Robotica Destructiva

The Killer Robots! are back, following their previous films, The Killer Robots and the Battle for the Cosmic Potato and The Killer Robots! Crash and Burn. The theatrical rock band The Killer Robots! take on a trio of deadly rocker robots in Robotica Destructiva. In the year 8675309, in another dimension, the utopian planet of Radia lived in peace thanks to the fearsome and powerful weapon, the Arculon Destroyer. Thanks to the Arculon, no one dares approach Radia for its abundance of rich resources.

On this day, the notorious Killer Robots! — Auto (Sam Gaffin), Trog (Charles Harris), Max (Mike McGowan), and Strobo (Samuel Williams) — somehow penetrate the planet’s energy defense shield and steal the Arculon Destroyer. The quartet plan to sell it to the pirate Krogarr (John Schumann) but instead uses it to obtain time crystals for nefarious time travel. The leaders of the now defenseless Radia decide to release three ancient android warrior sisters, known as the Destructivas — Mytra (Amber Belko), Azalla (Torie Martin), and Luna (Kristal Theron).

The deadly trio are angered to be awakened from their 10,000-year sleep. With their dream state of the Doors of Enlightenment interrupted, the Destructivas agree to take back the Arculon. Radia officials promise to return them to their former dreamlike stasis upon successfully completing their mission. The Destructivas are now in a race against time to recover the Arculon and prevent The Killer Robots! from attaining the ability to time travel.

While watching Robotica Destructiva, I didn’t exactly understand the whole mythos. But, then again, the fun of this film is not the story but the universe created by the band Killer Robots!. Said universe, which will leave you in awe, blends CGI and live-action actors with heavy vibes of Tron. Actors wear robot suits accented and accentuated by computer effects. I’d describe the world as urban techno. Everything is run by wires and circuits in order to sustain the android population. Our heroes and villains navigate this world through a blending of natural and cartoon movements giving off an anime feel to the action.

“ The Destructivas are now in a race against time to recover the Arculon…”

The cadre of spaceships is equally impressive as the worlds where they soar. The film blends practical model spaceships with CG space and planetary landscapes. It’s not just the spaceships but the crew’s robot companions and security droids as well. The visual style is akin to George Lucas’ prequels but hip and cool.

Robotica Destructiva also boasts a killer soundtrack with Sam Gaffin’s blending of rock metal and 80s synth music. The soundtrack builds upon the violent feast of android action along the way. Unfortunately, though the music is cool, its driving beat rarely takes a break, leaving me physically exhausted by the end of the 78-minute runtime.

The loose narrative takes us from one action piece to another while introducing exciting characters along the way. I love this visual style and animated action. However, finding a deeply emotional backstory to the Destructivas would only help elevate the overall production to the next level and keep it from feeling like a relentless violent actioner with no soul. Exactly, who are the Destructivas? Why were they put in sleep chambers? What did they leave behind thousands of years ago?

You are most likely going to see Robotica Destructiva somewhere other than theaters. Let me urge you to see it as I did on my giant 4K television — parts feel 3D at times. The art design and model rendering is absolutely gorgeous. The detail and quality of the planets, buildings, and spaceships are impressive. This is important: these are not CG matte paintings. They are fully-rendered 3D models, and the design and detail rival anything you’ll see from the big studios. Prepare to have your mind blown.