Now, the original story is honestly creepier than either film. This is because the movies have robot hunters for the most of their length. In the story, they're not clear robots, they look like people, and there are three VARIETIES of android. One's a child, another's an injured soldier, and then there's the second variety: a woman.
We actually see that at least in the first movie, Screamers. We have a lead actor that should have been an A lister in Peter Weller. (It's hard to say how much was hindered by Buckaroo Banzai and how much his love of painting, which he teaches). There's some scenery chewing, and quotable bad dialog. Intentionally bad dialog. At least I hope it was.
The second movie has some really big inconsistencies from the first film. While both take place on the same planet, the first one has a great feel of not being on Earth. There's no cohesion in the squad movement and tactics, not to mention a lack of willingness to follow the chain of command. There's a spot where some people are chained in place. Bad decisions are made.
Some of the actors from the second move have gone to have pretty decent careers, or had them already. A paycheck is a paycheck. And you can laugh at an early Stephen Amell(Green Arrow) performance, as well as a lot of predictable moments.
At any rate, if you like the occasional bad movie, or PKD adaptations, or both(especially both), go ahead. watch them.
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
I hold the first one high esteem in the limited pantheon of SF that was available in my teenage years: Robot Jox, Trancers (love me some Tim Thomerson), Alien Nation, Crash and Burn, etc. Between those and Alien/Aliens I wore out a VCR or two. :D
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