Top Ten Movie and TV Robots: Rubber Suit Monster Edition

Mysterious Dr. Satan

Why would a blog about rubber suit monsters be making a list of top ten movie and TV robots, you might be wondering? We noticed that most of the robot rankings out there for film and broadcast science fiction are too much of a mixed bag for our tastes. The other top ten lists put all kinds of robots together. How can you compare live action and animated robots, or example? For us, the premier robot representation, especially on the big screen, is a guy (or nice looking gal) in a robot costume. It's the natural enhancement of the rubber suit monster!

So the robots on this list are not cartoon animations, CGI's, or radio controlled animatrons. They are also not androids that are pretty much regular people on the outside with implied gears on the inside (like in the original Alien, Bladerunner, the enforcement cops in THX 1138, Yul Brynner in West World, or The Terminator--who becomes a CGI anyway). We're not up for telling ourselves throughout a film that this actor with a gear or lens stuck to their face is supposed to be a robot. Computers like HAL in 2001 are also not it. HAL was great, but he's not a robot. We like to watch a person, 98% of them at least, wrapped in a fantastic costume play a robot or monster. A note: new Dr. Who show's robots do qualify for our list and are popular, but we find them very annoying. The robots can be scary, or lovable, just not like nails on a chalkboard. We also do appreciate some of the non-suit robots. The stop-action, animated model robots in the original star wars were wonderful, for example. Here's our list of top robots:

10. Lost in Space Robot (B-9 environmental control robot). We know that this was a really bad show. We also know that if you were a kid in the 1960s, you watched it. Lost in Space was like a slow motion train wreck. But that robot was a blast. The slinky arms were nutty, as was the telescoping glass eyeball, halo, or whatever it was supposed to be that craned out of its upper body. This robot deserves fame and appreciation just for its, "Danger, danger Will Robinson!" warning calls.

Robocop

9. Original Battlestar Galatica "Cylon" Robots. Cylons are on this list because lots of people love the old and new Galactica shows, which is important. The robots from the old show get a shout out here because they had a guy walking around in the costume, and pulled off this sort of cool retro 1950s heavy chrome automobile fender and grill aesthetic.

8. Robocop Robot. Another crappy movie franchise that made a bundle for the schlocky producers. But Peter Weller, whose costume qualifies for this list because he was completely covered in it save his lips and chin, really created a memorable character. The film also gets points for attempting to lampoon the all too real police state. Fun factoid is that Weller won the part because his lips looked the best. I think that's studio flack hype, but it's fun.

Gort

7. Forbidden Planet "Robby The Robot." This was the perfect movie robot for its time. This robot did not have a bad angle and made beautiful toys. It actually was kind of a little scary in the film too, if you were young enough.

6. Wizard of Oz "Tin Man." Not taking any arguments about this one. Tin Man is amazing.

5. The Day The Earth Stood Still "Gort" Robot. This film and this robot are in a class all by themselves. The robot's aesthetic is so spare and elegant. It wears its metal suit like it was on the spring runway in Milan. Everything in this movie worked including this singular rubber suit robot. If you get a chance to see the film in large format, go for it. There are details inside the ship that don't come through any other way.

4. Metropolis "False Maria" Robot. Another superlative. She is the rubber suit automaton by which all others are judged. Her style is quoted by costume designers again and again, from Star Wars to Dr. Who. But nothing compares to Maria in the film in all her Art Deco, black and white, silent film glory.

C3PO

2. & 3. Star Wars "R2D2" and "CP3O" So lovable. They are a pair. And incredibly, there was somebody inside the R2 costume driving it around. They were pretty small but they were in there.

1. Godzilla Movie Franchise "Mechagodzilla." All stars encounter their character's evil twin, if their show or film franchise is around long enough. It is only right that the king of all rubber suit monsters Godzilla would have its robot mirror image. Mecha was genius. It was so much fun watching these two slug it out. Will have to watch it again soon.

Honorable Mention: 1940's The Mysterious Dr. Satan robot - truly a "man in a can."