Could have been the biggest summer blockbuster

Rating: 7/10 (18 July 2004)

I will skip the summary part of my comments, since the trailers practically gives everything away. The movie just fleshes out the trailer to two hours of time.
The effects are great. The robots look incredible and are well crafted. The automobiles, the buildings, and all the futuristic details are done with great care.
The story is average. It is a good enough tale to carry the film along and put the characters in situations to carry the story. The weak point is Will Smith. A stronger script and a stronger actor would have made this one of the biggest sci-fi movies of all time. Smith tries too hard to imitate Arnold, that it gets old within the first ten minutes. I was just waiting for him to say "I'll be back" and make his performance complete. A smarter approach to the movie would have given it a better, more futuristic feel. The cocky approach cut into the movie and emphasized the weaknesses in the script. Overall, I still liked this movie. I give a 7. It would (and could) have been a 9 with: a) a better script--b)a better performance by Smith--or c)a stronger actor that could have overcome the script weaknesses.