I, Robot ««½
PG-13, 115m. 2004
Cast & Credits: Will Smith (Del Spooner), Bridget Moynahan (Susan Calvin), Alan Tudyk (Sonny), James Cromwell (Dr. Alfred Lanning), Bruce Greenwood (Lawrence Robertson), Adrian Ricard (Granny), Chi McBride (Lt. John Bergin). Screenplay by Akiva Goldsman and Jeff Vintar based on the book by Isaac Asimov. Directed by Alex Proyas.
I, Robot is the one hour television equivalent of a police detective murder mystery. It has all the ingredients of your standard cop shows where the smart-aleck detective is portrayed as a loner who doesn't exactly get along with his boss; or with anyone else for that matter. Therein is the film's problem whose story is based on a science fiction novel by Issac Asimov.
I have not read any of Asimov's works, but I can safely assume his books have something to say about where society is headed when it comes to our never ending reliance on technology. I expect more from a film, science fiction movies in particular, especially when they are based on a series of novels written by popular authors. If nothing else, it is my hope the filmmakers would do their best to be faithful to the author's work, not to mention the reader's fans.
I, Robot presents some intriguing notions on what life could be like 31 years from now. It might even be comforting to know that not a lot has changed. The sneaker company, Converse, is apparently still in business, as demonstrated by Detective Del Spooner (Will Smith) who walks the streets of the windy city in his latest vintage shoe wear.
There are some notable differences. Cars, which no longer run on gas, can now be trusted to drive on their own while the driver takes a snooze or catches up on police work. The city's population, perhaps even the country, has doubled thanks to the fact most everyone in the country owns a robot designed to cater to every human being’s command.
The robots have three laws: one, a robot may not harm a human or, by inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. Two, a robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the first law and three, a robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first or second law.
When the metallic walking tin cans aren't busy walking someone's dogs or running to fetch their owner's asthma medicine, they're out delivering Federal Express packages and serving coffee at a diner. That alone brings up the interesting question that makes one wonder if the country's unemployment rate will double thanks to robots holding jobs once held by humans.
I, Robot could even be a jab at how corporations today are outsourcing their computer help-desk departments overseas. While investigating the apparent suicide of a U.S. Robotics' creator (James Cromwell), Spooner pitches an idea to the company president (Bruce Greenwood) who bears an obvious resemblance to Bill Gates when it comes to corporate greed.
The film is filled with some great dialogue that suggests maybe robots aren't all that different from humans.
"Can a robot write a symphony?" Spooner asks Sonny, the company's newest android who might be a murderer during a police interrogation. "Can a robot take a blank canvas and turn it into a masterpiece?"
"Can you?" Sonny asks.
There are also some haunting scenes, such as when Spooner attempts to weed out the technological suspect hiding amongst an army of robots by seeing if any of them flinch at the sight of his gun in their face.
It's kind of a shame more of this wasn't explored further by director Alex Proyas, who instead gives us a recycled murder mystery filled with your standard clichés found in so many cop dramas. I've seen it all before.
A cop is out to investigate the murder of a major corporate figure. A company does all they can to stop the investigation. Anyone walking into this movie will obviously know the creator's death wasn't a suicide. So where's the payoff?
If there is anything good to come from this movie it's not an over-emotional, metallic, talking tin can with blue eyes named Sonny who steals the show in I, Robot. It's Will Smith as a cynically prejudiced detective who has all the great lines ("Sorry, I'm allergic to bullshit.")
Maybe that's the movie's message after all. In a time where science fiction pictures are in short supply, thanks to filmmakers who give visual effects top priority over a good story as laughably seen in The Chronicles of Riddick (2004), I, Robot proves that what is most important is not digital eye candy, but a character audiences can identify with.
©7/19/04
PG-13, 115m. 2004
Cast & Credits: Will Smith (Del Spooner), Bridget Moynahan (Susan Calvin), Alan Tudyk (Sonny), James Cromwell (Dr. Alfred Lanning), Bruce Greenwood (Lawrence Robertson), Adrian Ricard (Granny), Chi McBride (Lt. John Bergin). Screenplay by Akiva Goldsman and Jeff Vintar based on the book by Isaac Asimov. Directed by Alex Proyas.
I have not read any of Asimov's works, but I can safely assume his books have something to say about where society is headed when it comes to our never ending reliance on technology. I expect more from a film, science fiction movies in particular, especially when they are based on a series of novels written by popular authors. If nothing else, it is my hope the filmmakers would do their best to be faithful to the author's work, not to mention the reader's fans.
I, Robot presents some intriguing notions on what life could be like 31 years from now. It might even be comforting to know that not a lot has changed. The sneaker company, Converse, is apparently still in business, as demonstrated by Detective Del Spooner (Will Smith) who walks the streets of the windy city in his latest vintage shoe wear.
There are some notable differences. Cars, which no longer run on gas, can now be trusted to drive on their own while the driver takes a snooze or catches up on police work. The city's population, perhaps even the country, has doubled thanks to the fact most everyone in the country owns a robot designed to cater to every human being’s command.
The robots have three laws: one, a robot may not harm a human or, by inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. Two, a robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the first law and three, a robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first or second law.
When the metallic walking tin cans aren't busy walking someone's dogs or running to fetch their owner's asthma medicine, they're out delivering Federal Express packages and serving coffee at a diner. That alone brings up the interesting question that makes one wonder if the country's unemployment rate will double thanks to robots holding jobs once held by humans.
I, Robot could even be a jab at how corporations today are outsourcing their computer help-desk departments overseas. While investigating the apparent suicide of a U.S. Robotics' creator (James Cromwell), Spooner pitches an idea to the company president (Bruce Greenwood) who bears an obvious resemblance to Bill Gates when it comes to corporate greed.
The film is filled with some great dialogue that suggests maybe robots aren't all that different from humans.
"Can a robot write a symphony?" Spooner asks Sonny, the company's newest android who might be a murderer during a police interrogation. "Can a robot take a blank canvas and turn it into a masterpiece?"
"Can you?" Sonny asks.
There are also some haunting scenes, such as when Spooner attempts to weed out the technological suspect hiding amongst an army of robots by seeing if any of them flinch at the sight of his gun in their face.
It's kind of a shame more of this wasn't explored further by director Alex Proyas, who instead gives us a recycled murder mystery filled with your standard clichés found in so many cop dramas. I've seen it all before.
A cop is out to investigate the murder of a major corporate figure. A company does all they can to stop the investigation. Anyone walking into this movie will obviously know the creator's death wasn't a suicide. So where's the payoff?
If there is anything good to come from this movie it's not an over-emotional, metallic, talking tin can with blue eyes named Sonny who steals the show in I, Robot. It's Will Smith as a cynically prejudiced detective who has all the great lines ("Sorry, I'm allergic to bullshit.")
Maybe that's the movie's message after all. In a time where science fiction pictures are in short supply, thanks to filmmakers who give visual effects top priority over a good story as laughably seen in The Chronicles of Riddick (2004), I, Robot proves that what is most important is not digital eye candy, but a character audiences can identify with.
©7/19/04
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