Fans of Isaac Asimov’s original book have deemed this film version complete fluff. I have not read the book, so I can’t comment. I feel what was brought to the screen was popcorn entertainment with enough smarts to make me believe I wasn’t being talked down to.
Director Alex Proyas created wonderful visual styles with his films THE CROW and DARK CITY. However, where THE CROW and DARK CITY were very dark and moody, I, ROBOT is very bright and clean. Yet, Proyas evokes the same feelings. The sterile world seems too sterile for its own good. This feeling works right into the motivations of the lead character Del Spooner (Will Smith, INDEPENDENCE DAY), who is very skeptical of robots in general. He is specifically brought onto a case of the apparent suicide of robotics genius Dr. Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell, BABE).
Lanning’s boss Lawrence Robertson (Bruce Greenwood, 13 DAYS) and his protégé Susan Calvin (Bridget Moynahan, THE RECRUIT) both believe that Lanning killed himself, because no robot has ever committed a crime, because it is against their programming. However, Spooner suspects one special robot named Sonny (Alan Tudyk, DODGEBALL). Spooner begins to investigate the crime more deeply and well you’ll have to see the movie or read the book to find out more.
The story pretty much plays out in a standard Hollywood action format. There’s scenes where Spooner’s paranoia is highlighted with a mistake of judgement, followed by scenes where Spooner is admonished by the chief and ridiculed by random cops at a distant in the precinct and it even arrives at a point where Spooner loses his badge. In movies of this type, loosing your badge means as much as loosing your favorite pen.
However, I liked the details that were crafted to the standard structure. Sonny is the most interesting character in the film. His motivations are smart and intriguing and really provide the main suspense of the film. Smith shows he can handle action and comedy with equal skill. He is just a likable star. In the end, I was entertained and never felt like I was being totally recycled the same old Hollywood garbage. This might not be the most intellectual version of Asimov’s story, but it helped a popcorn flick rise above its nature.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
