Review of movie A.X.L.

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Rating:2/5

We're introduced to AXL (pronounced, "Axle") in a helpful, introductory computer simulation/marketing slideshow. The acronym stands for "attack," "exploration," and "logistics," meaning that it can display its skills with radar or a massive machine gun, depending on the situation. The war machine was created by Andric Craine (Dominic Rains) in the spirit of dogs serving as a companions/helpers to human warriors throughout history. This robot can pair with a single owner and form a bond that's as strong as any natural canine.

The dog itself is portrayed by a disjointed combination of sleek visual effects (for the moments when it goes into action) and ungainly puppetry (whenever it's shot in close-up). The puppet seems bulkier and far more rickety in its movements than its digital counterpart, which smoothly runs and leaps and flies through the air with jet bursts. In other words, it never feels like a real thing, because it's always obvious that the dog is either a special effect or a puppet—and also obvious when Daly switches between the two.