Plot: What’s it about?
A ruthless scientist has discovered a most useful process, one that allows him to transplant his own brain into the body of a robot. This means he is faster & stronger than before, but retains his intellect as well, a most lethal combination indeed. As you might expect, he decides to use his newfound powers for evil purposes and soon begins a spree, complete with murder, rapes, and all sorts of violent acts. As some forces try to stop this wicked robot in its tracks, female agent Anna (Amy Yip) is killed and of course, the robot manages to escape intact. But Anna’s days of battling crime are not over just yet, as the police transplant her brain into a female robot, also known as a robotrix. Now she can stand on level ground with the robot and once again try to end the reign of chaos it has engaged upon. But even with her newly acquired powers, can Anna prevent the evil robot from doing even more damage?
I’d seen this movie a few times before, but never with English subtitles and as such, I figured it was time to spin Tai Seng’s edition of Robotrix. As you can imagine, the subtitles were most welcome and I was able to enjoy the film much more, although it isn’t the kind of flick you watch for the storyline, if you follow me. I mean, a sexy female robot with massive breasts battle crime, eh? Sounds like a good old Category III flick to me and as such, you’ll want to turn off your brain before you sit down to watch this one. The storyline is a thin one, but it is good enough to hang the nudity, gore, and killer robots on, which is what really counts here. Robotrix seems to have a little bit of everything and perhaps that’s why I like it so much, although the mere presence of Amy Yip is often enough to make a movie worth a look. A nice mixture of various genres, this ends up being a very fun picture in all respects, but if you’re offended by naked chicks, this one won’t be right for your collection. I wish Tai Seng has included more supplements here, but the film itself is good enough to warrant a rental, though only fans will want to spring for a purchase.
As I mentioned above, Amy Yip is often reason enough to watch a movie, as she is simply stunning to look at, to be sure. So even if the movie did get boring, which this one doesn’t, you can always just soak up Yip and enjoy the view. Her performance is quite good here and given the light nature of the material, she never falters much. I’m sure some will say the role is simple and Yip is just giving an average turn, but I think she does well enough in the end. I don’t think she deserves many awards for this one, but given the nature of the flick, I can’t find much to complain about. You can also see Yip in such films as Erotic Ghost Story, China Dolls, Indian Fetish Cult, Great Pretenders, and of course, Sex and Zen. The cast here also includes David Wu (Full Throttle, Kung Fu Cannibals), Chikako Adyama (Finale in Blood, Until We Meet Again), and Billy Chow (Horrible High Heels, Kick Boxer’s Tears).
Video: How does it look?
Robotrix is presented in a 1.85:1 widescreen transfer, which is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. As is often these case with Asian films, the print looks a little worn, but I was still pleased with the image provided here. There is some grain, damage, and debris present, but not much and that’s a relief, to be sure. The colors look solid enough, though perhaps not as vivid as I’d like, while flesh tones remain natural at all times. The contrast is well balanced and stark enough, which means shadows look great and detail is high. I do think this should be anamorphic and tweaked a shade, but this is a more than decent visual presentation.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included Dolby Digital 5.1 track is a good one, with lots of surround presence and range, to be sure. I don’t think you could stack this up against most high budget action flicks by any means, but this track is a good one, at least I think so. Of course, the original Cantonese language is offered and dialogue is clean throughout, I was unable to find any real problems there. As I said, there is some good surround use and the mix has some life, so I think fans will be pleased indeed. This might not blow the doors off the place, but it sounds very good indeed. This disc also includes subtitles in English and Chinese (both traditional and simplified), should you need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
