Film Review - I, Robot

This is a public announcement. Would all Asimov readers who have axes to grind, please go and stand with the anti-Will Smith brigade outside the cinema. Now, why don't you go make your own movie, it can be four hours long and not include any creative interpretation of the books. They can be word for word, and they can even star John Malkovich if you like. Run along now.

Thank goodness those bores are gone and you and I can get on with the real business of watching movies with killer robots. Plot? Who needs one? Oh, fine. Here we go.

Detective Del Spooner doesn't like robots. We find out the schmaltzy and frankly, rubbish, reason later on, but for now, let's just say, he doesn't like robots. Funny then, that he should be called to a murder scene where the Father of Modern Robotics, Dr. Lanning, has apparently killed himself by jumping from the top of the huge US Robotics building.

Investigating the crime scene, Spooner finds a strangely independant robot, who, despite the three laws of robotics, aims a gun at him and scarpers. Upon capturing this naughty robot, Spooner questions him about the murder of Dr. Lanning and finds that this particular droid, who names himself Sonny, has emotions, one of which is anger. USR take back their malfunctioning robot, canning any further interrogation by Spooner who is looking crazier by the minute.

Not that we can blame him. The new line of robots from which Sonny came seem to be trying their best to kill him, everytime he gets closer and closer to the elusive truth about Lanning's death. Of course, no-one believes Spooner, he has his badge taken away and with it, the chance to carry on investigating the murder. His partner in anti-crime is Dr.Calvin (Bridget Monaghan), a psychologist ice queen whose job is to make robots more human.

Chaos ensues when the new NS-5 brand of robot, that looks a bit like a walking I-Mac, decides to turn against the rest of the humans, being controlled from way up in the USR building. Together, Spooner and Calvin attempt to save the day by thwarting the plans of the evil robot controller, whoever that may be.

Watching I, Robot is like eating a box of chocolates with no picture card. You can either dig through, nibbling a tiny bit of each one and casting aside the viennese whirl, or you can just eat the whole lot at once, safe in the knowledge that although you might get a Turkish delight in there, you're guaranteed a caramel at some point.

Will Smith is believable as old fashioned boy who hates robots but loves his vintage 2004 Converse Allstars. Possibly because he looks like he's been lifted straight off the set of Bad Boys. Bridget Monaghan's role could really have been played by a good handful of American actresses and she doesn't necessarily bring anything exciting to the role. The real stand out is the amazingly versatile Alan Tudyk, who played Sonny. Although the robot was CGI'd, the voice, emotions, facial expressions and movements are all performed by Tudyk, who makes Sonny one of the most emotive, captivating and lovable characters I have seen in recent years.

The real tragedy is that Tudyk will not be recognised for this performance by the movie world, just as Andy Serkis missed out on the plaudits for Gollum in Lord of the Rings. I,Robot is not hugely original, it's themes of non-humans learning to emote and developing the notion of a soul have been visited before. However, for a summer movie, it has a huge throbbing heart to go with the flashy effects and megabucks actor. Go see it, if only for the pleasure of seeing a CGI character as it should be.