The Human Duplicators is a low-budget film released in 1965 by independent company Woolner Brothers Pictures Inc.
The plot involves a giant alien named Dr. Kolos (Richard Kiel) who is dispatched to Earth from a faraway galaxy on orders to create android doppelgängers by employing the scientific services of duplicated cyberneticist Prof. Vaughn Dornheimer (George Macready).
For the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode see here.
The Human Duplicators provides examples of the following tropes:
- A.I. Is a Crapshoot: The androids rebel, and the leader of them tells Kolos that he should have never given them the ability to think for themselves.
- Book Ends: The movie starts with the starship carrying Dr. Kolos to Earth and ends with it leaving Earth.
- Enemy Mine: When the androids turn on Kolos he helps the humans with fighting them and shutting them down.
- Graceful Loser: Kolos fails his mission and tells the humans it was not because he was weak, but because they were genuinely stronger than he was.
- Heel–Face Turn: Kolos, kinda. Once the androids turn he's left with little choice but to team up with the humans who have been investigating the robberies they committed. He also refuses to duplicate Lisa, against the orders of his superiors.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Kolos and Lisa, respectively.
- Immune to Bullets: The androids.
- Death by Falling Over: Also the androids.
- Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter: Actually his niece, but Lisa qualifies.
- The Mole: The androids' raison d'etre, for purposes of gathering sensitive information and/or supplies.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Android!Dornheimer drops one on Kolos after his android mooks chain him to the wall:You programmed me with too much knowledge. You allowed my mechanical brain to cross over the barrier that separates android and human — the power of independent thought. You and your masters have violated a basic law of scientific law: You must must never program a mechanical device with more wisdom than you yourself possess. You must never create a robot that can outsmart you. In a perfect android society, there is no room for weaknesses. We have no feelings. We are superior in every way. We are the master race.
- Swiss-Cheese Security: The "Space Research Corporation" building — which was filmed at a school — has a guard shack and a gate at the driveway... but no fence.
- Tomato in the Mirror: Kolos is an android. What makes it all the dumber is that this reveal comes in the film's closing seconds, giving it zero impact. (If you're feeling generous, you could say it helps explain Richard Kiel's wooden acting).
- Weaksauce Weakness: The androids are vulnerable to a Tap on the Head.
- What Happened to the Mouse??: What happened to the guy who looks like the young Jack Palance?
- What Is This Thing You Call "Love"?: Kolos is baffled by his attraction to Lisa. It's later justified when he finds out he's a robot, too.
