Title Directed by
Rating
Times Seen
I, Robot Alex Proyas 7 1
     My introduction to Asimov's work was through my Oma (German for Grandmother), who read a lot of mystery and SF books when I was in my teen years. She used to send me boxes of books once she had ploughed through them. I read a couple of Asimov's books, and while I know "I, Robot" was among them, I'm pretty sure this summer's movie adaptation is faithful only on the level of the three laws of robotics, and that Asimov involved detectives in his stories from time to time.
    It also recalled to my mind a challenge my Oma made to me after watching one of my early film projects. She noted that I solved everything with guns and violence. She told me a true hero would be able to solve a problem without resorting to violence. I'm guessing Jeff Vintar's grandmother never gave him such a challenge. There's as much gunplay in this film as there was in Bad Boys.
     "I, Robot" may not be faithful to it's hard SF roots, but it's pretty stinking fun all the same. I went in with low expectations, and that may account for my 7 rating, but to be true to my own rating scale, I would recommend it as a movie you wouldn't feel cheated out of paying full price for in the theater.
      It also garners a seven because I only have three major complaints. There are a few spoilers here, but nothing the incredibly revealing previews haven't given away already.
    The film loses its first point for an inconsistency regarding Will Smith's character, Detective Spooner. Throughout the film, Spooner jumps from fairly high places, and gazes from a smashed window down hundreds of feet without showing any ill effects. Near the end of the film, while engaged in an action set piece in a precariously high location, Spooner makes the comment that he isn't fond of heights. Minor point, but the only reason I could see for him making the comment was to facilitate some one liners.
     The second point is lost to the character of Farber, played by Shia LeBeouf. I'm guessing there was more to the subplot relationship between Spooner and Farber, but it likely all ended up on the cutting room floor. If it didn't, then Farber's presence in the movie is an incredible writing faux pas. The trash talking street kid appears only once in the film before suddenly leading a posse of street kids in a "Gangs of New York" confrontation with the robots, forcing Spooner to come to the rescue. An incredibly unnecessary scene that serves only to showcase a stunt that belonged more in the Matrix than in this film.
     The third mark against the film is the inexplicable presence of a cat in one of the action pieces, creating the "save the animal" moment, which had it actually happened, been more detrimental to Smith than the cat. My guess is that if you picked up a cat while a building was being demolished around you, there'd be a strong chance that said cat would claw your eyeballs out in the course of the rescue attempt.
     To its credit, the film's romantic tension never goes beyond plausibility, the threat of the robots is sufficiently tense, Smith's one-liners are delivered well, and the action set pieces are a fresh change from all the "two armies running at each other with swords" scenes we've seen in the past year, none of which have come close to hitting the benchmark ROTK set.
      One thing I've figured out is this...Roger Ebert must have sunstroke, because he thought that pile of crapola called "King Arthur" was three stars, and figured "I Robot" was only worth two. My conclusion is that he likes Keira Knightly's bare ass more that Will Smith's.

Movie Reviews - I, Robot

Legend
10
 This movie is in my "top 10 films" list.
9
 I laughed, I cried, I peed my pants because there was no good time to leave the theater.
8
 The kind of movie you see twice and tell all your friends about.
7
 Worth paying full admission for.
6
 Worth seeing.
5
 Could have waited for DVD.
4
 Should have waited for DVD.
3
 Even if I'd waited for the DVD I'd still feel cheated out of the rental price.
2
 If someone ever gives me this movie I'll use the DVD as a coaster.
1
 Kept watching because my arms were pinned and I couldn't claw my eyes out.
0
 Piece of crap.
WO
Walked out.