I am amazed when Robots act like humans, but I am more amazed when Humans act like robots...

Rating: 10/10 (2 August 2004)

Contains Spoiler Everyone has accepted the presence of robots in human society except for Det. Del Spooner (Will Smith), who continually regards them with suspicion. The opening sequence shows him pursuing a robot running with a woman's bag. He tries to arrest the robot thinking it's a snatcher, but it turns out the robot was only ordered to get the bag that contains the inhaler of its master, a woman suffering from asthmatic attack. Spooner is really an oddity because he is very old-fashioned in a highly technological world. He uses an outdated motorcycle that drives on gas, wears a 30-year old pair of Converse sneakers (free plugs), and even uses an antiquated remote controlled JVC machine that can already be operated through voice commands. As such, he is the perfect antithesis to highly mechanized robots.
Spooner is then called to investigate the suicide of a brilliant scientist, Dr. Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell of "Babe"), the man who created robots and its laws for U.S. Robotics (USR.), owned by the Bill Gates-like character, Lawrence Robertson (Bruce Greenwood of "Double Jeopardy".) He is assisted in his snooping around by USR's robot psychiatrist, Dr. Susan Calvin (Bridget Moynahan of "The Recruit"). He correctly deduces that it was not Dr. Lanning who killed himself but his latest creation, a robot who calls himself Sonny. He is able to trace Sonny's hiding place inside Dr. Lanning's room, but Sonny manages to escape with Spooner in hot pursuit.
Dr. Calvin refuses to believe that it was Sonny who killed his own creator. He's the exact opposite of Spooner in that she has a totally different perspective about robots, believing they were created only to serve humans. But as the story develops and Spooner's life becomes more and more in danger as he faces a series threats in the hands of robots (one exciting sequence shows him inside a house being demolished by a giant bulldozer of a robot), her belief about robots being totally subservient to human gradually changes. Together, they uncover something that threatens the human race as the machines have evolved and now want to take over.
A key factor in the story is the character of Sonny, a robot with very human traits and even learns how to wink. Sonny is aware that Dr. Lanning built him for a purpose, but he cannot figure out what the purpose is, even if he somehow dreams about it. Eventually, Spooner realizes that Dr. Lanning created Sonny as a clue, like "Hansel and Gretel following the breadcrumbs along the trail." The design and effects people did a great job in coming up with a sympathetic, innocent-looking robot in Sonny who everyone would think is a villain but actually develops a distinct emotional connection with Calvin and Spooner.
The film is actually a dazzling combination of high-tech action flick, a computer generated special effects sci-fi movie, and a murder mystery. The sequence where Spooner is attacked by a phalanx of robots in a highway is quite mind-boggling. But of course, you have to suspend your disbelief all throughout to be able to fully enjoy the movie. The scary climax shows Spooner, Calvin and Sonny in an action-filled final showdown with rampaging robots in the mammoth USR headquarters, a glass and metal structure that is a character in its own right.
Director Proyas succeed in creating a believable futuristic world populated by robots. It's different from the cinematic modernized environment of "The Fifth Element" where cars can fly but more like just a realistic progression from our real world. What makes the story even more thrilling is the fact that it takes place just as the latest robotic model, the NS-5 automated domestic assistant (where Sonny belongs), is about to be mass marketed to the public. They are designed to replace earlier models who are more loyal to man. It turns out they are the ones with the mean streak in them.
Will Smith gives a witty portrayal of Spooner, delivering his clever one-liners with enough wit and aplomb. Bridget Moynahan gives good support as the addled Dr. Calvin and James Cromwell is very persuasive as the late Dr. Lanning, even in the scenes where he is just shown in holograms. But the real stars of the film are the designers and technicians who came up with the robots and a unique visual style that gave Chicago a new breathtakingly beautiful metropolitan skyline and landscape.