On a remote space station in the year 2036, Dr. Daniel (Klaus Kinski) works on experiments that are forbidden on Earth. Daniel is trying to create the perfect Android. His assistant is Max 404 (Don Keith Opper), an android from a previous series of robots. Daniel’s most recent project is a female android that he has named Cassandra One (Kendra Kirchner). Cassandra is almost complete.
Androids are outlawed due to a past uprising, referred to as the Munich Rebellion. During the rebellion, androids became insubordinate and independent thinkers. They were summarily quashed but not eliminated. Dr. Daniel sees that Max is beginning to show similar signs in his personality. Daniels is trying to excise these traits in Cassandra. Once she is perfected, he plans on destroying Max.
While monitoring the space station’s airspace Max receives a distress call from a small spaceship looking to dock and make repairs. The person on the call is a female. Intrigued, having never seen a real woman before, Max allows the ship to dock. On the ship are three criminals, Gunther Keller (Norbert Weisser), Orlando Mendes (Crofton Hardester) and Maggie Kallisti (Brie Howard). They overtook the guards on a prison transport and now seek a place to fix the ship and complete their escape. The three escapees try to appear as though they are the crew of a regular transport ship.
When Dr. Daniel finds out that there are three strangers on the station he is irate. That is until he sees that one of the strangers is a woman. Daniel invites Maggie to dinner to discuss a proposition. Daniel tells her that he needs her sexual experiences to give Cassandra a more human personality. Maggie rebuffs him, however, she finds herself becoming fond on Max. Max becomes aware that Daniel plans on destroying him once Cassandra is ready. Max decides to ask Maggie to take him back to Earth when they leave. Maggie agrees, but the dynamics between the three fugitives becomes volatile and fighting erupts.
“Android” was released in 1982 and was directed by Aaron Lipstadt. It is an American science fiction film produced by Roger Corman. Corman wasn’t happy about the lack of interest from the movie houses so he sold the rights to the film to Rupert Harvey and Barry Opper (Don Opper’s brother). The film wasn’t a hit but it did manage to garner a small cult following.
Many of the props and sets used for the film came from other Corman films such as “Forbidden World” 1982 and “Galaxy of Terror” 1981. For some stupid reason, Don Keith Opper, who plays Max, is credited as Max 404 instead of his real name.
The movie is a combination slow plodding science fiction story with some soul searching questions on what it means to be human. There is also some gunplay here and there as well as some over-the-top acting by your favorite insane mad scientist, Klaus Kinski. Most of the film is OK, but a little long winded. It does, however, have an interesting ending. Not a bad movie, but not great.