Melanie Griffith’s Steamy 80s Sci-Fi Actioner Replaces Women With Sex Robots

By Robert Scucci
| Published 14 seconds ago

The best part about dystopian sci-fi flicks from the 80s is living past the date where everything should have already collapsed and wondering how far off we are from actually experiencing what’s depicted. 1988’s Cherry 2000, set in the year 2017, is one of those films, and it’s an interesting watch because it explores themes that are relevant today, even though society hasn’t quite caught up with its fiction. We’re getting close, though. Technology has replaced intimacy, and our relationships with our devices in the present day result in the kind of isolation you see whenever you look up in public and watch people hanging out while simultaneously talking to the people they’d rather be with on their phones.

What hasn’t happened yet, but probably will sooner or later, is the common use of sex robots seen in Cherry 2000. Intimacy with a human counterpart is forbidden, but if you want to bump uglies with a clanker that looks like a Stepford Wife, you’re free to go to town so long as it’s in the privacy of your own home.

A Flood Of Endorphins And Detergent

The titular robot in Cherry 2000 (portrayed by Pamela Gidley) is the perfect partner for Sam Treadwell (David Andrews). She cooks him dinner and listens to him talk about his day. She’s also really into pouncing on her flesh partner at the worst possible moment, like when the dishwasher is overflowing. This sudsy, floor-bound rendezvous causes her to short-circuit, devastating Sam.

Though Sam is able to salvage Cherry’s memories, her body is kaput, meaning he has to venture out to the dangerous Zone 7. Legend has it that Zone 7 has a gynoid warehouse housing every make and model you could ever dream of, programmed to be your lifelong partner. Desperate to seek out a viable and identical replacement for Cherry, Sam hires a tracker named Edith Johnson (Melanie Griffith), who clearly longs for the old days. She drives a vintage, modified Mustang and has no qualms telling Sam he should just find a human partner instead of getting down and dirty with a robot.

With the help of the legendary yet elusive tracker Six-Fingered Jake (Ben Johnson), Sam and Edith breach the compound, but form a romantic bond along the way during their misadventures. Edith pines for Sam, who pines for the idea of a woman designed specifically for him, resulting in exactly the kind of sexual tension you’d expect. Sam becomes hot and bothered watching Edith competently navigate the wasteland and starts to wonder if this is what’s been missing from his life all along.

A Low-Budget Adventure Through The Wasteland

Cherry 2000, despite its meager $10 million budget, has surprisingly solid production values. Though it’s obvious Cherry is an actress during the scenes where she’s walking, talking, and interacting with her surroundings, the Zone 7 sequences are effective. Think of the clothing carousel you see at the dry cleaners and apply that same principle to a bunch of deactivated robot babes waiting to be charged up so they can pounce on their new owner as soon as they run their software updates.

Edith is a total badass, whether she’s flooring it in her Mustang or piloting a small plane. Actually, Melanie Griffith steals every single scene she’s in because the looks of disgust and bewilderment on her face while dealing with Sam are palpable. Here we have an end-of-days babe wearing flattering wasteland garb and never losing control of the situation. And how is she using her talent? Helping some schmuck named Sam track down a new sex robot that resembles the only “person” he’s ever loved: his old sex robot.

Cherry 2000 is schlocky and campy, but its charm comes from playing everything completely straight. Its premise is ridiculous but oddly prescient. Our protagonist finds companionship by isolating himself, when the solution to all of his problems is standing right in front of him, rocking a machine gun and looking for a real relationship. It just takes a while for Sam to see this, because he’d rather be alone with his device.

As of this writing, Cherry 2000 is streaming on Tubi.