Laughably unsuitable character for Will Smith. Fake & lame, but adequate TV-level entertainment

Rating: 5/10 (9 August 2004)

Will Smith got an unfortunate rep a few years back as the "King of Summer Blockbusters," or the "King of July," or some such. It was entirely coincidental to his adequate talent that the summer release movies he was in happened to be blockbusters, and happened to make a ton of money. "Independence Day" and "Men in Black" were great, and loads of fun. Let's be honest, though--- they would have worked equally well with or without Will Smith. That's not to say he isn't charming. He does, indeed, have a kind of talent. But to saddle him, at that time a green and novice actor, with somehow having the "magic touch" turning ordinary fare into blockbuster magic was unfair. It raised the expectations of his abilities far beyond reality, and far beyond his ability to actually deliver.
"I, Robot" is just OK. The robots and the general sci-fi environment were, at all, times, laden with the paper-thin, two-dimensional vibe of a dim CARTOON!!! There were a few bright spots, such as the tunnel scene where the giant robot-hauling vans overtook Smith's cartoonmobile. But his acting job here, trying in vain to capture the cliche of the ironic, world-weary, been-everywhere, seen-it-all street cop, was so fake and unsuited to Smith that it was almost entertaining for its laughability.
So, see "I, Robot," if at all, with a attitude expecting light, superficial, quickly forgettable "TV" quality fare. I gave it 5 out of 10, and that was fair and generous.