What would you do with $2.4 million? Would you invest it wisely and plan for a comfortable retirement, or would you be reckless and purchase expensive impulsive items? Well, if you are a fan of indulgent spending and robotics, then the Giant Robot Duel is for you. The first-of-its-kind battle, which pitted two human-piloted robots against each other in hand-to-hand combat, is the type of inventive magic usually reserved for Hollywood.
According to David Grossman for Popular Mechanics: “The first ever MegaBots fight lasts under 30 seconds, with a very easy knockout by the Japanese robot Kuratas. While no doubt a lot of work went into the building of these robots, watching one knock the other one over very easily, in less than a minute, makes the entire thing seem comical. The continually awestruck announcers, operating on hype levels known only to wrestling commentators, do their best to dredge something out of nothing.
The second fight lasts longer, but quickly falls into stasis as the robots get stuck to each other. Apparently the entire endeavor took several days to film, given the complications of fighting with giant robots. After they dislodge from each other and start again, something approaching what must have been the original vision for MegaBots starts to take place. Chainsaws are activated, giant metal pylons are ripped up, but there never seems to be much authentic drama. A big robot defeats a smaller robot.”