A.P.E.X. (1994)

User Rating:

4.0/10   

Director:

Phillip J. Roth

Writers:

Phillip J. Roth (screenplay)
Phillip J. Roth (story)

Release Date:

14 May 1994 (South Korea)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Advanced Prototype EXploration unit

Plot:

A time-travel experiment in which a robot probe is sent from the year 2073 to the year 1973 goes terribly...

Plot Keywords:

Time Travel | Independent Film

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Richard Keats	...	Nicholas Sinclair
Mitchell Cox	...	Shepherd
Lisa Ann Russell	...	Natasha Sinclair
Marcus Aurelius	...	Taylor
Adam Lawson	...	Rasheed
David Jean Thomas	...	Dr. Elgin
Brian Richard Peck	...	Desert Rat
Anna B. Choi	...	Mishima
Kristin Norton	...	Johnson
Jay Irwin	...	Gunney
Robert Tossberg	...	1973 Father
Kathleen Randazzo	...	1973 Mother (as Kathy Lambert)
Kareem H. Captan	...	Joey
Merle Nicks	...	Old Man
Natasha Roth	...	Desert Child

Also Known As:

Apex (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:M | South Korea:15 | Germany:16 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Fontana, California, USA

Company:

Green Communications

Trivia:

In a little Scene, you can see a "Futuristic Truck". This is the Landmaster from Damnation Alley (1977).

Movie Connections:

References Damnation Alley (1977)

Soundtrack:

ME AND MY GIRL HE AND HER GUY

Imaginative effort.

In the year 2072, a top secret, military-funded experiment dedicated to exploring time sends an APEX (Advanced Prototype Explorer) robot 100 years back in time. Technician Nicholas Sinclair is accidentally thrown back in time after the robot self-destructs. When he returns to the future, he finds himself in a timeline alien to him where mankind is fighting an army of APEX robot soldiers as well as a killer virus caused by time travel.

At first glance, this direct-to-video clone of The Terminator is clearly a B-grade low budget effort, as evidenced by cheap special effects (although the robots are very convincing). However, the film has something which sets it apart from the rest of the killer robot films around – a dose of imagination. The time-travel plot is very well conducted & plausible, although there is a plot hole – where are the robots coming from? With this in mind, the story is well written. The acting is extremely effective, with the actors giving a fair go as far as performances are concerned. Director Roth, known for his slick B-grade action films, conducts the film with a flair for realistic action scenarios.

Grade: B

Review by M. K. Geist.