D.A.R.Y.L. (1985)

★ 6.4 1h 40m 354 votes IMDb

Action Sci-Fi Family

Daryl 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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Cast

Barret Oliver as Daryl Age 52 · Los Angeles, California, USA Barret Spencer Oliver (born August 24, 1973) is an American photographer and former child actor. He is known for his role as Bastian Balthazar Bux in the film adaptation of Michael Ende's novel The Ne...

Mary Beth Hurt as Joyce Richardson Died 2026 · Marshalltown, Iowa, USA Mary Beth Hurt (née Supinger; September 26, 1946 - March 28, 2026) was an American actress of stage and screen. For her work on Broadway, she had been nominated for three Tony Awards. She was previous...

Michael McKean as Andy Richardson Age 78 · New York City, New York, USA Michael McKean (born October 17, 1947) is an American actor, comedian, writer, composer and musician, perhaps best known for Laverne & Shirley, Spinal Tap and Better Call Saul..

Kathryn Walker as Dr. Ellen Lamb Age 83 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Kathryn Walker (born January 9, 1943 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American theater, television and film actress. She was with Douglas Kenney for many years until his death in 1980 at the age o...

Colleen Camp as Elaine Fox Age 72 · San Francisco, California, USA Colleen Celeste Camp (born June 7, 1953) is an American actress and film producer, known for her performances in two installments of the Police Academy series and as Yvette the Maid in the 1985 black...

Director Simon Wincer

Cast Barret Oliver, Mary Beth Hurt, Michael McKean, Kathryn Walker, Colleen Camp, Josef Sommer, Steve Ryan, Ron Frazier, David Wohl, Danny Corkill

Olivergbyrne Oct 04, 2017

This film is a nostalgia fest for me. Am I being a bit selfish to review a film when I am so connected to it , perhaps so I will try to put my love for the film aside and review it for what it is. This film is part of what I would call the Amblin generation of films (although it is not an Amblin film) because it came out in a decade full of wonderful family films (Goonies,Gremlins,Cocoon,Neverending story etc..) . It was a time when adults could watch a so called kids film and enjoy it as much as their rugrats. D.A.R.Y.L is a family drama with a dash of Sci-Fy , it is two film in one.A heart warming film for the first half and a children Sci Fy thriller in it's second half.These two different style works surprisingly well here. There is something so welcoming about the first half when young D.A.R.Y.L superbly played by child actor Barret Oliver is found in the middle of the wood and put into foster care as a test drive for a couple who desperately want to adopt a child. Here he meet his first friend , potty mouthed Turtle (Yeah he his called Turtle) and learn valuable lessons about how to relate to adults (The kid does not know a thing about being a son) There is just something so incredibly warm and fuzzy about the first half of the movie that makes it the perfect choice for a rainy Sunday afternoon.There is that 80's charm.It is also nice to basically watch a family that enjoy the little thing in life like baseball , Ice cream etc..The suburban setting his welcoming and the 80's vibe will bring as much memories to 80's kids as lets say "The Andy Griffith Show" does for children of the 50's. It was a simpler time and this film shows that. Barret Oliver as D.A.R.Y.L is a great main character , he his curious , oddly different and curiously smart...way too smart. The second half reveal something is different about D.A.R.Y.L and that is when the Sci-Fy elements kicks in. I am not going to say what it is just in case the person who is reading this know nothing about this film (The cover of the DVD reveals way too much unfortunately). This film is a great film for the all family.If you feel to escape the grim reality of life lol you could do far worse then putting this charming film on! I give D.A.R.Y.L a 8 out of 10.