User Reviews

While transporting airborne two state-of-art robots with artificial intelligence and a team of scientists, the ultimate weapons are accidentally activated, killing the humans and crashing the airplane in an isolated island. A team of marines leaded by Major Richard Tunney (Joe Lando) and with the support of the scientist Susan Foster (Lisa LoCicero) is assigned to retrieve or destroy the robots within a schedule. Meanwhile, a gang of thieves that had robbed US$ 2,000,000.00 in a passenger vessel has trouble with the rotor of their helicopter and lands in the same island.

"A.I. Assault" is flawed and full of holes, and my only consolation is that I have seen movies worse than this one. The story is absurd: the helicopter of the thugs lands exactly in the same dangerous island; the military force brings inadequate weapons, in spite of knowing that only one rifle is suitable to fight against the invincible robots; their adviser, Dr. Susan Foster, acts like a retarded; the pilot of the helicopter has a crisis of morality and leaves two million dollars in the island. The robots seem to be prepared to destroy ham actors and actresses, actually that is what they do along the movie, therefore they are useful weapons. The story is a sort of "Jurassic Park III" with the devices from the 2006 "War of the Worlds", and the special effects are reasonable for a B-movie. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Shockwave"

It actually gives you the illusion that the dialog isn't completely under-developed. I actually didn't find the acting to be terrible, if they were given some decent lines, well actually if this movie was completely re-written, it would have been a hell of a lot better.

The special effects were entertaining, I'm sure the film crew were on a limited budget, and I give them props for what they managed to squeeze from I'm guessing, an already dry lemon. Well aside from the plane scene... But then again, nothing can be made perfect. If you rent this movie, you should expect it not to be worth you're money, because there's a lot of other sci-fi movies out there. But if you you don't care about a measly dollar, then get it out, for a laugh at least. ;)

Wow. Some of my favorite actors are completely wasted in this movie. They try, some more than others, but they can't save this clunker of a script in the hands of an incompetent director. Oh look, the writer and director are the same person: Jim Wynorski.

You can tell that this movie had a reasonable budget, but Jim Wynorski doesn't know what to do with it. All of his shots are uninspired and clunky. Likewise, the editing is amateurish. A first year film student could do better.

The CGI effects are clean, but they are not integrated well into the live action scenes. Human actors react to things that don't happen, or are out of sync with the CGI action. For example, while being attacked, someone is thrown to the ground by a CGI robot that never gets anywhere close to the actor.

Additionally, the music is really lame. Casio keyboard quality from someone's basement.

But the worst element is the script. Everything about it is terrible. The story, the lines and the characters are all pathetic.

The only things keeping the movie from being a 1 rating are the actors and the rest of the production staff. The camera work is good, as are the costumes, sets, sound, etc. i.e. it's a well-made crappy movie.

Shockwave looked like a real dog and it was except for the cameos by all the different scifi and horror flick cast. A member from every Star Trek franchise was there, Billy Mummy from Lost in Space, and a host of others. The endless supply of bullets with no clip changes. I have to say that I believe the acting was good, but the script and direction seemed off. The story is old and tired. An experiment gone wrong that creates a being that tries to take over the world, or at least got off a deserted island. The editing didn't help much and made the film seem labored. The final battle in the rain and the stars stayed dry the whole time. A B- movie due to all the technical flaws. If you like plain old action and don't mind the continuity breaks, this is for you.

Wow, you ARE a picky bunch, aren't you? Look, this is a SciFi (now SyFy) channel movie. We all know what we're in for before the movie even starts. You can't compare it to the 100-200 million dollar theatrical releases. SyFy cranks these babies out on the cheap, and you get what you'd expect; SFX that can be done on home PC's, B and C grade actors, and older actors that are now out of fame and just looking for something to do.

In this case they did a cool thing and brought in Star Trek alum from three versions of the franchise; Takei, from TOS, Dorn, from NG, and Picardo, from Voyager. SyFy offers these guys maybe $25,000 for a couple days work on what are, essentially, extended cameos. They sit around between shots, sipping martini's and reminiscing over the old times. They give half-baked performances, get one or two minutes of screen time each, cash their checks and go home. Hell, I'd do it. For their part, SyFy gets to use their names for promoting the film.

As SyFy channel movies go, this one was OK. Fact is, I thought the SFX were better than in many of these little time-wasters. They go cheap and don't worry about details, like captain's bars on their collar and sergeant's stripes on their sleeve (this from one of the movies I saw a couple years ago). My favorite from this one is that all the Special Forces guys are carrying M16A2's, except one guy, who's using a 50 year old M16A1. Not a chance this would happen in real life, but to be honest, I think they do a lot of that stuff on purpose, to give guys like me the fun of spotting those errors.

It's just campy fun, like Snakes On A Plane, and if you watch until the first commercial break you'll know the entire plot, and after that you can go to the bathroom, grab another beer, or answer the phone and have no fear that you'll miss a vital plot point.

So lighten up, people. This fluff won't kill you, and let's face it, the other 80 channels are all filled with stuff like Real Housewives of Barstow, Law & Order reruns from the 1990's, and Tory Spelling movies (Mother, May I Sleep With Danger?).

I'd say this was an average SyFy channel effort.

With the notable exception of the excellent "Dark Kingdom," the SciFi Channel seems to have an aversion to original productions that don't insult its audience's intelligence. Self-aware combat robots decide to go into business for themselves after crashing on a tropical island that looks amazingly like Santa Barbara County. A commando team is sent in with the brainiac daughter of the scientist who created the critters, charged not with destroying but recapturing them. Complicating matters is a trio of cruise-ship robbers whose getaway helicopter happened to crash on the same island for the same reason (a sudden, unexpectedly huge tropical storm that the gods tossed in to add to the tension because it would be too much work to create it through the story). The machines resemble H.G. Wells's original fighting machines, with the embittered sociopathy of "The Terminator's" SkyNet & the opportunistic assimilation abilities shown in "South Park's" episode "Trapper Keeper." Bits & pieces of story elements that could be attributed to "Resident Evil," "Westworld" & any number of trapped-on-an-island-with-monsters movies serve to finish off any hint of originality. The CGI critter-machines are up to par, although they make annoying creaking noises like the Tin Man from "The Wizard of Oz." The other sets & props range from so-so to laughably cheap. The commandos are ludicrously incompetent, having received their patrolling, combat & weapons training from third-graders in some backyard. "Star Trek" icons George Takei (ex-Sulu) & Michael Dorn (ex-Worf) might have lent some interest but share no scenes together & have small, dispensable parts. "AI" violates one of the most basic rules in monster movies by both showing & describing the monster in the very first scene, leaving nothing more for imagination or anticipation. The same carelessness with the sets is given to the explanation of the monsters & the rationale for their misbehavior, although the word "matrix" is applied to them at least 3 times. Why does SciFi keep doing this to us? Is it because Michael Bay keeps getting away with making giant movies without plausible stories? Are we being collectively punished for our morbid fascination with Edward D. Wood, Jr.? Is there some secret proviso in Hollywood that prohibits the possession of a valid library card? I'd rather sit through a miniseries of all 39 sequels to "The Wizard of Oz" than see more of these. Uh-oh, better be careful what I wish for.

I've never reviewed a movie before without watching the whole thing. This is a special case. I began watching the movie. 3 minute later, crappiness reached critical mass. People screaming at badly animated CGI robots. Pistols with endless clips that magically fire without recoil (In fact, upon looking closer, I realized that the pistols are more magical than I realized at first. They somehow fire without the hammer even moving!) Right about the time the guy in camouflage parked his truck underneath the robot and waited for it to laser him is where I quit watching and started doing my math homework. Did they even try with this movie? Jeez. I feel insulted. Thank God I only wasted $2 renting it. Easiest review I've ever made.

CCCCCCRRRRAAAAAPPPPP! I've seen better homemade movies on YouTube.

Another made-for-Tele movie which is completely horrible. There is barely any plot, the acting, writing, and of course the god-awful directing of today's worst director and Ed Wood impersonator, Jim Wynorski, who, when not making terrible plot less porn movies with hideous women, is making crappy straight to video or Sci-fi "original" movies. Basically this is a bad rip-off of War of the worlds, and to top it all off, it's another failed attempt of a Sci-fi original movie. If Sci-fi continually pulls bad ideas out of their ass with overtones of someone Else's' films, then the horror business if being dug to an early grave. Which is sad because I am a horror filmmaker myself of what one may call 'b-flicks' but when I see these computer-generated bloody bull-crap, it makes me want to throw up. If this movie comes on the Tele again, kill yourself, it will make you hate your remaining life.

It's not lost on me that the very premise of this little romp borrows major plot elements from Pixar's superhero flick 'The Incredibles' that had been released a couple years prior. Nor is there any missing the rather astonishing list of names involved here - many very famous, some rather infamous; one wonders how they were all brought together in this case. But then, who can resist a silly little genre piece? It's an easy paycheck for the participants, an excuse for them to work together, and a minor delight for the audience, no matter the resulting quality. It's certainly what drew me in. Sure, it's cheesy and overdone, and the more we get to see of the CGI, the less seamless it is. But isn't that the whole point? 'Shockwave,' also known as 'A. I. assault,' is an unapologetic celebration of low-grade sci-fi schlock, and I don't think we'd want it any other way.

Dialogue, scene writing, characters, plot development (from the very start!), the narrative at large, effects, editing, cinematography, direction: a preponderance of this movie is blithely curt and direct. I wouldn't say that these elements are forced, which is a welcome change of pace from like fare, but they're definitely unbothered about any sense of fastidiousness or judiciousness in film-making or storytelling. It is what it wants to be, we get what we get; in fairness, not least with filmmaker Jim Wynorski on hand, I don't think anyone could expect otherwise. With this said, I don't think there's any arguing that the cast are having a great time, especially as the material requires so little of them (including screen time - what do you expect from a feature about killer robots?). It's not that anyone gives a bad performance, only that they act in accordance with what the feature demands, which mostly means much brusqueness, overacting, and chewing of scenery. If you could have a job where you get to employ your skills but not to any taxing degree, wouldn't you take it?

Here's the thing: there's no mistaking 'Shockwave' for anything other than the B-movie that it is, or the TV movie that it is. This is at best a second-tier sci-fi action flick, but it also carries no pretenses about being something it's not. I can understand how such pictures don't appeal to many viewers; this is the sort of thing you watch on a lazy day, something to watch in the background to relax, something you don't need to actively engage with. Is there anything wrong with this? I don't think so. In fact, so long as one is willing to engage with the feature on its level, I think this is reasonably well made, and nowhere near as bad as its broad reception would seem to portend. I've seen the bottom of the barrel, and this is nowhere near it. 'Shockwave' might be blunt and forthright, low-budget, and less than perfectly discriminating about best authenticity and value, but none of it is accidental or sloppy. Save for the modern production values, sensibilities about violence, and big name stars - and Chuck Cirino's score, which I rather like - in all the important ways, I'm reminded of 50s genre fare more than anything else; take that as you will.

Even if you're especially enamored of such movies, by no means should one go out of their way for this. It's quite enjoyable, but only on a particular level, and there's no shortage of like-minded sci-fi kin that are just as if not more deserving of one's time. For that matter, it's surely most recommendable specifically for those who are major fans of someone involved. All the same, if you happen to come across 'Shockwave,' this is a fun little lark, and a half-decent way to spend 90 lazy minutes.

I learned that this was an original film made by SciFi (or SyFy, I ain't sure when it was made). Apparently that network hasn't learned anything from when it aired "Mystery Science Theater 3000" unless it does have a somewhat sadistically ironic awareness. "Shockwave" (a.k.a. "A.I. Assault") is pretty much like Jim Wynorski's equally repugnant "Komodo vs. Cobra" in that you have a one-dimensional cast of characters that shrinks anytime the villains (tripod ripoffs in this movie or economy-size reptiles in the other one) kill one person. Also notice that all the men are armed & spent much of the movie shooting at the aliens w/ Doc Ock appendages w/o conjuring up better strategies along the way. The women on the other hand can only scream, act scared & look pretty; not the kind of movie nostalgia we'd like as Angelina Jolie or Milla Jovovich flex their biceps & kick ass while they also look pretty. +, the cast has some familiar names, but only at the D-list level (somewhere below appearing on "Dancing with the Stars" or "Celebrity Apprentice"). You got Michael Dorn (Worf from "Star Trek: Next Generation"), playing the African-American high-ranking official who must stare out the window looking concerned & arguing w/ his associates over big decisions either in person or on the phone (& pretty much never leaves the office or communicates w/ the guys in danger of the aliens). You got Alexandra Paul, the "streamlined" (nee, curveless) lifeguard in "Baywatch," who surprisingly is so briefly in the movie that she pretty much makes a cameo. & Joe Lando, the long-haired guy on "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman." Of course I never saw that show so I ain't sure the short-haired Lando was the leader of the heroes or villains. All in all, "Shockwave" proves to you that there are still movies made w/ blockbuster aspirations but w/ indie budgets. Take a note from Joel Robinson or Mike Nelson. Get some buddies to make fun of "A.I. Assault" to stave off any suicidal pain hoping the movie improves.

Well, I can tell is a Sci Fi channel assault on our intelligence. They have some Star Trek actors and actor from B5 on the movie, Everyone needs to work even stars from long faded shows. The computer generated robots were decent and the storyline had promise. My problem with this film is as follows: (1) I just love movie military personal with hair too long. (2) This movie supposedly take place on an island near Fiji, why is everyone wearing a jacket. We have a few shot of the tropics, but the rest of the movie seems to be filmed in the Pacific Northwest. It would be an otherwise decent film if they spent a bit of time on the details.

Yeah, it's a good question - and a rhetorical one too. Judging by the sub-SyFy Channel standard of A.I. ASSAULT, aka SHOCKWAVE, the answer's a definite "no", because this is Z-grade CGI trash through and through. The problem with A.I. ASSAULT is that it's saddled with an absolutely awful, lunk-headed script which starts nowhere and goes nowhere. The characters are cardboard cut-outs, the performances would stink in a porn film, and the direction is sub-par. In fact, the only thing good about the whole movie is a pair of alien robots which dominate the storyline.

These creations are shamelessly lifted from Wells' original WAR OF THE WORLD, giant Tripod-things that go around butchering soldiers in various mildly gory (but inevitably cheesy) ways. They show promise, but the premise soon boils down to various characters wandering around an island somewhere, endlessly fighting them off and getting bumped off one by one. It's all very humdrum and by rote; the robots could be exchange for any movie monster in existence and it would all boil down to the same thing.

The film's main selling point is the presence of a number of ex-STAR TREK actors who inevitably show up for brief cameos before disappearing again. An indelibly aged George Takei is here, along with Robert Picardo and Michael Dorn. B-movie favourite Tim Thomerson also appears as a stuffy army official. Sadly, none of these actors even come close to making A.I. ASSAULT anything approaching a decent movie.

Once again, I admonish anyone against sending Dave to the Blockbuster alone (see my comment on "Showdown at Area 51"). Dave, being a HUGE trekker (not a trek-EE, dammit!), decided that the presence of Robert Picardo and George Takei meant that this bad boy would be a sure-fire WINNER! I needed three 22-ounce screwdrivers (poured half-and-half) to make it though this snooze-fest. The best part was when Takei, in one of the most poignant spurts of film irony ever, yells with utter conviction, "WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON BACK THERE!?" God, have we gotten some mileage out of that quote! Other than that, this film, despite the presence of Tim Thomerson, has absolutely NOTHING to recommend it. Please, please, don't go down this path. You will feel like the morning after getting roofied at a party at Takei's house: strangely violated and emotionally dead.

They're supposed to be Navy Seals according to the banner from Comcast. There are no Majors in the Navy. The Gold Oak Leaf is the rank for a Luitenant Colonel. Also, the Two vertical bars on the "Captain" are the rank of Luitenant in the Navy, not a Captain. A Captain in the Navy wears a silver eagle, and is the equivalent of a Colonel in the other services. If he were Marines, Army, or Air Force, he would be a "Captain", but not in the Navy.

It's pretty simple - all of the services in DOD use the same officer structure, EXCEPT for the Navy. The CG also uses Navy ranks, though it is part of Homeland Security (formerly CG was DOT). If you're going to make a movie, TV show, or mini-series, you can at least check the basics.

I will give you this, the acting is actually not too bad. There are actors who do put effort into their roles(which is saying a lot in regard to SyFy) and Joe Lando is a decent actor who sadly hasn't yet had a good script or credible character to work from. The effects have also been worse, they are not great by all means but they aren't so bad that you're gouging out your eyes. However, the camera work and editing are incredibly amateurish and while not bad to look at the effects are poorly used, often over-used and adding little to the scenario. The script is also awful, with cheesy one-liners, stilted dialogue and contrived situations. The story has no real excitement, imagination or suspense, instead it is full of predictability and makes the mistake of making Shockwave dull. The monster is nowhere near menacing enough, and part of the problem to do with the story was that it was introduced too early(in the first scene too) which dilutes immediately any potential Shockwave had. The characters are clichéd and have no development or likability at all, almost as if Jim Wynorski was concentrating on the quantitative(in alternative to qualitative, which for me is more important) spectacle and practically ignoring anything else. In conclusion, has so much wrong but I can think of worse ways to waste my time. 3/10 Bethany Cox

This movie was identical to the Curse of the Komodo (http://imdb.com/title/tt0346811/), just change giant Komodo dragons with robots and right down to the helicopter with bank robbers and a race to defeat the robots and get off the island before it's nuked (but no Glori-Anne Gilbert boobage). There was even a brief, weird zombie-like scene.

Coincidence? Nope. Both were directed by Jim Wynorski (http://imdb.com/name/nm0691061/).

The effects weren't bad, but they never developed the plot thread that the robots got smarter the longer they were active. The intelligence level seemed pretty unchanged throughout the movie.

Verdict: 1 robot tentacle out of 5

Just flipping channels on a lazy Saturday, happened to catch this on HBO. Forget the magically - always fully loaded clips and people standing right in front waiting for robots to kill them. Even the heist was just badly done. Why can not the guy put the stupid bag down and just dump the money into it with both hands? Must be pretty awkward to hurry using only one hand! The guy kills the steward 'coz he gets to know his name! Couldn't they sand bag him and carried out the heist? And he kills him for knowing his name - what about the face? No ski-masks? Once out of the room - the only guy around is dead in the office. Why carry the guns in hand? To raise suspicion? I made myself watch it for 20 minutes... - and changed channels. If you plan to torture your enemies - show them this.

Jim Wynorski! I love the man. There's just no director who can so rip off his own movies like Wynorski can! Utter genius! I applaud him for that! This time no stock footage from his previous films, but a script that's almost exactly the same as the one he used for "The Curse Of The Komodo" (2004). Only, you replace the Komodos by... giant robots with tentacle-legs and a whole arsenal of various deadly weapons. I loved it. And you can actually take "Shockwave (aka A.I. Assault)" a little bit more seriously than the "Komodo" one. Well,... maybe you can't, but what the hell. It's total campy, implausible, sci-fi B-drivel-entertainment. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but the CG-effects are actually pretty decent. Well, maybe not all that decent, but whatever. Even the killings are fun to watch. And Tim Thomerson has absolutely nothing to do in this film, except for briefing some soldiers and talking over the phone. Oh well, I might as well admit it: I had my fun with this one. Thank you, Jim. Next time put some naked tits in it, will you?