracle. Inside the ...

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) is a science fiction action film and the third installment in the Terminator franchise. It serves as a sequel to Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). Following the destruction of Cyberdyne Systems ten years prior, John Connor has been living as a nomad, grieving his mother’s death. Despite initially believing that Skynet has been defeated, John still fears that the malevolent artificial intelligence is targeting him. In an attempt to change the future, Skynet sends back an advanced prototype Terminator called the T-X to kill John’s future allies. In response, the human resistance sends back a ...

The Zeta Project (2001–2002), an American science fiction animated series by Warner Bros. Animation, debuted on Kids’ WB in January 2001. It’s the sixth installment in the DC Animated Universe and is centered around the character Zeta from a Batman Beyond episode of the same name. Drawing inspiration from Frankenstein, Blade Runner, and The Fugitive, the show follows Zeta and Ro as they work to clear his name. Hunted by NSA agents who believe he has been reprogrammed by terrorists, Zeta and Ro search for his elusive creator, Dr. Selig. Originally imagined as a darker series, The Zeta Project was instead ...

In 2001, a new addition to the Scooby-Doo franchise was released. Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase (2001) is an animated science fiction comedy mystery film, direct-to-video like its predecessors. The plot follows Mystery Inc. as they reunite with old friend and college student Eric, who has created a computer game based on their adventures and a high-tech laser for a science fair. However, things take a dangerous turn when a ‘Phantom Virus’ emerges from the game and causes chaos on campus. The gang must investigate suspects such as Eric, Professor Kaufman, Bill, and Officer Wembley to stop the virus before someone sends them all into the game using ...

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) is an American science fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg. Set in the 22nd century, rising sea levels caused by global warming have decimated cities and drastically reduced the world’s population. To fill the void left by human loss, Mecha humanoid robots have been created to take their place. In Madison, New Jersey, David – a prototype Mecha child programmed to feel love – is given to Henry Swinton and his wife Monica. They had lost their son Martin to a rare disease and he remains in suspended animation. While initially distant towards David, Monica ...

The Wachowskis brought us The Matrix (1999), a science fiction and action-packed film. At an abandoned hotel, Trinity is cornered by a police squad, but her superhuman abilities allow her to overpower them before fleeing. As she runs from both the police and a group of suited Agents with similar powers, she answers a ringing public telephone and disappears. Thomas Anderson, also known as Neo in the hacking world, becomes intrigued by constant online mentions of ‘the Matrix’. Trinity contacts Neo and informs him that Morpheus has the answers he’s seeking. However, Agent Smith and his team arrive at ...

The Outer Limits (1995–2002), a revival of the classic television series that originally aired from 1963 to 1965, returned to viewers’ screens between 1995 and 2002. Like its predecessor, The Outer Limits presents an anthology of unique episodes, often with unexpected plot twists. While maintaining the anthology format, the remake also incorporated occasional recurring story arcs, which were then brought together in season-finale clip shows. This modern revival of the science fiction horror show explores aliens and frequently includes twist endings. In some cases, a storyline introduced in one episode will continue in a later installment.

Virtuosity (1995), an American sci-fi action flick helmed by Brett Leonard, follows Parker Barnes, an ex-cop imprisoned for taking the life of political terrorist Matthew Grimes. Grimes was responsible for the deaths of Parker’s wife and daughter. Despite also accidentally shooting two journalists during the altercation, Barnes received a severe sentence of 17 years to life. In 1999, Barnes and his colleague John Donovan are testing a virtual reality system designed to train police officers. While pursuing serial killer SID 6.7 in a simulated restaurant setting, Donovan falls into shock and dies at the hands of ...

Judge Dredd (1995) is a US sci-fi action movie based on the eponymous character from 2000 AD comics. It is helmed by director Danny Cannon. In the future, Earth is mostly a wasteland and surviving humans are divided between the desolate ‘Cursed Earth’ and the overcrowded Mega-Cities with huge populations. To maintain order, a team of Judges, who serve as law enforcers, judges, juries and executioners all in one, have replaced traditional justice systems. In the year 2139, during a block war in Mega-City One, veteran ‘Street Judge’ Joseph Dredd aids rookie Judge Barbara Hershey. Amidst the chaos, ...

Director Roland Emmerich released Universal Soldier (1992), a military science-fiction action film set during the end of the Vietnam War. After receiving orders to secure a village, American soldier Luc Deveraux discovers that his squad and some villagers have been killed by his mentally unstable comrade Sgt. Andrew Scott. Scott has also taken two children hostage, prompting Deveraux to try and persuade him that the war is over. However, Scott becomes enraged and kills one of the children in front of Deveraux, then demands that he kill the other as a show of loyalty. Deveraux refuses and stops Scott from harming the ...

Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991) marked Pete Hewitt’s first time directing a feature film. The music of Wyld Stallyns has brought about a utopian future society, but a terrorist named Chuck De Nomolos aims to change that. In the year 2691, he attacks Bill & Ted University and steals a time-traveling phone booth to send evil robot replicas of the duo back in time. His goal? To prevent them from winning the San Dimas Battle of the Bands and altering what he views as a foolish and frivolous society. Despite Rufus’ efforts to stop him, De Nomolos seemingly succeeds and Rufus becomes lost in the ...

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) is a science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, who also co-wrote the script with William Wisher. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic Earth of 2029, where a vicious battle rages between Skynet, an evil artificial intelligence, and the human resistance. In a desperate move, Skynet sends back an advanced liquid metal Terminator known as the T-1000 to eliminate resistance leader John Connor in his childhood. To save him, the resistance sends back a reprogrammed T-800 Terminator covered in synthetic flesh. In 1995 Los ...

Moon 44 (1990), a film from Centropolis Film Productions and directed by Roland Emmerich, takes place in the year 2038. At this point in time, Earth’s natural resources have run dry and major corporations now control the galaxy. These companies constantly battle for rights to mining planets, with the most notable conflict taking place on Moon 44. This particular installation is currently under the control of Galactic Mining Corporation, as other nearby moons have been overtaken by rival Pyrite Defense Company’s battle robots. Due to numerous casualties during training, Galactic Mining cancelled its defense ...

Aliens (1986), a science fiction action film, was written and directed by James Cameron. As the second film in the Alien franchise, it serves as a sequel to the 1979 science fiction horror film Alien. After destroying her ship, the Nostromo, to escape an alien creature that massacred her crew, Ellen Ripley enters a state of stasis for 57 years aboard an escape shuttle. Upon being rescued and debriefed by her employers at Weyland-Yutani Corporation, they express doubt about her claims of alien eggs on exomoon LV-426. This is due to the fact that a terraforming colony now occupies the area. When ...

Directed by James Cameron, The Terminator (1984) is an American science fiction action film. It features Arnold Schwarzenegger as the titular character, a cybernetic assassin sent back in time from 2029 to kill Sarah Connor. A cyborg disguised as a human male, this Terminator was programmed to carry out its mission of hunting and eliminating a woman named Sarah Connor in Los Angeles. Alongside the Terminator’s arrival, a human soldier known as Kyle Reese also appears with the intention of stopping it. In their pursuit, they both acquire ammunition and clothing ...

Blade Runner (1982), a science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, has a complex history due to the involvement of studio executives. The controversy resulted in seven different versions of the film, including a director’s cut in 1992 which was released after positive feedback on a test screening of a workprint. The movie gained popularity through video rentals and was one of the first to be released on DVD. In 2007, Warner Bros. released The Final Cut, a ...