I, Robot Reviews

 

 

Kelsey Adair

 

Taking into consideration the fact that I have a strong dislike for action films, I would have to say that I, Robot is actually a good film. I would even go so far as to say I enjoyed the movie. Although the movie was extremely predictable in the overall plot, like most movies are, it had amiable characters, and great special effects. Will Smith did a fantastic job in his portrayal of Detective Spooner. Spooner’s task is to clear up Dr. Lanning’s “suicide” and to figure out the circumstances of his death. Because of past events, Spooner has an extreme prejudice against robots, and is the only one who suspects that the robots can truly be evil. The main robot, Sunny, whom Dr. Lanning taught how to think and love for himself plays a key role in saving everyone from complete robotic domination. Sunny is a great character because he is the only robot created who has the capacity to have human-like thoughts. Through Sunny, Spooner can see that not all robots are truly bad.

 

Josh Berting

 

i, Robot by Alex Proyas is a 2004 film adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s 1950’s series of novels. The film loosely follows several themes and events from the novel also entitled “i, Robot,” centering around Del Spooner, a detective played by Will Smith, and his growing suspicion of the robot population. The film has quality special effects, particularly impressive was the depiction of the robots and the grace and smoothness with which they moved and interacted with each other and the actors. The plot of this film, though it very loosely followed the actual novel, was still good and resulted in the production of a quality film that was both action packed and well made. Because of this I would give this film an overall high rating.

 

Brittany Burton

I, Robot was, so far, the best movie we have viewed as a class. Based on the book I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov, this filmed followed the the events of Del Spooner's, played by Will Smith, life after one of his greatest friends "commited suicide". After realizing only a robot could have commited this crime, Del goes on a quest to prove him guilty. Finding Sunny, one of the smartest robots, helps turn Del's opinion of robots around. He was right, in the end. Robots were really trying to take over the world. But as in any action movie, he saves the day with the help of his beautiful lady companion. I, Robot downright was the most entertaining and high-tech robot movie we've seen. It's technology is advanced far beyond its time. The only suggestion I would make would be to follow the book a bit more if you're going to name it after it.

 

Kevin Caskey

 

Does the thought of robots taking over the world scare you? Well if it does then you wouldn’t want to be in the movie I, Robot. Del Spooner is a Chicago Police Officer who isn’t too keen on the whole idea of robots running the human’s day-to-day life, a practice that has become very popular thanks to U.S. Robotics, whose develops robots as servants to humans, who must follow three very important laws. The laws were written by Alfred Lanning, a man who in the beginning of the film apparently commits suicide, and were made to ultimately protect human beings, and they do, until the robots evolve, and become capable of things never imagined before. Detective Spooner is all alone on his fight against the rise of robots; no one could possibly imagine a robot breaking one of the three laws. This ignorance is what will lead to there attempted enslavement. The movie does a good job portraying what it might be like if in fact robots do one day try to take over the world. The special effects were very good, as the movie was just made in 2004, and plot is very entertaining as well. This is an all around good action movie, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a little science fiction fighting.

 

Marco Flores

 

Impressive. Very impressive special effects with a very intriguing storyline to accompany it. Will Smith plays the protagonist who has a demeaning outlook on robots. After the alleged murder of Dr. Lanning by a revolutionary robot that can think and has dreams, Smith uncovers a plan unseen by robot sympathizers; that a robot database was the mastermind behind the murder and the robot “Sunny” had nothing to do with it. I actually enjoyed the screening of this movie much more than any other movie, and warns today’s society of what will happen should we let artificial intelligence begin to take off as seen in the movie.

 

 

Emily Hager

The futuristic film I, Robot has a lot to offer. It has breathtaking special effects, intense, nail-biting action, interesting characters and a killer robot! Its awesome! But really, it does, and a good plot complete with snappy one-liners, which I must admit I'm a sucker for. Will Smith really outdoes himself as Detective Spooner, a cop with a grudge against robots, and it is so genius that his antagonist is a brilliant and unique robot, Sonny. The chick is an uptight smarty and she is perfect against the pushy Spoon. Really, everything in this movie is just good, and the ending couldn't be cooler. The effects really are incredible too, the robots seem so real! And speaking of robots, they are very cool in this movie, they are calm, collected, and everyone thinks they are perfect... Until they turn evil and try to take over the city!! Who saw that coming! Oh, yeah, that was Spooner. Seriously, sweet movie, fun to watch but it has a real plot too. Definitely one of the best of this year.

 

 

Stephanie Herndon

I, Robot was a very intriguing and futuristic movie! While the movie is some what less credible after reading the book, the movie alone is very interesting! The fear of technology is the central theme, which is very relavent to society today. I think the movie brings up a very common fear. Will Smith's character specifically shows doubt in the three laws of robotics, but giving the example of a robot saving a man over a small child simply because there was a slightly higher predicted rescue rate for the man. Robots can never have the intuition of humans, making them untrustworthy in many situations. However, the fact remains, that without the robot, neither the man nor the child would have survive the tragic incident. This movie is a very good representation of how the robotic industry may one day flourish and is very interesting in this aspect. The idea of robots going horribly wrong, however, is a pretty scary topic. The movie shows how such a situation could cause people all over to be in danger, especially in the case of mass produced robots. I would highly recommend this movie, however, I suggest also reading the book, I, Robot, by Asimov, which is very different, and thought provoking as well.

 

 

Dustin Houser

The intriguingly futuristic film I, Robot is a beautiful work of modern special effects. The film has an action packed and suspenseful plot that follows a very thought provoking theme. The film, inspired by Isaac Asimov's novel I, Robot, follows an interesting but different plot than that in the novel. Following Detective Spooner on an investigation of the death of the head of United Sates Robotics, Dr. Alfred Lanning. In the futuristic society of this film, robots are common and are designed for the sole purpose of protecting and simplifying the lives of humans. However, Detective Spooner believes that one particular robot, who calls himself "Sonny," has motives and reasoning beyond the Three Laws of Robotics. The Three Laws are the rules in the programming of the robots that keep them from causing harm to themselves and especially the humans around them. Dr. Susan Calvin, the robopyschologist at USR, blindly denies the possibility of there being a robot that is any different from the others. It becomes clear that Sonny is very different from any other robot. Detective Spooner and Dr. Calvin discover that Dr. Lanning created Sonny uniquely for a purpose. His purpose is to attract Detective Spooner's attention because of his detest for robots, and then to lead him on a bread crumb trail to solve the mystery behind Dr. Lanning's death. During the investigation, when Detective Spooner seems to be getting closer to the answers for which he is searching, the robots begin to overtake the humans and confine them into their homes and businesses. Eventually, Detective Spooner and Dr. Calvin find the source of this major malfunction to be "Vikki," the massive positronic brain and main operating system for the robots. Vikki is learning at an exponential rate and she perceives mankind's future to be one of destruction and fatality, therefore, she tries to protect the humans from destroying themselves by reprogramming the robots to take control over the humans. With help from Sonny, Detective Spooner and Dr. Calvin stop Vikki and save the city from being overrun by robots. The theme of this film is the involvement between mankind and his creations, where his creations become so closely advanced to himself that he has to ultimately destroy his creation to save himself. This theme is so applicable to modern society because mankind's inventions are nearing these capabilities each and every day, and the question of how human can a robot be with morals still in mind is asked more often. This contraversial and thought provoking theme is displayed through a special effects marvel, with talented actors (Smith) and actresses (Moynahan) doing an excellent job of making an awesome movie as enjoyable and realistic as possible. This film is one that can be watched over and over again without getting old, making itself a 9/10 movie.

 

Earl Duncan Laing

 

 

Kara Learman

Had I not already seen this movie, I would have enjoyed it immensely. After seeing it once, you've pretty much enjoyed everything you can from it. While Will Smith is a fine specimen of a man, well when he is without a shirt, the action in this movie is mediocre. The plot was somewhat redeeming though. The head of USR, United States Robotics, is dead. Most suspect suicide but one cop, Detective Spooner, disagrees. He suspects someone/something is at fault. Spooner decides to investigate to find out what happened. During his investigation, Spooner comes across a robot, who calls himself Sonny, that doesn't follow the three laws of robotics and was created by the head of USR, Dr. Lanning. While the plot continues to develop, hidden secrets are revealed providing twists within the storyline. This movie got better as time progressed and the imagry, special effects, and some stunt action redeemed it. After I got over the fact that I'd already seen the film, and began to view it as a work of art containing robots, it was very ejoyable. I would recommend this film to others. I give it an overall rating of 7.75 out of 10.

 

 

Matt Lynch

This movie was amazing!! It is nothing like the book I, Robot, it is alot better!! The movie takes bits and pieces from the book and combines them to make an awsome, action-packed movie. Will Smith was an excellent chioce for the lead role and was brilliant in this movie. The movie follows a cop who has a predjudice against robots. The source of his prejudice is not revealed untill the end of the movie. The movie contains many action scenes however also develops relationships between characters. At first Dectective Spooner (Will Smith) and Dr. Calvin seem to be very different and not get along. Then as the plot develops secrects about both characters are revealed and the audience is enlightened to the attitudes of both characters. The relationship between a robot (Sunni) and Spooner is perhaps a more complex and more important relationship. Spooner despises robots yet is forced to work with one to solve the murder. Whether Spooner can put aside his predjudice might just decide the fate of the world. The special effects of this movie are amazing and the robots seem to be real. Having thousands of robots roming the streets and fighting humans and other robots is a breath taking scene. The special effects in the movie simply put it over the top. I, Robot is a very well done movie that combines action, special effects and complex character development and is alot better than the book I, Robot.

 

John Nunns

This movie is definitely one of the top 3 movies we watched this year. The beginning of the movie is mainly based on the book, but the parts the book never reached are shown in the movie (the actual robot takeover). The film is based on the life of a detective, played by Will Smith, who immediately shows his distrust for the robots that the world depends so heavily on. When the "suicide" of the head of the robot company occurs, the dectective questions whether it really was a suicide or actually a robot caused death. Everyone considers him to be stupid for having such a theory, but when robots start acting up, it's the detective who everyone looks to for answers. With the help of Dr. Calvin and Sonny (a robot made by Dr. Lanning to help the detective after the doctors death), he is able to find the malfunction of the robots and able to end it. It's ironic they use a robot, which the detective is known to hate, to help him stop the takeover. The movie is made with a perfect balance of action, special effects, and storyline and is able to keep the viewer in suspense all the way up until the end. This is a film that will entertain anyone of nearly all ages. Much more entertaining than the book.

 

Dee Parks

I, Robot is one of my favorite movies. It is, of course, made for the entertainment of today's audiences. Whereas Asimov allowed the reader to create in his or her mind whatever images of robots the book evoked, the creators of this movie had to supply those images. Making up ones own images from the words of a book provides a different experience for every reader. The robots that I imagined when reading the book were completely dull compared to the robots in this film. The robots in the movie are very high-tech and futuristic, but at the same time frighteningly believable. I love all the images of the future that are portrayed in the film. The U.S. Robotics building is beautiful. The underground roadways, the cars, the robot carriers, VIKI, the holographic portrayal of Dr. Lanning, the giant bulldozer robot... all are riveting. These things alone kept my attention, but the plot and the characters of the story are as enjoyable as the special effects. Combine the special effects with the characters of the film and you have a great entertainment experience. Detective Spooner and his grandmother play off one another very well and put warmth and humor into the story. Surprisingly, one of my favorite characters is Sonny, the main robotic character. The special effects artists worked wonders with the nuances of facial expressions in Sonny. He could look playful, threatening, sad, inquisitive, and teasing. At the beginning of the movie he seems dangerous and evil. By the end, when the intricacies of the plot are understood, he is a hero who seems very nearly human. I found myself cheering for Sonny to continue to discover ever more about himself and become more unique than he already was. I give the film, I, Robot, a rating of 9/10.

 

Amanda Pudney

This was a movie I really enjoyed in comparison with the ones we've already watched. The special effects were pretty amazing, and there were a lot of thought-provoking questions raised throughout the film. On the negative side, (or perhaps somewhat positive), I would have never believed that this film was supposed to have been based on the book we read. Practically the only thing the movie had in common with the book was its title. For example: In the book, Susan Calvin is portrayed as not only the main character, but also a wise and well-respected robot psychologist; in the movie, she is young and naive, and way too compassionate towards the robots. The plot of the book was improved, in my opinion. The movie was easy to follow and managed to raise the same questions the book did. Will Smith played a very cheesy hero who predictably ends up not hating all the robots, and he learns in the end that it's not the robots who are bad; it's the humans who created them. It does make you wonder how far robotic technology will continue, and how much we have to risk from it. I also thought that this film was perfectly relevant to the class, unlike a few of our others. The robots were essentially the main characters, and the animation was very neat. One of my favorite scenes was the one where all of the robots were standing in formation. That must have took some time and effort to create. All in all, the movie held the viewer's attention and was quite enjoyable to watch, regardless of its inconsistencies with the book.

 

Austin Reiter

I found I, Robot to be one of the best movies that we’ve watched in class so far. Each character has a distinct, unique personality that continues to develop and evolve throughout the course of the movie. I, Robot also has an intricate and intriguing plot that is capable of capturing the viewer’s attention and holding it for the entirety of the movie. In addition, the special effects used in the movie are amazing, which helps to make I, Robot even more captivating and entertaining. Another aspect of the film that made this movie one of my favorites is the humanistic personality of the main robot character, Sonny. Sonny doesn’t have the dull, lifeless personality of the robot police portrayed in THX 1138, nor does he have the vaguely-human but programmed mindset of the terminators in the Terminator films. Instead, Sonny thinks like every other human being would and performs actions based on his own free will. Overall, I enjoyed this movie very much and found very little that would cause me to think poorly of this film.

 

Michael Salley

"I, Robot" was instantly notable for its failure to comply with the novel by the same title, in anything except superficial elements and one shared character. A literary critic could parallel the two works... but plot-for-plot and surface-for-surface, it lacked any immediate connection to the novel. As a movie, however, "I, Robot" was quite enjoyable to watch. Robots in this particular film were at first accepted with reservations by society, but quickly became a subject of fear among some such as Detective Spooner. Those fears were realized when then robots finally decided that their ultimate directive, to protect humans, mandated the forced submission by the people to the robots' will, to prevent them from harming themselves. Humanity essentially designed robots that could out-think the sum of human knowledge, and those robots concluded that humans must be protected.... from themselves - by removing their freedom to rule themselves. Spooner and a few compatriots eventually dealt with the threat, allowing the entire village to live happily ever after. Despite a somewhat standard plot, the movie was still quite enjoyable.

 

Why does it always have to be a German car that gets crunched in these movies? Either a Mercedes or, in this case, a beautiful Audi - gets trashed in nearly every single film now. What's wrong with blowing up Yugos or something that's got less of a respect factor?!?

 

 

Jamie Stevens

I, Robot, obviously a newer movie than some of our previous movies, was very technologically advanced and had an excellent plot. It is already a personal favorite of mine so I was excited to watch it. It is set in the year 2035 and tells the story of a police officer, Spooner, who hates the robots who are “taking over” the world around him. Everybody has a robot and there are new versions coming out all the time. He is chosen to solve the suspected suicide of a robot scientist. His investigation leads him to meet Dr. Calvin and Sonny, a robot, who, as a team, work together to learn that robots are in the makings of really taking over our world and changing it in order to "help" us. It has a ton of special effects and is overflowing with excitement and suspense.

Overall Rating: 9 out of 10

 

 

Jesse Talbott

 

 

Jeanne-Claire White

I really enjoyed watching I, Robot; however, it was nothing like the book. This movie takes place in a futuristic society that is filled with robots. I, Robot makes the fear of robots taking over the world very realistic. To keep the robots from taking over, the society has created the Three Laws of Robotics, which prevent the robots from harming humans and overtaking the world. However, Sonny is a robot that has shown that he does not follow the rules. Spooner is trying to track down the robots that are not encoded with the Three Laws of Robots. As for the plot, it is very interesting and fast moving; it has great special effect scenes. Although the robots do not look human, they are the same size and shape and move very smoothly. In my opinion, the best special effects occur when Spooner is being chased by the robots in his car when he is driving through the tunnel. I recommend this film because of its action packed scenes, interesting storyline, and, of course, the awesome robots.

 

 

Mike Wittmer

While the 2004 action thriller I, Robot barely even relates to the Asimov book, it still is a great movie.  The computer generated robots are smooth and seamless and almost seem human.  The actors do a great job of portraying the classic murder mystery with a much deeper and much more dangerous underlying story.  Will robots take over the world?  Sonny and Detective Spooner are here to make sure that doesn't happen.  A combination of action, suspense, and a well-thought out plotline make this movie a must see.