Top 25 Robot Movies: Big Robots on Film

List of the best giant robots in the movies.

Big robots have been popular in movies for decades. Mechanical monsters are just too cool to resist. The effects have varied widely, and the stories have too. A bad story has ruined many slick robot movies. When both come together for a good story and a good 'bot, it's a rare treat. We've collected the best of them here, but only focus on big, non-humanoid robots. The androids and cyborgs get their own separate list. Here are the 25 best robot movies of all time (non-android):

1 – The Transformers: The Movie (1986) This animated movie even has a good soundtrack. It has twice the moxie of the live action Transformers movies, and makes a lot more sense. Good animated flick!

2 – Target Earth (1954) Two people wake up in an abandoned city to find out it was evacuated due to an invasion of alien robots on the way. Great movie with a solid sci-fi story, no awards for sfx.

3 – Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) Now these robots have skills!

4 – Battlestar Galactica (1978) The original move that spawned a TV series, the Cylons were by far the coolest robots in the galaxy, and they have the best voice effects. By your command...

5 – Transmorphers (2007) Asylum succeeded where Michael Bay failed. That's the greatest shame.

6 – Terminator: Salvation (2009) has some very large, loud robots in tow.

7 – RoboCop appeared in 1987 and was remade in 2014. It makes the list because of the evil robot. Well, it wasn't evil per se, it just had a glitch and couldn't stop killing people.

8 –The Black Hole (1979) has several unusual robots, including B.O.B., Vincent and the evil S.T.A.R. This is actually one of the most under-appreciated sci-fi movies, and features a great starship.

9 – Kronos (1957 ) a giant robot comes to Earth to steal our electric power.

10 – Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) The biggest mechanical monster on the list.

11 – Wall-E (2008) the little 'bot has found a green plant on a barren future Earth.

12 – Pacific Rim (2013) Good robot movie, often taken too seriously.

13 – Robot Wars (1993) An early version of Pacific Rim, it's got good robot on robot action.

14 – Lost in Space (1998)

15 – Short Circuit (1986) Number 5 is a rogue robot, and Number 5 is alive.

16 – Virus (1999) Jamie Lee Curtis faces an alien that morphs into machines.

17 – Transformers 4: Age of Extinction only makes the list because of the dino-bots.

18 – Batteries Not Included (1987) lovable little 'bots.

19 – The Iron Giant (1999) A giant alien robot befriends a young human boy. Memorable movie.

20 – Robot Jox (1989) Hokey, but lovable for its big robot battles. This was the first version of Pacific Rim.

21 – Real Steel (2011) Hugh Jackman stars, in the future robot boxing is a sport.

22 – Eyeborgs (2009) some very cool bi-ped robots run amok in the city.

23 – Saturn 3 (1980) on a deep space outpost, Hector the robot goes on a rampage with Farrah Fawcett.

24 – Runaway (1984) Tom Selleck takes on some killer robots and Gene Simmons of KISS!

25 – A.P.E.X. (1994) Very bad acting surrounds an otherwise decent story idea. Scientists in 2073 explore the past with robotic probes.

Honorable mention - Yak: the Giant King (2012) This Thai animated movie was pretty cool.

Best Japanese Anime with giant robots: Neon Genesis Evangelion: the End (1997)

The tripods in “War of the Worlds” might be considered giant robots, but organic aliens piloted them from inside. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) had Gort, a pretty cool robot with a laser beam, but not enough to make the list. Robbie the Robot was gifted in “Forbidden Planet,” but it wasn't a “robot movie” and he was not central to the theme. Better luck on the best sci-fi movie list, Robbie.

Also check out the Android Movies list at Top2040

Worst robot movies: Hardware (1990), Death Machine (1994), and Robot Holocaust. Avoid these, and stick to the robots that shine.