Posted: 07/12/04Malice@Doll (2003)
by Alexander Rojas
Robot sluts on parade!
What if Pinocchio was a made of plastic, metal and wires and his sole purpose was to have sex with humans? Well, Malice@Doll is not about Pinocchio, but the female robot in this animated feature won't have you missing the well-endowed nose of the fibbing termite meal. Director Keitaro Motonaga creates a surreal futuristic environment that had my curiosity scanning the frame at the sheer creepiness of the prostitute robots and monster like creatures that invaded their world.
The title character is Malice, a prostitute robot that resembles a doll come to life. After she experiences a leak coming out from her eye, she is told to see a repairman to fix her. Along the way she comes across a ghost like figure of a young girl that leads her into a large room Malice was not familiar with. In this room, Malice is violently attacked by a giant tentacle creature that takes hold of her and transforms her into a human person. At first Malice is bewildered by her transformation, but then comes to embrace the new emotions and sensations that a human body gives her. It becomes a gift that she is able to pass onto others through a kiss. However, the kisses prove to unleash a terrible curse on the robots and they themselves are transformed into grotesque variations of what Malice has become.
The CGI animation in this movie makes up for an otherwise strange but bland script. So much detail is given to the characters movements, especially once Malice becomes human. There are great subtle details in her flesh and her clothing that bring out an almost realistic 3-dimensional appearance in the character. By far, the most hideous of all the creatures is Elsa. I still try not to conjure up the visual image of what she became.
Perhaps most terrifying is the idea that once, us humans, eradicate ourselves from this world, robots will inherit it. Then we will be looked upon as Gods that created them, much like humanity with Gods of our own who created us. I must admit it's a concept I hadn't pondered before. This is a topic Malice@Doll half-heartedly touches upon, but the similarities between Malice and a certain Christian figure are almost to much alike to be coincidental. Malice@Doll becomes a cautionary tale with religious thematic undertones in a violent and sexually consumed world. Now that's subject matter for an erect nosed Pinocchio.
Alexander Rojas reviews everything and anything for filmmonthly.com. Send your home movies for a free review.
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