The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland List: Cyborg Films

How often do you sit there thinking about what to watch? You might have an endless watchlist that keeps piling up (I certainly have one myself). Sometimes you are just in the mood for a type of film or a certain filmmaker or actor and want to take yourself into a deep dive. As someone who watches so many movies, I have people asking me for recommendations all the time. One of the best feelings as a cinephile is recommending a film and that person loves it. Take this wealth of cinematic knowledge and experience and enjoy some recommendations on me. Genre. Subgenre. Filmmaker. Actor. Composer. Writer. Genre. Story. Trope. Cliché. Any other cinematic elements or them. Here is The Wasteland List:   

Cyborg Films

Metropolis (1927)

What is the earliest cinematic cyborg you can think of? Fritz Lang’s Metropolis has one of the most famous robots in the history of cinema but its creator, Rotwang, is an enhanced individual himself. This is a wondrous science fiction masterpiece as a whole and fits nicely as the jumping off point for this list.

Dr. No (1962)

Who is the greatest Bond villain of all time? There are so many great villains in this lengthy franchise and one of the most interesting is the titular villain of Dr. No. Machinal hands and all, he is an antagonist of this franchise against the late great Sean Connery.

Westworld (1973)

What Terminator existed before James Cameron changed the game with The Terminator? Yul Brynner’s Gunslinger was the first real cyborg killing machine in Michael Crichton’s Westworld which is a twisted tale of a fantasy world turned nightmarish. Intense and unrelenting, this is a wildly creative thriller with a great idea.

Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Who is the most famous cyborg of all? Darth Vader stands as one of the most iconic villains of all time and he gets his victory for the Empire here with The Empire Strikes Back. Luke, Han, and Leia lead the way in the best Star Wars film of (and Luke even ends up as a cyborg himself).

RoboCop (1987)

What lengths will society, capitalism, and the police state go to get the face of their existence? Paul Verhoeven’s sharply satirical RoboCop is a wild ride full of hilarious dark comedy, intense action, and plenty of blood and guts. RoboCop a.k.a. Murphy is one of the most iconic cyborgs of all with plenty of empathy and heart.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

What is THE cyborg film? Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a towering achievement of both action and science fiction cinema with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 being one of the biggest icons of cinema. One of the greatest sequels of all time and some of the best machine action in film…this is an all-time great blockbuster film.

Ghost in the Shell (1995)

What is one of the greatest anime of all time? Ghost in the Shell is an incredible achievement in animation with some of the boldest visuals and action sequences ever put into film. Kusanagi Motoko is an elite policewoman cyborg and warrior who goes toe-to-toe with the Puppet Master in an iconic cat-and-mouse game.

Treasure Planet (2002)

How do you shake up a classic film like Treasure Island? Put it in space and turn everything technologically infused! Disney created Treasure Planet which is an under-appreciated gem of Disney Animation with all the classic trapping of the book but with fun editions like a cyborg Long John Silver.

Dredd (2012)

What is one of the most under-appreciated comic book adaptations of all time? Dredd is an intense, inventive, and thrilling film led by a killer performance from Karl Urban. This technologically enhanced lawman, Dredd, and a force to be reckoned with going up against the crime queen Mama.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

What is one of the crown jewels of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? The Winter Soldier is a great anchoring piece of Phase Two and the Captain America trilogy with Cap fighting one of the most important people in his life. The twist of Bucky being turned into a killer cyborg is shocking and makes for some of the coolest action sequences in the MCU.

Upgrade (2018)

What is the most under-appreciated flick on this whole list? Upgrade is a wild ride from Leigh Whannell that gives Logan Marshall-Green a starring role to really lose himself in. The wild twists and turns of Marshall-Green’s Grey Trace getting turned into a cyborg makes for a shocking, intense, and entertaining ride.

Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

So…when are we getting the sequel to Battle Angel? Robert Rodriguez and James Cameron created one of the most visually striking and impressive fantasy worlds in films with plenty of mechanically enhanced characters (including the titular Alita). There is so much potential for new stories, but Rodriquez and company do a great job of setting it all up here.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)

What is the true edition of the DCEU’s Justice League? Zack Snyder’s vision was changed by Warner Brothers and Joss Whedon, but you can still see all four hours of it now on HBO Max. One of the best changes from the theatrical cut it the significantly deeper presentation of Cyborg’s story where he has a story.