# Worst droids in films?



## Heebie (Sep 8, 2009)

I’ve just watched Silent Running and couldn’t really get over how useless the droids (or drones, as they called them) were.  They had less personality than Red Dwarf’s Scutters!  I just looked on IMDB.com and it seems I’m actually in the minority there as people seem to find them sweet.  

Are there any worst droids out there in the universe?


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## Interference (Sep 8, 2009)

They were cute and twee just when droids needed to be cute and twee, and you must have at least stifled a tear when Bruce Dern says his farewell to Dewey just before - actually, that's near the end, ain't it, so -- um -- spoiler? ....

Worst droid ever is Tweeky in the Buck Rogers TV series.  Worst _ever_!!


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## Heebie (Sep 8, 2009)

Interference said:


> They were cute and twee just when droids needed to be cute and twee, and you must have at least stifled a tear when Bruce Dern says his farewell to Dewey just before - actually, that's near the end, ain't it, so -- um -- spoiler? ....
> 
> Worst droid ever is Tweeky in the Buck Rogers TV series. Worst _ever_!!


 
I was more concerned with the 'double amputees' apparently stuck inside them to move them around.

Biddie, biddie, biddie!


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## Interference (Sep 8, 2009)

But Heebs, think!  There can't be _much_ work for double amputees, even in the movie industry.  Artoo and the circus is just about it.


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## Heebie (Sep 8, 2009)

Interference said:


> But Heebs, think! There can't be _much_ work for double amputees, even in the movie industry.


 
I heard amputees made a killing (poor choice of words) in the opening D-Day scene in Saving Private Ryan!


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## Interference (Sep 8, 2009)

I actually know one who regularly gets his legs hacked off in costume-drama battle scenes.


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## Heebie (Sep 8, 2009)

Interference said:


> I actually know one who regularly gets his legs hacked off in costume-drama battle scenes.


 
I hope he tells the other combatants that he 'comes apart'.  I can see a look of horror on their faces if they chop at him with a plastic prop-sword and he loses both his legs.


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## Rodders (Sep 8, 2009)

Yes, i'd agree that Twicky was an appallingly useless robot. Didn't he have a female robot counterpart?


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## Dave (Sep 8, 2009)

Rodders said:


> Yes, i'd agree that Twicky was an appallingly useless robot. Didn't he have a female robot counterpart?


Unfortunately, I think you are correct; in one episode I remember there was.

But weren't there some things even worse in Disney's 'The Black Hole'?


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## Ursa major (Sep 8, 2009)

It has to be *Twiki* from the Buck Rogers TV series.


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## Tillane (Sep 8, 2009)

Dave said:


> But weren't there some things even worse in Disney's 'The Black Hole'?


Bob and Vincent, if memory serves - Bob being voiced (appallingly) by Slim Pickens.  They'd definitely get my vote - though Jinx from Space Camp would run them very close.


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## Urien (Sep 8, 2009)

The robot dog thing in Battlestar Galactica (original series).


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## Ursa major (Sep 8, 2009)

I don't recall that, Urien, which may be just as well.


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## Dave (Sep 8, 2009)

Ah yes! Boxey's robot dog, Muffit II. That beats all the rest so far. Twiki was a Maria in comparison!

So, can there really be anything worse?

PS. This should have been a Poll. I could still add one - (I think! I'd have to start another thread with a poll and merge them together.)


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## Urien (Sep 8, 2009)

Alas, you need to see this...






Say hi to Muffit II


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## Urien (Sep 8, 2009)

BREAKING NEWS


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## Ursa major (Sep 8, 2009)

Are you perhaps an evil spirit sent to torture my soul, Urien?

For now I do remember Muffit and I wish I didn't. 




And Dave is correct: however irritating Twiki was, it was no match for Muffit.


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## paranoid marvin (Sep 9, 2009)

Marvin was SO depressing


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## clovis-man (Sep 10, 2009)

Tillane said:


> Bob and Vincent, if memory serves - Bob being voiced (appallingly) by Slim Pickens.  They'd definitely get my vote...



I agree. Two floating trash bins with googly eyes.


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## Quokka (Sep 10, 2009)

Poor Muffit, all he needs is the right owner.


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## Rodders (Sep 10, 2009)

As a rule i really don't mind the droid being there as some sort of comic relief. I would think that it's fair to say that the majority of SF droids are portrayed this way, but i loathe it when they [the movie maker] goes for the Cute angle. 

Any cute droid belongs on this list.


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## Dave (Sep 10, 2009)

R2D2 is cute. Johnny5 is cute. I wouldn't put them on a list of worst droids.


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## Rodders (Sep 10, 2009)

I wouldn't necessarily say that they looked cute. Sure, they have cheeky or cute personalities.

The robot on Fireball XL5 was pretty useless too.


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## Pyan (Sep 10, 2009)

Rodders said:
			
		

> Yes, i'd agree that Twicky was an appallingly useless robot. Didn't he have a female robot counterpart?



Oh, yes. And amazingly enough, someone put the scene on YouTube...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd8MGNjkm0s


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## Rodders (Sep 11, 2009)

LOL. Now that's just wrong. 

I know that they're not in films, but it is related. The robots from the Smash TV adverts were pretty useless too. (Got to love them though.)


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## Dave (Sep 11, 2009)

*Poll Added*

I've added a poll. You can vote for more than one choice. Your choices will be seen by others.


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## Rodders (Sep 11, 2009)

Thanks Dave. I had to vote for Booty and i left one blank. There's bound to be something worse come along later. (Will you be doing a poll for the best robot too?)


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## Dave (Sep 11, 2009)

I'm sure that there is one in the darkest vaults somewhere here. You can start a new one if you wish.


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## Ursa major (Sep 11, 2009)

"Wor*st*" droid but with a multiple choice? Just as well this thread isn't in Critiques. 



Anyway: Thanks, Dave. I'll have to think about this (however unpleasant a prospect this seems).


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## Interference (Sep 11, 2009)

_most_ corrupt, bad, evil, or ill; most faulty, unsatisfactory, or objectionable

Not _more_ evil, more faulty or "worse", Urse   Or am I missing a semantic point? Possible, cos I'm an idiot, y'know


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## Talysia (Sep 11, 2009)

Another vote for Twiki's girlfriend, Booty.

Although I have to say (at the risk of sounding controversial) that I rather liked the Scutters from Red Dwarf.


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## Rodders (Sep 11, 2009)

nothing wrong with that. Those guys had attitude. (Well, at least as far as Rimmer was concerned anyway.)


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## jojajihisc (Sep 11, 2009)

I always thought that robot was named Twinky when I was a kid and I would have continued to believe that had it not been for this thread. Damn you Buck Rogers, it should have been Twinky. Think of the ad. revenue that could have been generated from Hostess.

So I voted "Twiki" as the worst.


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## Dave (Sep 11, 2009)

Rodders said:


> (Will you be doing a poll for the best robot too?)


There are two old threads for the "Best" robot already:
http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/37725-best-robot.html
http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/11397-whos-your-favourite-movie-robot.html

It is interesting that The Scutters, the Silent Running drones and Marvin are mentioned in both the best and the worst threads.


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## Rodders (Sep 12, 2009)

It'd be fait to say that they all had some purpose though. The Scutters and the Silent Running drones were all maintenance droids and having a robot with a brain the size of a planet must have it's uses. Twiki had no discernable purpose. (Perhaps we are seeing him wrongly and he is infact a piece of art. Just kidding.)


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## Dave (Sep 12, 2009)

Twiki did have a purpose - he carried around Dr. Theopolis, who had no means of other independent locomotion. Twiki would typically attach Theo to his chest. Why they couldn't give the Council members legs or wheels instead of an irritating assistant beats me, but the other Council members didn't get out that much (and I can understand why!)

In the context of the story-writing I guess Twiki was meant to be R2D2 to Dr. Theopolis' C3PO - this series was made upon the back of the recent success of Star Wars. I guess they though they would be the funny and straight men for comedic interludes - like Abbott to Costello, Laurel to Hardy, Morcambe to Wise, Ball to Cannon. Unfortunately, it was just lame.


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