CGI dominates an otherwise entertaining sci-fi tale - 77%

Rating: 7/10 (2 March 2005)

I actually bought this on ex-rental DVD about a month ago but the thing was so badly scratched that I've only just got it back in mint condition again (thanks to the boys at my local rental store). And it couldn't have come at a better time - a surprise day off work and really crappy weather meant that it was film time and "I, Robot" would fit the bill perfectly. Essentially, it's an intelligent sci-fi film with a higher action quota than something like "Minority Report". If you're the sort of person who preferred "Star Wars" to "Star Trek" then you will probably enjoy this as much as I did.
Will Smith, in his first decent film for ages, plays Detective Spooner who is a technophobic cop living in the near-future Chigago. Unlucky for him but mega-corporation USR are about to launch their latest model of robot, designed to be a perfect home-help to everybody. The clincher is a fail-safe within each robot, known as the Three Laws. 1) A robot can never, directly or through inaction, allow a human to come to harm. 2) A robot must obey any command given by a human, unless it breaks the First Law. 3) A robot is permitted to defend itself using any means necessary, unless it breaks the First and Second Laws. Spooner is unconvinced and when prominent scientist Dr Lanning (James Cromwell) is found dead from an apparent suicide at USR HQ, Spooner's natural instincts begin to bear fruit. Accompanied by Lanning's skeptical colleague Dr Calvin (Bridget Moynahan), Spooner must find a way of convincing those around him that the seemingly impossible is now very probable.
I mentioned "Minority Report" deliberately in my opening paragraph as this film closely resembles that one. Futuristic highways ride over dirty forgotten streets and every gadget and gizmo currently pluggable is plugged (Spooner's insistence on wearing the latest Converse sneakers is plain tacky). In terms of story, this film is more like a much older sci-fi classic - "Blade Runner" - in that it poses theological questions regarding robots. Do they have a soul? Can they dream? How human is human? That sort of thing. Based upon author Isaac Asimov's work, "I, Robot" manages to successfully balance a well-written story with high-explosive action which probably would meet with disdain from Asimov (were he alive) but more than satisfies your average cinema goer.
Smith is impressive as Spooner, still retaining much of his physique from "Ali" but he injects a touch of humour in places. All other actors are pretty anonymous, truth be told, although Alan Tudyk does well as the renegade robot Sonny. The technique used is the same that Peter Jackson used to bring Gollum to life in the "Lord Of The Rings" trilogy but it doesn't work as well here because the robots aren't alive. They look like robots instead of capturing every detail that Andy Serkis did with Gollum. And because quite a bit of the film takes place in front of green-screen CGI, suspension of belief is never fully achieved and that is a shame. There is a great movie here trying to get out but CGI stomps all over, dominating every scene and distracting the viewer's attention when the focus should be on the actors and dialogue.
There are no real surprises in "I, Robot". Once the scenario becomes familiar, it follows a well-trodden path until the conclusion. Not to say that this isn't a good film - it's a great slice of futuristic pie and possibly one that will appeal to non sci-fi fans as well as the geeks. I just feel that it isn't as good as it could have been. A little less CGI would have been welcome and I'm definitely taking one star off for the blatant product placements that litter this film. Asimov probably would hate it but then again, I doubt that I'm as smart as him. This is a well-produced slick piece of entertainment that will leave you wanting more. It's not the perfect mix of brawn and brain but it's considerably more watchable than "Bicentenial Man".