I, Entertained.

Rating: 8/10 (9 December 2016)

Movies have been warning us for quite some time now: artificial intelligence will only result in the downfall of mankind, with humans either enslaved by machines or wiped out completely. In this near-future blockbuster sci-fi, technophobic cop Del Spooner (Will Smith) is convinced that the robot rebellion is underway after Dr. Alfred Lanning, creator of the advanced NS-5 robot, takes a high dive out of his office window. The death is labelled as a suicide by Lanning's boss, but Spooner calls foul-play, suspecting Sonny, an NS-5 unit who is found in the scientist's locked lab, and who flees the scene when confronted. As Spooner investigates further, and gets closer to uncovering the truth, he finds himself repeatedly under attack from malevolent machines.
Directed by Alex Proyas (Dark City, The Crow), I, Robot is a rollicking ride with a solid turn by its charismatic star and cutting edge CGI effects (at the time), all wrapped up in an engaging story. Proyas' vision of 2035 might seem a little far-fetched, there's a little too much product placement (albeit very cool looking futuristic product placement) and at least two scenes stretch plausibility beyond breaking point (Spooner's car attacked by robots in a tunnel and the OTT finale), but I couldn't help but have fun with this one, finding the whole idea of errant AI machines fascinating—a glimpse of what the future might hold in store for us all if we're not careful.
7.5 out of 10, which I'll generously round up to 8 even despite the presence of Shia LaBeouf.