AXL (2018)

Directed by: Oliver Daly | 95 minutes | action, adventure | Actors: Alex Neustaedter, Becky G, Alex MacNicoll, Dominic Rains, Thomas Jane, Lou Taylor Pucci, Patricia De Leon, Niko Guardado, Marie-Françoise Theodore, Ted McGinley, Madeline Bertani, Andrew Ortenberg, Hassie Harrison, Magdalene Vick

Miles Hill is a shy boy who is all about motocross. But his life changes completely when he discovers the escaped robot dog AXL after a fall with his motorcycle in a remote place. The mechanical animal was designed by a secret military service as an advanced weapon of war. Basically, AXL is programmed to attack anything that moves, with the exception of ‘the owner’ who controls it. When AXL gets damaged after a frantic pursuit of Miles, the boy takes care of the robot dog. And guess what? AXL is more than an emotionless fighting machine. The advanced AI (artificial intelligence), which enables it to learn independently and display the characteristics and behavior of an ordinary dog, allows the robot to develop feelings as well. A close friendship develops between AXL and Miles. But what happens when the robot dog’s ruthless owner wants his creation back?

‘AX-L’ is a film that tries to bring different genres together. Science fiction, action, romance and a touch of drama, it’s all there. At its core, however, ‘AX-L’ is a film that builds on two well-known narrative themes: the friendship between man and dog and the quest of a young man embarking on the long path to adulthood. In many ways, therefore, ‘AX-L’ is more of a light-hearted teenage film than a science fiction epic. Main character Miles is in fact the shy, not too popular boy from a poor family who falls in love with the apparently unreachable Sara. This girl seems to be destined for spoiled rich kid Sam Fontaine. Her mother is the housekeeper of the Fontaine family and lives with the very wealthy family. Sam is also Miles’ main rival on the cross track and a purebred macho who seems to have more friends than brain cells. The type of bully that you encounter in almost every high school.

Although the story is not much and the romantic aspect of the film comes across as clichéd and stale, the robot dog AXL fortunately provides the necessary tension and a healthy dose of entertainment. The monster looks fine on the screen. The action scenes with the robot dog are of good quality and they look professional and slick. But it is above all the interaction between Miles and AXL that produces beautiful moments. The robot animal is almost as loyal, playful and affectionate as a real dog. It therefore becomes a character that you as a viewer quickly feel sympathy for. In addition, the mechanical creature also has cool features. For example, he can play light projections with his eyes, while his advanced internal software makes it possible to crack computers and ATMs. The moments when AXL switches between its two identities – faithful four-legged friend (blue eyes) and ruthless weapon of war (red eyes) – are also beautifully captured. It is strange that AXL is quite vulnerable. For a creation designed to serve on the battlefield, the robot dog does take some ‘critical damage’ quite quickly. Although ‘AX-L’ is not a particularly original print across the board, the makers have nevertheless managed to conjure up a rather surprising, somewhat bittersweet final chord.

Oscar material is definitely not ‘AX-L’. Nevertheless, it is a more enjoyable film than many reviews suggest. The simple story, sometimes told at a bit too fast pace, mainly treads the beaten track, but still manages to give a slightly different twist, inspired by current technological developments, to the human-dog relationship that is already central in a deluge of films. Moreover, there is nothing wrong with the digital effects that are reviewed. The end result is an action-packed, fairly light-hearted and largely enjoyable amalgam of multiple film genres.