I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

I thought this was going to be the typical 50s sci-fi b-movie and it's not. Not only does it have a plot and good acting, there's almost no sci-fi in it. Just a robot. It's more like a feel good family movie. One way it was like an old b-movie was that it had lots of stuff that wasn't needed. It could have easily been 20 minutes shorter. Definitely worth seeing once.

Kindly Professor Arnold Nordstrom (the excellent Taylor Holmes) and humane, no-nonsense Dr. Ralph Harrison (a lively and engaging performance by Charles Drake) create a robot called Tobor (Lew Smith in a cool metallic suit) who can feel human emotions and has superhuman strength. Tobor develops a telepathic link with Professor Nordstrom's smart, mischievous grandson Gadge (an endearingly spunky portrayal by Billy Chapin). When Nordstrom and Gadge are kidnapped by a no-count gang of covert agents, Tobor comes to their rescue. Director Lee Sholem relates the neat story at a steady pace and does a solid job of maintaining an amiably lightweight tone throughout. This film further benefits from winningly sincere acting by a sturdy cast: Karin Booth as Nordstrom's fetching daughter Janice, Steven Geray as the nefarious foreign spy chief, William Shallert as folksy reporter Johnson, Franz Roehn as Nordstrom's grouchy assistant Karl, Henry Kulky as mean brute Paul, and Peter Brocco as the antsy Dr. Gustav. John L. Russell's stark black and white cinematography and Howard Jackson's robust, stirring score are both up to snuff. The warm relationship between Tobor and Gadge is genuinely charming and touching while the scenes of Tobor in action are very cool and exciting. But what really makes this film so special and appealing is its marvelous surplus of pure heart. A disarmingly sweet little treat.

To be honest, the only reason I'm commenting is because I remember seeing this film in the theater when I was six years old, and it made quite an impression on me. I was fascinated with robots (to an unhealthy degree!), and the "robot spelled backwards" really stuck with me.I would love to see it again. It could be one of those "so bad it's funny" movies, the kind that were perfect for Mystery Science Theater 3000.Having a robot who could think and had emotions is a pretty advanced concept for the age.

True, its budget is small, its special-effects minimal, its appeal somewhat juvenile, but there's a directness and innocence about this boy-and-robot adventure which -- when seen from a modern-day perspective -- is quite appealing. I agree, however, with the author of "Keep Watching the Skies" that the ending is a curious and rather unsettling miscalculation.