Empire Pictures [1990] 84′
country: United States
director: STUART GORDON
cast: GARY GRAHAM, ANNE-MARIE JOHNSON,
cast: PAUL KOSLO, ROBERT SAMPSON
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I vividly recall the single television spot for ROBOT JOX I managed to catch prior to it’s 1990 theatrical release – I also remember the excitement it elicited in my six year old heart. I doubt it ever played in either of the two theatres in my home town [one a two-screener, the other a single-screen dollar job] and if it did, I certainly missed it. It was at least a year, possibly more, before JOX was on the Pay-per-View circuit – it was the talk of the town with my first grader friend base, and I imagine that my mother was only one of many to pony up her credit card to ensure their then-seven year olds’ eternal happiness.
Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed. I still have the original VHS to which it was recorded, in fact. My family undoubtedly suffered extensive psychological trauma from seeing it so often from then on, but I loved every second of it. What’s more, I still do.
ROBOT JOX takes place in a post-World War III future where two superpowers, the Russian Confederation and the American Western Market, battle over the remaining territories the only way that a future society that has outlawed outright warfare can – with violent gladiatorial matches between human-piloted giant robots. The two ‘Robot jox’ superstars of the day are the noble American Achilles [Gary Graham] and the despicable Russian Alexander [Paul Koslo], who concludes all of his matches by squashing his opponents like bugs ‘neath his mighty robot feet. Achilles is the last of his kind, a naturally-birthed warrior, and is about to be supplanted by a new generation of genetically engineered fighting men and women.
Well, just one woman – the feisty Athena [Anne-Marie Johnson], whom we know is going to be trouble from the first moment we meet her. When the battle for Alaska goes disastrously wrong, with Alexander forfeiting his victory and hundreds of paying spectators dying in the process, Achilles’ will is broken. He announces his retirement and, amid death threats and public mockery, tries to lead a quiet life. But Alexander wants a rematch, and the next best warrior for the job – Athena – is tapped to take Achilles’ place. Realizing that he’s made a fool of himself and his family, Achilles suddenly re-instates and begins training for the big fight, leaving Athena rightfully perturbed.
When the day of the fight arrives, the aggravated Athena confronts and, more importantly, sedates Achilles, and takes to piloting the Western Market robot against the lethal Alexander herself. As expected, the battle goes all but well for her – can Achilles revive himself and escape the confines of his own apartment in time to turn the tide of the conflict?
There’s more to the story than that, of course, including an espionage subplot that dominates the middle third, but not much. ROBOT JOX is a pretty brisk affair with only one definite purpose in mind – to get from scene of robot carnage to scene of robot carnage in as direct a manner as possible. To that extent the film succeeds. The special effects, supervised by the highly accomplished David Allen [GHOSTBUSTERS II, WHEN DINOSAURS RULED THE EARTH, HONEY I SHRUNK THE KIDS], are a fun mix of traditional methods, including some surprisingly good stop motion work. While its obvious that production conditions were less than ideal – the process and stop motion shots exhibit considerable dirt and speckling in comparison to the rest of the footage – Allen and crew’s work is still highly enjoyable and definitely JOX’s biggest draw.
It’s in regards to the stuff between effects shots that JOX falters. The creative process leading up to filming seems to have been a bit of a mess and was dominated by a conflict between writer / director Stuart Gordon [RE-ANIMATOR] and popular science fiction author Joe Haldeban [THE FOREVER WAR], here penning his only feature screenplay. Haldeban envisioned JOX as a serious dramatic science fiction film for adults, while Gordon was aiming for a much younger audience. The end result is a mixed bag of high drama pushed well over the top by the inclusion of tired cliches [A female warrior, in this futuristic day and age!?] and rampant stereotypes with the robot action holding it feebly together. It all works rather well when you’re six, but I doubt adult audiences would be so kind.
Exacerbating modern appreciation of JOX is its emphasis on the Cold War stand-off between the USA and the Soviet Union, which was already entering its death throws when the film went into production in the mid to late 1980′s. Alexander is a juvenile representation of Soviet might that harkens back to the shoe-banging days of Kruschev [an inspiration, I expect, given some of his dialogue] but isn’t realistic by any means. More distracting is the conspicuous Tex Conway – a man who’s over-the-top patriotic pontifications will see him identified as a backstabbing villain far in advance of the film’s divulging such. JOX concludes with a ‘maybe we can all get along’ ending that rings hilariously false and sees Achilles and Alexander turning from sworn enemies to bestest friends in the midst of beating the shit out of each other.
Still, my friends and I bought ROBOT JOX hook, line, and sinker – stereotypes and happy ending included. If one is willing to overlook its more glaring faults then it still manages to be a fantastically good time. The direction of Stuart Gordon is capable enough, though limitations in the source material he helped to pen keep it from being much more than that. Casting is pretty much spot on, with Gordon regulars Jeffrey Combs and Robert Sampson making appearances [though Combs, a favorite here at Wtf-Film, isn't on screen for nearly as long as I'd have preferred]. All of the leads do well enough in their respective roles – Anne-Marie Johnson is here only a few years away from hitting it big with the televison series IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT and IN LIVING COLOR. Danny Kamekona [THE KARATE KID PT. II, HAWAII FIVE-O] does well in his part as the doomed Doctor Matsumoto – he would return for the JOX semi-sequel ROBOT WARS, this time as a chortling villain.
ROBOT JOX was the biggest film Albert and Charles Band’s Empire Pictures ever produced – so big that the failing company would wither and die before it ever saw release. It also happens to be one of the least embarrassing efforts the Band duo – best known for trash like THE DAY TIME ENDED and METALSTORM, not to mention a host of terrible straight-to-video efforts from their subsequent company Full Moon Pictures – ever made. After a limited theatrical release in 1990, JOX saw VHS and Laserdisc issue in 1992 with MGM taking up the reigns and unleashing it as a bare bones DVD in 2005. That release presents JOX via a new transfer in its original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio and is definitely the release to own for fans of the film.
I realize that I’m rather biased towards ROBOT JOX going in, but I still think its worthy of a recommendation in spite of its obvious flaws. Younger audiences, in particular, ought to find it appealing. This reviewer says see it – what harm could it possibly do?
