D.A.R.Y.L.

''D.A.R.Y.L.'' is a 1985 science fiction adventure film directed by Simon Wincer and written by David Ambrose, Allan Scott, and Jeffrey Ellis. It stars Mary Beth Hurt, Michael McKean, Kathryn Walker, Colleen Camp, Josef Sommer, and Barret Oliver. It follows a seemingly normal young boy who turns out to be a top secret, military-created robot with superhuman abilities.

The film was theatrically released in the United States and Canada on June 14, 1985, by Paramount Pictures, and in the United Kingdom on June 20, 1985, by Columbia Pictures through Columbia-EMI-Warner Distributors. It received mixed reviews from critics and was a box-office bomb. For his performance, Oliver won the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor at the 13th Saturn Awards.

Plot

The film revolves around the character of Daryl, an acronym for "Data-Analyzing Robot Youth Lifeform." Daryl is an artificial intelligence experiment created by a government company called TASCOM. Physically resembling a human boy, Daryl's brain is actually a highly advanced microcomputer with extraordinary abilities, including exceptional reflexes, multitasking skills, and the ability to hack computer systems. The experiment was intended to produce a super-soldier and was funded by the military.

One of the scientists involved in the project, Dr. Mulligan, becomes disillusioned and decides to free Daryl. Pursued by a helicopter, Dr. Mulligan sacrifices himself to ensure Daryl's escape, driving his car off a cliff. Daryl is subsequently discovered by Mr. and Mrs. Bergen, an elderly couple and taken to an orphanage in Barkenton, South Carolina. However, he has no memory of his true identity. After being placed with his foster parents, Joyce and Andy Richardson, Daryl begins to exhibit exceptional talents.

Daryl's social skills are limited due to his isolated upbringing, but he befriends Turtle Fox, a sarcastic and wisecracking neighbor. Daryl shares that he has amnesia and hopes his real parents will find him someday. As Daryl observes Turtle playing the video game ''Pole Position'', he effortlessly outperforms him, displaying superhuman abilities. Andy decides to teach Daryl social skills through baseball, where Daryl excels, hitting multiple home runs and impressing everyone. Daryl also demonstrates his advanced capabilities when he helps Andy rectify an issue with an ATM and manipulates it to put more than one million dollars into his foster father's account.

During a baseball game, government agents locate Daryl and return him to the TASCOM facility in Washington, D.C., where his memory is restored. Daryl undergoes debriefing, and it is revealed that his capacity for human emotions has deemed the project a failure, leading to a decision to terminate him. Dr. Jeffrey Stewart, one of Daryl's creators, helps him escape, assisted by Dr. Lamb, who now questions Daryl's true nature.

Daryl and Dr. Stewart evade their pursuers with Daryl's driving skills. However, the next day, while trying to escape a roadblock, Dr. Stewart is shot and later dies from his injuries. That night, Daryl sneaks onto a military base and steals a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. Daryl contacts Turtle, instructing him and his sister Sherie Lee Fox to meet him at Blue Lake, a familiar location. The Air Force attempts to intercept the plane but fails. Daryl ejects at the last moment to fake his death while the plane is destroyed. However, he lands unconscious in the lake and drowns. Daryl's body is rushed to the hospital but shows no signs of life.

Dr. Lamb discovers Daryl and reactivates his electronic brain, reviving him. With Daryl now declared dead, he is no longer pursued by TASCOM. He joyfully reunites with his foster family, bringing happiness to everyone, including Turtle, who believed Daryl could not die since he is a robot.

Cast

Production

Principal photography began on January 2, 1985. The film was shot at Pinewood Studios (near London); Orlando, Florida; and Dillsboro, North Carolina.

Almost all of the fictional town of Barkenton was filmed in Orlando and the surrounding area, with one exception that was filmed in Dillsboro. Daryl's house was filmed at 716 Euclid Avenue in Orlando. Turtle's house was filmed at 717 Euclid Avenue in Orlando. Barkenton's city hall was filmed at 50 Front Street in Dillsboro. The hospital scenes were filmed at Orlando VA Medical Center. Blue Lake was filmed at Lake Copeland in Orlando. The baseball game at Barkenton Park was filmed at Delaney Park in Orlando. Barkenton School was filmed at Kaley School in Orlando. The group home scene was filmed at Great Oaks Village, boy's dorm east side.

The other locations in the movie were also filmed in Orlando. The exterior of the TASCOM facility was filmed at the Siemens Energy Inc. building in Orlando; The interiors were filmed at Pinewood Studios. Daryl's escape onto the freeway was filmed on FL-408 and US-17 in Orlando. The airport scenes were filmed at Kissimmee Gateway Airport in Kissimmee.

Reception

Box office

The film grossed $7,840,873 in the United States and Canada.

Critical response

Vincent Canby of ''The New York Times'' stated, "The best that can be said about ''D.A.R.Y.L.'' is that it's inoffensive" and "though ''D.A.R.Y.L.'' is not really bad, it's pretty silly. It might be more profitably shelved and some of the earlier films of its actors re-released."

Paul Attanasio of ''The Washington Post'' wrote, "The script is moronic and so riddled with improbabilities that the suspense element never takes root. Director Simon Wincer has no sense of pace or rhythm, but boy does he love to shoot helicopters and jet fighters, which whizz at the camera in great booming arcs. Well, it is noisy."

In his review for ''Entertainment Tonight'', Leonard Maltin said, "This is one of the blandest movies I've seen all year. No punch. No surprises. No juice, especially in the way it's directed." On their show '' At the Movies'', Gene Siskel gave ''D.A.R.Y.L.'' a "thumbs down" for being predictable and formulaic, while Roger Ebert recommended the movie, praising its ending and comparing its theme to that of the 1968 film '' Charly''.

DVD Verdict cites "wooden" acting and a "preposterous" plot, but ultimately concludes that the film is "a formulaic slice of family entertainment that doesn't do much new, but follows the blueprint well enough to warrant a look."

Legacy and cult status

In the decades since its release, ''D.A.R.Y.L.'' has undergone a critical reappraisal and developed a modest cult following, particularly among viewers who grew up in the 1980s. Although it was not commercially successful on release, the film gained popularity through cable television and home video. Fans often recall repeat viewings on VHS, and the film is remembered as a distinctive entry in the wave of family-friendly science fiction movies of the era.

In 2020, actor Tony Hale was announced as the star of a planned comedy sequel series for TBS, imagining Daryl as a 44-year-old android trying to live in the modern world. The show, developed by Paramount Television, was described as a continuation of the original film, reflecting its enduring fan appeal.

In a retrospective list from 2020, ''D.A.R.Y.L.'' was featured among the "12 Most Underrated 1980s Sci-Fi Movies" by WhatCulture, which praised the film for introducing real emotional stakes and darker moments than typically expected in children's entertainment.

In 2024, ''Taste of Cinema'' included ''D.A.R.Y.L.'' in its roundup of “The 10 Most Underrated Movies About Artificial Intelligence,” citing it as a family-friendly, emotionally resonant exploration of AI-human empathy.

The film's legacy was further solidified by boutique label Vinegar Syndrome's 2023 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release, which included a new 55-minute documentary titled ''Rescued from the Scrapyard: The Making of D.A.R.Y.L.'', along with commentary by director Simon Wincer. The restoration was praised by genre fans and home video reviewers.

Blu-ray.com rated the restored release 4.5 out of 5, describing it as “a charming and well-executed relic of 1980s sci-fi storytelling.”

Accolades

References

External links

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{{Simon Wincer

1985 films
1985 children's films
1980s American films
1980s British films
1980s English-language films
1980s children's adventure films
1980s science fiction adventure films
American children's adventure films
American science fiction adventure films
British children's adventure films
British science fiction adventure films
Films about androids
Children's science fiction films
Military science fiction films
Fiction about superhuman abilities
Films about amnesia
Films about artificial intelligence
Films directed by Simon Wincer
Films scored by Marvin Hamlisch
Films set in South Carolina
Films set in Virginia
Films set in Washington, D.C.
Films shot in Florida
Films shot in North Carolina
Films shot at Pinewood Studios
Films with screenplays by David Ambrose
Paramount Pictures films
Columbia Pictures films
1985 science fiction films
English-language science fiction adventure films
Saturn Award–winning films