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D.A.R.Y.L.

D.A.R.Y.L.

Family · Science Fiction · Adventure · 1985

Daryl is a normal 10-year-old boy in many ways. However, unbeknown to his foster parents and friends, Daryl is actually a government-created robot with superhuman reflexes and mental abilities. Even his name has a hidden meaning -- it's actually an acronym for Data Analyzing Robot Youth Life-form. When the organization that created him deems the "super soldier" experiment a failure and schedules Daryl to be disassembled, it is up to a few rogue scientists to help him escape.

Movie details

D.A.R.Y.L.

“He can fly a jet, race a car and outsmart a computer. The government created him and now they want him destroyed.”

1985 Family · Science Fiction · Adventure 1h 40m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.4 / 10

Community rating

Daryl is a normal 10-year-old boy in many ways. However, unbeknown to his foster parents and friends, Daryl is actually a government-created robot with superhuman reflexes and mental abilities. Even his name has a hidden meaning -- it's actually an acronym for Data Analyzing Robot Youth Life-form. When the organization that created him deems the "super soldier" experiment a failure and schedules Daryl to be disassembled, it is up to a few rogue scientists to help him escape.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over D.A.R.Y.L.?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Simon Wincer

Written by

David Ambrose · Jeffrey Ellis · Allan Scott

Barret Oliver

Barret Oliver

Daryl

Mary Beth Hurt

Mary Beth Hurt

Joyce Richardson

Michael McKean

Michael McKean

Andy Richardson

Kathryn Walker

Kathryn Walker

Dr. Ellen Lamb

Colleen Camp

Colleen Camp

Elaine Fox

Josef Sommer

Josef Sommer

Dr. Jeffrey Stewart

Steve Ryan

Steve Ryan

Howie Fox

Court is in session

Put D.A.R.Y.L. on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.