Jack: If they want to drink Merlot, we're drinking Merlot. Miles: No, if anyone orders Merlot, I'm l...
Jack: If they want to drink Merlot, we're drinking Merlot. Miles: No, if anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am NOT drinking any f*****g Merlot!
Member since:03.02.2004
Reviews:36
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Director: Alex Proyas
Cast: Will Smith, Bridget Moynahan, Alan Tudyk, Chi Mcbride, James Cromwell Bruce Greenwood
Certificate: 12A
Story: Chicago 2035. Robots live among us as our helpers. Under the ‘Laws of Robots’, they are incapable of harming a human being. However after robot designer Dr Alfred Lanning (Cromwell) is found dead, Detective Spooner (Smith) is suspicious of a robot called Sonny (Tudyk), who is found hiding at the scene. Was it murder or suicide? And are laws made to be broken?
Let’s face it, whether they are good (Robocop), evil (The Terminator) or just crap (Bicentennial Man), robots are a helluva cool subject matter, especially when they turn on the human race. And so steps forth this latest offering from the synthetic stable, with Dark City director Alex Proyas teaming up with Big Willie himself. After a six year hiatus featuring some truly dire sequels, Will Smith has returned to reclaim his blockbuster crown…
Plucking ideas from Isaac Asimovs’ I, Robot anthology, Proyas’ film aims for something a little different, a summer movie with a brain. Half hour in though and a conflict of interest becomes worryingly apparent. The film drums up many posers about artificial creation and the ability to think, feel and dream. Only problem is, when the script seems ready to explore these themes it chickens out, lurching toward the next revelation and subsequent set piece. This is a summer movie after all so big bangs and special effects are the order of the day. Anyone wanting to get their thinking caps on may wish to indulge in Spielbergs’ AI instead.
But that’s not to say I, Robot doesn’t have plenty going for it. Proyas’ films to date have been visually striking and, whilst perhaps losing some of the dark bleakness found in his previous work, he still uses artistic licence to keep things interesting. Whether it’s a sweeping shot of a futuristic Chicago or a robot simply taking a dog for a walk, there’s always something to look at it in amongst the exposition. The design of the robots is also spot on, the new NS-5 models actually looking like superior upgrades when compared to the rust-buckets that have reached their use by date. The action sequences are also efficiently handled with wire work, CGI and slo-mo all blending together nicely to produce one slick set piece after another.
Another plus is Smiths’ restrained performance. He plays the cynical cop with a no-nonsense approach and, in one scene, he even nearly sheds a tear. The jive talking is thankfully kept on a leash, well apart from the occasional wisecrack, which manages to dissipate any tension the film may have been building. However the real star of the show is Alan Tudyk as ‘Sonny’. An effective mix of mystery and candour, Sonny is a marvellous creation, evoking sympathy as well remaining more than a little sinister. Tudyk makes an impact of Gollum-like proportions and manages to steal the film from the fresh prince. Other performances are so-so, with Bruce Greenwood the corporate slimeball and Bridget Moynahan filling in the scientific loopholes. The most tiresome performance though is McBride as the typical Police Captain, who hangs around waiting for Spooner to mess up…and yes he does ask for his badge.
In a weak summer for popcorn movies, I, Robot is a solid sci-fi actioner, letting itself down by not being as smart as it thinks it is. It’s an A for effort but Smith will need to do more to wrestle that crown from a certain Sam Raimi. The ideas are up there on screen but the execution is weak, leaving the viewer to ponder over how much better a darker vision might’ve been. And if it wasn’t for that pesky Hollywood money-making machine, they would’ve gotten away with it too.
Overall
An enjoyable blockbuster filled with some terrific action but ultimately packing a phantom punch, the brains never quite matching the brawn.
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Production Year: 2006 - Science Fiction - Director: James Hawes - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Noel Clarke, Camille Coduri, Penelope Wilton, David Tennant, Billie Piper
Production Year: 2007 - Science Fiction - Director: Francis Lawrence - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Dash Mihok, Will Smith, Salli Richardson, Willow Smith
glad someone shared my views...all well and good 2 watch entertainment wise with action etc, but really lakcs depth wen it goes through the holywood script process...i cudnt have put it beta myself!
ASIL1508 09.12.2004 22:48
Will Smith ............. 'humada humada humada!' Lisa :~)
Groover 22.10.2004 09:50
When watching Will Smith you already have a pretty good idea what type of film it is beforehand, so disengage brain prior to entering the cinema - it works for me !!! Still I enjoyed this one, there have been much worse action films recently.
As paranoid cop Del Spooner, Will Smith displays both his trademark quips and some ... more
impressive pectoral muscles inI, Robot. Only Spooner suspects that the robots that provide the near future with menial labor are going to turn on mankind--he's just not ...
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As paranoid cop Del Spooner, Will Smith displays both his trademark quips and some ... more
impressive pectoral muscles inI, Robot. Only Spooner suspects that the robots that provide the near future with menial labor are going to turn on mankind--he's just not ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
As paranoid cop Del Spooner, Will Smith displays both his trademark quips and some ... more
impressive pectoral muscles inI, Robot. Only Spooner suspects that the robots that provide the near future with menial labor are going to turn on mankind--he's just not ...
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As paranoid cop Del Spooner, Will Smith displays both his trademark quips and some ... more
impressive pectoral muscles inI, Robot. Only Spooner suspects that the robots that provide the near future with menial labor are going to turn on mankind--he's just not ...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Advantages: incredible effects, realistic robots, Alex Proyas back in the director's chair Disadvantages: the mass product placement, the injustice towards Isaac Asimov's source material
DarkMark 09.02.2005 (09.02.2005)
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Review of I, Robot (DVD)
![I Robot - Single Disc Edition [2004] [DVD]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78502584.jpg "I Robot - Single Disc Edition [2004] [DVD]")
![I Robot (Collector's Two Disc Edition) [DVD] [2004]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78511494.jpg "I Robot (Collector's Two Disc Edition) [DVD] [2004]")
Aug 11th, 2004
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