“I’ll have your memory pulled so fast, you’ll never forget it.”
After a nuclear holocaust the population of the Earth has been decimated. Radiation has caused a severe drop in the birth rate. Robots have been created to fill in for the declining work force. They are called humanoids. They appear human but have bluish skin, metallic eyes and no hair. The humanoids need to report to a recharging station periodically. The recharging stations are called temples. They are connected to a central computer that they call “father-mother".
A violent subversive group known as “The Order of Flesh and Blood” sees the humanoids as a threat. They believe they want to take over the world and replace humans. They refer to the humanoids as “clickers”. The group learns of a humanoid that is indistinguishable from a real human, and it has killed a man. The group demands that the humanoids be either destroyed or downgraded to a strictly utilitarian machine-like form.
Scientist Dr. Raven (Don Doolittle) has developed the technique. He calls it a "thalamic transplant". He can transplant the memories and personality of recently deceased people in robot bodies. These hybrids are unaware that they died and are now humanoids. The robots are secretly replacing humans who recently died with these replicas. The question is; are they helping mankind, or replacing it?
“Creation of the Humanoids” was released 1962 and was directed by Wesley Barry. The make-up was done by Jack P. Pierce.
As far as science fiction movies go, it’s boring. There is no action. Nothing but dialogue. No great sets. Even the wardrobe is boring. It’s like being at a lecture instead of watching a movie. But as far as what makes us human, do we have a soul? In that aspect it’s very thought provoking.
The film also explores the darker side of what it means to be human. Prejudice, hate, the ability to kill. Are humans better for these traits than robots? Who or what is superior, machines or people? For example some of Dr. Raven’s theories are; ‘the human brain is merely the vault in which the man is stored’ and ‘Creation is only the result of the fusion of facts which haven’t been previously related.’ The movie brings out some serious issues that mankind has always tried to deal with.
If you are looking for fancy special effects and non-stop action you are not going to find it here. However, if you are interested in some serious theories and powerful ideas where opinions can create great philosophical discussions then this movie will give you a lot of topics to choose from. It touches on fascism, civil rights, the human soul and a myriad of other human conditions. Most science fiction movies have undertones of some warning or they have a moral that they try to subliminally convey. “Creation of the Humanoids” full-on hits you over the head with all of them. You do not watch this movie, you listen to it.