Kill Command (2014)

*** This review may contain robotic spoilers ***

An elite army unit is helicoptered to a remote, off-the-grid island training facility along with a synthetic enhanced female.

What could have been another Syfy channel or Asylum picture thankfully is not due to some commendable CGI work and solid performances from the relatively unknown cast. Don't expect B flick, man versus robots, Battle of Damned (2013), Kill Command is played straight and is a tighter more polished production. It is one of those simmering science fictions with a group of soldiers fighting to the death as they make there way through woodland, a hi-tech facility and later a training city setting.

Actor Thure Lindhardt as Captain Bukes keeps the proceedings grounded and David Ajala as Drifter, echoing Drake from Aliens character is notable with Bentley Kalu's short screen time deserving a mention. It's Vanessa Kirby as hybrid Mills (in a role reminiscent of The Machine and Ex Machina) who steals the show, as the team are tracked and picked off one by one with the fitting Brad Fiedel-like score by Stephen Hilton sounding out. Director/writer Steve Gomez offers a satisfying turn of events as it's revealed that it's the machines who are in training. There's some nice touches with the robots upgrading and using the wildlife for target practice. 

Granted there's some choppy pacing and yes, gamers will be familiar with the designs, it also borrows from a countless range of scifi films from Predator to Screamers, more recently Skyline and Edge of Tomorrow to name a few. That said, Gomez's serious small debut is far more rounded than many recent big budgeted films. The Terminator-like closing along with its twist ending lends is self to an inevitable tantalising sequel that with a bigger production would be gladly welcomed.