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Movie Review: I, Robot

-Based on the book by Issac Asimov
-Directed by: Alex Proyas

Del Spooner: Will Smith
Susan Calvin: Bridget Moynahan
Sonny: Alan Tudyk


It's probably no secret to regular readers of my reviews and articles on various actors and films that I am a movie junkie. However, what you might not know about me is that I read like a fiend. That being said, when I found out that this classic work of Science Fiction literature was on its way to the big screen I thought that I was getting presents without it being Christmas or my birthday. Like the Lord of the Rings books, works by Asimov are resonant things. However, I incorrectly assumed that the sweeping vision put down in words could never be translated well to film. Alex Proyas has done it, with a little help from Will Smith.

In a movie that will add to Smith's long history of summer blockbusters I, Robot can be summed up in exactly one word: Breathtaking. Set in 2035 America, you meet Detective Del Spooner who is a throwback to a simpler time. Ironically, that year is 2004. The first scene of the movie shows how much simpler Spooner chooses to live with his remote control CD player and Converse shoes. He's a stranger in this new world, and it's clear that no one knows it more than Spooner himself. It's also in this first scene that I have a problem with the filming. There is a fairly pointless bit of nudity which just made me scratch my head and wonder what exactly the director was thinking. It sticks out and it is, in the first few moments of this complex film, something that I feel could have been reshot. But Smith brings the story back to its proper place and you're soon immersed in this brave new world.

Robots are a daily part of average life in this futuristic Chicago. They walk dogs, care for children, and walk the streets shoulder to shoulder with their human masters. The special effects in creating these helpers is fantastic. They seem tangible and believable in their mingling with humanity which is a fact that seems far more ominous as the movie progresses. Alan Tudyk leads the robot cast as the sensitive Sonny in a performance that matches that of Andy Serkis as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It's impressive what a talented actor and a special effects department the size of Rhode Island can do.

My only substantial complaint with this movie is in its language. There's a lot of it that's questionable. And it, like the nudity issue, just made me want to scratch my head. When a movie earns a rating for language, there's an assumption there will be something heard that's a bit adult. I, Robot pushes the boundary of it in a couple of scenes. So if you're wanting to take some younger viewers please keep it in mind. Despite that though, it is an excellent movie. Will Smith is an entertaining man to watch, and when you give him material like that of Asimov's book, the possibilities are endless.

-Jenn Untch
Liberty, Missouri
indigojenn@earthlink.net
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