D.A.R.Y.L.

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D.A.R.Y.L.

PG

1985

1h 40m

Kids & Family

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

50%

Tomatometer

18 Reviews

55%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Daryl (Barret Oliver) 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.

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Jay Boyar

Orlando Sentinel

There's an intrinsic emotional pull to this earnest tale of parents in search of a child.

Apr 2, 2014

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Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

To be sure, we`re not talking about a bad movie, just one that could have been so much better.

Rated: 2.5/4

Apr 2, 2014

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Variety Staff

Variety

Second half of the picture is the most far-fetched and also the most fun ...

Mar 26, 2009

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...the far-from-enthralling atmosphere [is] exacerbated by an emphasis on digressions of a decidedly lackluster nature...

Rated: 2/4

Jan 7, 2025

Full Review

Lawrence O'Toole

Maclean's Magazine

What is most astonishing about the child robot D.A.R.Y.L. is not that he can singlehandedly fly a U.S. Army supersonic jet but that he is able to choose between chocolate and vanilla ice cream.

Oct 9, 2019

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Andrea Beach

Common Sense Media

'80s robot-becomes-human story falls flat.

Rated: 2/5

Jan 13, 2015

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A.L.Jude P

Way ahead of time and an underrated classic.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/30/24

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Josh H

This movie is a way under rated gem for the whole family! It's an easy 10/10!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/04/23

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Michael R

I grew up with this movie, and watched it countless times. I'm not sure why this movie is getting such bad/mediocre reviews, but this movie is definitely worth a watch. It's a great popcorn movie to watch with the family/kids.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/23/23

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Audience Member

Loved this movie watched it my school in the 80s when we was snowed in

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

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Audience Member

I found this movie refreshing when I saw it in the theater and every person I recommend it to since has loved it through and through. Professional critics are far from having the same experience with movies as do the general public, much the same as the initial euphoria from opiates can never be revisited after prolonged exposure to the chemical. Not that too much movie watching dulls the senses but rather too much emphasis on ones own opinion does. So the reviews on this movie are lacking good polling of what others experience that spend little time blasting out their self important reviews. D.A.R.Y.L. is and will remain a CLASSIC!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

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Audience Member

It's an okay movie from the 80's that will definitely strike up nostalgia.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

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Simon Wincer

Director

Mary Beth Hurt

Joyce Richardson

Michael McKean

Andy Richardson

Barret Oliver

Daryl

Kathryn Walker

Dr. Ellen Lamb

Colleen Camp

Elaine Fox

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Synopsis

Daryl (Barret Oliver) 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.

Director: Simon Wincer
Producer: John Heyman, Burtt Harris, Gabrielle Kelly
Screenwriter: David Ambrose, Allan Scott, Jeffrey Ellis
Production Co: Paramount Pictures, World Film Services
Rating: PG
Genre: Kids & Family, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 3, 2016
Runtime: 1h 40m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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