For a film entitled Blame! it really isn’t anybody’s fault. The place was broke when they got there. Imagine a world in which you can’t go anywhere or you’ll die…I know; it’s a stretch, right? Nope, can’t stray beyond your little compound or all Hell will break loose. If you do go out, you’ve got to wear protective clothing at all times, be completely aware of your surroundings, and for God’s sake, don’t make frivolous moves. Can’t imagine anything like that, can you?
The robots took over long before we got here. The “Safeguards” were initially programmed to protect but somewhere in the long past, they flipped a switch and regarded all humans as trespassers; kill upon sight. So whomever is left hangs out in metalworld where everybody is dressed for battle, cuz they might have to. Oh, and the food has run out, which is why Zuru (voice of Sora Amamiya) and her suicidal pals went looking for “sludge,” which tastes equally as good as it sounds. Doesn’t matter; they didn’t find any.
What they do find consistently are Safeguards, a horde of lethal metallic robots who look like a cross between a giant spider and a mime. These
guys scuttle around fast as an Uber and all the good guys have is useless armor and spear guns. It’s not a fair fight, not even when Killy (Takahiro Sakurai) shows up. “Killy” is a pretty good name for a the only human around who has a weapon past the “harpoon” stage of lethal evolution. Unfortunately for the other humans KIlly dresses and acts like a disaffected goth. It’s not terribly useful, but it does make the dude easy to pick out of crowd. Oh, and what’s Killy’s thing? He’s looking for Net Terminal Genes, which sound like a fashion statement made by the Geek Squad.
You get how this goes, right? KIlly is the outsider, a wielder of immense, possibly civilization-saving knowledge and power, but he’s a reluctant hero cuz, I dunno, he’s too broody to get into it? And is Killy part robot? Well, that would explain a few things, and not explain a few more. It’s clear you’re not watching this film for plot points or hints about how the machines will take over. This is good because Blame! is 80% style and 20% miscellaneous.
When it comes right down to it, Blame! is another in the unending stream of robot v. man films. I don’t think it adds much to the genre, but it is kinda cool. Manga cool. Is it important to you that the robots doing you in look creepy and menacing? Is it important that the future is confusing and awful? Is it important that hopelessness be drawn funky? You’ve come to the right film. Oh and the title “Blame!” is just a bad translation of “Blam!” … which is also a poor title for the film.
♪Bots at three, give the call sign
You’re shooting spears where diodes don’t shine
You’re waging war on both the tech and my heart
Like drone, yeah baby
Well, if I get that block from the inside
We’re gonna eat and stay alive
‘Til then she’ll rough ‘em up
In her metal grout
Cuz she kills just for thrills
And she thrills just for kills
She blame! She blame!
Oh baby, when she proves
That she looks like a statue but she stings like a ray
Like everyone in this abysmal gray♫
Rated TV-MA, 106 Minutes
Director: Hiroyuki Seshita
Writer: Sadayuki Murai
Genre: Our screwed future
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: The Terminator
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Optimists
♪ Parody Inspired by “She Bangs”
