December 7, 2023

"Rodney" is the creative sort of robot. He has grand designs that will never come to fruition at home, so he heads to the big city where he hopes that the legendary "Big Weld" will snap up his inventions. Thing is, by the time he arrives there's been a bit of a coup at the plant and the business in under new management. The rather menacing "Ratchet" has now taken the helm and his new motto is cheap and cheerful. Basic products that need upgrading… read the rest.

"Rodney" is the creative sort of robot. He has grand designs that will never come to fruition at home, so he heads to the big city where he hopes that the legendary "Big Weld" will snap up his inventions. Thing is, by the time he arrives there's been a bit of a coup at the plant and the business in under new management. The rather menacing "Ratchet" has now taken the helm and his new motto is cheap and cheerful. Basic products that need upgrading constantly then replacing for a new model. There will be no more repairs, no more spare parts - it will be survival of the fittest until something even fitter is manufactured. "Rodney" manages to align himself with many of the now overlooked rust-buckets abandoned to the depths of the factory and they decide to try and find "Big Weld" and see if they can restore him to his job. I's a rather clunky swipe at all things short-sighted, corporate and throw away, this film - not much subtlety here, but the last twenty minutes or so allow that message to be reinforced more entertainingly by some fun action animation. Who doesn't love a big domino fall or a demon-robot with some axe-wielding henchmen and a lovely roasting furnace? No doubt about the ending, but it's an easy enough watch that reminds us about team-playing and not leaving out the little guy - maybe it just needed to tone down the moralising a little.

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