I, Robot :: DVD Review

Pictures from the movie I, Robot starring Will Smith.

Courtesy 20th Century Fox

Photos from the movie I, Robot starring Will Smith.

Courtesy 20th Century Fox

Robots are everywhere and threatening to take over the planet in Will Smith's new sci-fi action movie, I, Robot.

I, Robot - Robots Take Over The World

I, Robot is set in the year 2035 (That's only 30 years from now!) and robots are as much a part of everyday life as siblings, teachers and parents. They wash your dishes, they cook your meals, they even walk your dogs. Robots have been hardwired to protect and obey humans and are trusted to be "3 Laws Safe". A robot cannot hurt another human being or allow a human to come to harm; a robot must obey orders from humans unless such orders conflict with the first law and a robot must protect its own existence, unless doing so conflicts with the first two laws. Detective Del Spooner, played by Will Smith, is one of the few people in the year 2035 who doesn't trust robots and technology. So, when the robots start to break the trust of humans and attempt to take over the planet, Will Smith is the only one who sees it coming.

I, Robot - Written By Androids?

I, Robot is loosely based (and I mean very loosely) on the short stories of Isaac Asimov - the father of science fiction. While the idea behind this movie is great, it seems like the script for the film was written by robots as well. It's filled with cheesey one-liners and dumb wisecracks that don't really work and only make the movie seem clumsy and awkward. While the futuristic, Matrix-style car chases and robot battles are well done, a better script could've made I, Robot a sci-fi classic.

I, Robot - Robotic Special Effects

The best part about I, Robot and the main reason this movie is worth watching is the special effects used to create the massive army of robots. The CGI creations are so convincing that you actually forget these androids have been created with special effects. You'll also be wowed by the effects used to create the city of Chicago in the year 2035. The robot hero, called Sonny, (voiced by Alan Tudyk) is a particularly strong character and gives a much better performance than the robotic Will Smith.

I, Robot - DVD Features

As far as DVDs go, I, Robot's features are a bit weak. The only commentary you're getting is from the director and screenwriter (nothing from Will Smith). There's a short, little feature about the making of the movie and there's a photo gallery. But, that's all you're getting with this disc.

I, Robot - The Bottom Line

As a science fiction movie, I,Robot is worth watching, especially on the big screen, but it's not nearly as good as it could've been. It's a reminder that while robotics are certainly going to become a big part of our lives in the future, they will never be able to bring the life and emotion that a human can, to a movie.

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