Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Mechanical Robot

Hello all!Back from Malaysia and maybe the first thing I really should write about is the trip itself but no matter.This is instead,a review of the movie I,Robot.A movie that I thought is just about average.Not much better than most other action pictures.The premise may be of interest but it has been done better (and with more poignancy)in the likes of Ridley Scott's 1983 classic "Blade Runner"(also adapted from an Isaac Asimov story "Do Andriods Dream Of Electric Sheep?")and Steven Spielberg's "AI",or even Robin William's "Bicentennial Man".The action is nothing new either...refer to "The Matrix" or "Terminator" series.

Set in a future Earth (2035 A.D.)where robots are common assistants and workers for their human owners,I,Robot is the story of Chicago Police Detective John Spooner's (Will Smith) investigation into the murder of Dr. Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell), who works at U.S. Robotics, in which a robot, Sonny(Alan Tudyk),appears to be implicated, even though that would mean the robot had violated the Three Laws of Robotics, which is apparently impossible.Aiding Spooner in his investigation is a psychologist,Dr. Susan Calvin (Bridget Moynahan),who specializes in the psyches of robots.

Ok,now that I got the story out of the way,I'd get into the movie itself.I have to admit I have seen a patchy version of it.I saw it in a cinema in Penang(fancy watching a movie in Malaysia but I've watched a movie ine very country I have visited just to get a feel of what's different...most of the time,there is no difference).The sound played soft and loud for the first half of the movie (mind you,I watched in a THX threatre)and there seemed to be awkward cuts in the movie which did not make sequencing logic.Censors or projection mistakes by the cinema?I have to think it's the latter.The sound and the cuts made the experience a whole lot less enjoyable.

Will Smith's presence is a distraction.He seems to bring his whole "Bad Boys" comic persona to most role he takes on and this is no exception.In his hands,the movie plays very easily to summer blockbuster mode but not much else.I honestly would have preferred the lead role to be played straight.Bridget Moynahan's role is nothing but pure eye-candy and the handyman who can help Smith in exactly the ways he need her to be.It's Sonny that I'm a little fascinated by.A concoction of CGI and human voice acting,I found this character to have depth(a lot more than Smith or Moynahan)and more than a little creepy.

The action sequences is standard action fare,the chase scene in the tunnel,the fights with the robotic villains,etc.It's admittedly rather well done...although I thought the CGI looked a little patchy.Sure,the action was exciting...but it was also uninvolving.I wouldn't really have cared if any of the characters died.

Righty,I guess I am bashing the movie a bit.I am really looking forward to Tom Cruise's "Collateral" though and will write a review of that movie as soon as I watch it.Meanwhile,a 3 out of 5 for Will Smith's summer vehicle.And by the way,his car in this flick looks really great.An Audi.