Hello all....I'm back! After a long absence from the Ciao community I have come back to bring more ...
Hello all....I'm back! After a long absence from the Ciao community I have come back to bring more reviews and to revive old friendships. See ya round! Leila :) xxx
Member since:18.04.2003
Reviews:106
Members who trust:168
Happy New Year fellow Ciao reviewers. It's now 2005 and for my first review, I'll do a film review on a DVD I got my sister for christmas.....
I, ROBOT
***ACTORS AND ACTRESSES***
Will Smith - The Legend of Bagger Vance, Shark Tale, Bad Boys II
Bridget Moynahan - Serendipity, Coyote Ugly, The Sum of All Fears
Alan Tudyk - Ice Age, Hearts in Atlantis, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
James Cromwell - Space Cowboys, Deep Impact, Species II
**CHARACTERS***
Del Spooner Played by actor Will Smith. Del Spooner is a all-go no-quit detective in the force. Apart from having a buff body, Del always trusts his gut and uses his instincts to guide him and they've never failed him yet. His deep distrust for the main focus of this film (robots), does not appear without good reason. Del will not rely on robots for anything, but despite his hatred for them Del has a cybernetic secret of his own.
Dr. Susan Calvin Played by actress Bridget Moynahan. Dr Susan Calvin is a worker at the USR robotics lab. Her job is to make sure robots work efficiently and obey the rules. Susan makes the robots seem more human and as such, feels a personal connection to them. But can Susan see the flaws in her work?
Sonny Played by actor Alan Tudyk. Sonny is a special robot. Unique and individual, not like the others of his kind. His uniqueness is a source of confusion for him as he does not really know what his purpose is in the world. Sure he has his own mind and all the abilities of a robot, but inside he wants to be more than what he was programmed to do.
Alfred Lanning Played by actor James Cromwell. Lanning created something special but not without it's flaws and only he knows
what they are. A recluse character, this man will leave a trail of breadcrumbs for the likes of Del Spooner to follow. Everything in this man's life is not as rosy as it seems.
***PLOT***
Law 1 A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
Law 2 A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the first law.
Law 3 A robot must protect its own existence so long as such protection does not conflict with the first or second law.
These are the three laws of robotics. They are programmed into every robot like a way of life. Every robot is bound by these laws and are expected to uphold them. Their function? To protect human existence where they can and defend themselves if necessary.
In the year 2035, robots are an every day part of life. They walk dogs, have jobs in Fedex, trash disposal and live the lives that their owners choose for them. The community has come to trust these robots with their lives. No robot has ever committed a crime and the idea that they could is just preposterous.....to most people.
So who made these robots? One company called USR and a man called Alfred Lanning who created the three laws. A perfect circle of protection in his words. As with most technology, when something is invented, it means that sooner or later, it will be replaced with a newer better version and these robots are no exception.
The USR company is on the eve of a robotic breakthrough. Putting a brand new NS-5 robot in every home, one robot for every 5 humans. They are latest generation of robots from this company but not is all as it seems.
In comes Del Spooner, a detective with a chip on his shoulder. A call comes in for Spooner saying that there has been a murder at the USR headquarters which requires his immediate attention. The victim? Alfred Lanning. A simple holographic recreation of Lanning was created for Spooner and breadcrumbs for him to follow. So when Spooner investigates the crime scene, he finds an NS-5 robot hiding and takes of running. When the robot is finally captured a highly suspicious Spooner has no doubt in his mind that this robot killed Dr. Lanning.
Whilst the robot is protesting it's innocence, the USR company demands the robot back for diagnostics and decommission. However, when Spooner begins to snoop around a little more, he uncovers some startling facts about Lanning, USR and the robots themselves.
But someone is getting annoyed at Spooner's persistence. Although Spooner thinks that the robot (now named Sonny) killed Lanning, he can't prove it unless he digs for evidence. Now Spooner is being targeted by the very same robots that he despises.
They are being controlled by someone and if Spooner (along with a little help) doesn't find a way to stop mind-controlled robots, it could mean a serious war or revolution. Robots against Humans.
Watch if you want to know what happens!!
***MY PERSONAL OPINION***
I thought that this movie was excellent! I'd seen the trailers, but never seen this when it was on at the cinema. I was curious to see it so I got it for my sister for xmas. This movie gives you a pretty realisitic picture into the not-to-distant-future. What will the world be like in 30 years? Will we have robots like in this film?
I liked this film because it showed the flaws that technology has. You can create something with the best intentions and then claim that it is perfect, but there will always be a flaw with it or an unexplainable error. It showed that these robots started to think beyond the limitations of their programming, somethin g that some of their builders never wanted. The movie showed an example of how machines have replaced humans in the work force and for Will Smith's character Spooner, was a sharp reminder. There is always something bigger and better coming out in the world, whether it is better or not is another question and in the case of this movie, the new NS-5 robots were obviously not a good idea.
In that respect, I thought the story line was great and the characters filled their roles well and brought out their characters inner demons. Spooner who despised robots explains his reasons for mistrusting them, but others just can't see the problem. The film just goes to show how much faith we put in technology and how sometimes we are so blinded by what we have created, that we do not see the potential dangers of it.
The special effects had to be top notch for this film, even though it was a real guy playing Sonny. The action sequences were few but cool. Swarms of robots climbing up over buildings was quite cool and just added to the ambience of the film! The action sequences were well thought out and cool!
I would recommend this movie to any science fiction or fantasy fanatic! I loved it and would watch it again! But I always like to include what some film critics think, so here we go!
"It has a slow buildup, but its final third manages to generate some eye-popping thrills without the usual obligatory dismissal of all narrative in the face of explosions." Luke Y. Thompson, NEW TIMES
"A visually impressive effort that mixes the pizzazz of an action-oriented popcorn movie with a more humane sensibility than is usually the case." Frank Swietek, ONE GUY'S OPINION
"What makes I, Robot work is director Alex Proyas’ surprisingly effective balance of action, intrigue and emotion." Brian Webster, APOLLO GUIDE
***TECHIE BITS***
The most boring part of the whole review.....the techie bits! Da-daaaaaaaaa!
Title: I,Robot Running Time: 1 hour, 55 minutes Certificate: 15 Director: Alex Proyas DVD/VHS: Only seen it on DVD Where to buy: HMV, Virgin, Amazon or EBay Price: £14.99 from Amazon Trailers: Yes Soundtrack: Unknown Posters: Yes Books: Yes
***DVD EXTRAS***
There are tons of extras on the two disc collectors edition which make this all worth while in buying. I haven't had a chance to see all of the special features yet so I'll list them for you instead.
Commentary By the Director And Screenwriter Commentary By The Technical Team And The Composer The Making Of Gag Reel (my favourite part of the whole DVD!!) Still Gallery Alien vs Predator Trailer 24 Trailer Electra Trailer Day Out Of Days The I Robot Production Diaries Post Production Sentient Machines Robotic Behaviour About Science Fiction And Robots The Film Makers Toolbox And Visual Effects Extended And Deleted Scenes Easter Eggs
Hope I've helped you make a decision about this movie! I loved it and never even realised it was actially a book as well! Cool!
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYBODY AT CIAO!!!!!
Happy trails kids!
Leila :)
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
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
Another stunning review. The trailer really put me off this film but everyone raves about it. I'll try and watch it tomorrow. Also, men in black two has put me off will smith!! absolutly terrible film but this looks sound. Ian
bluebunny 18.03.2005 11:50
Great review, not into robots but enjoyed this film, Lou
kthdsn 06.03.2005 15:35
I don't like the sound of this, the robot thing has already been done so many times its gotten a little boring in my opinion. Kate xx
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 ...
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 ...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
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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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
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]")
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