Decent CGI, Lame Story

Rating: Null/10 (23 September 2004)

"I Robot" can hardly be described as merely another Will Smith summer action-comedy. It's far more technically, visually, and problematically complicated than just another such mindless blockbuster, and perhaps its intricate and confusing nature is exactly why it seems to collapse as a tedious, underwhelming sci-fi flick with decent CGI, yet a real sleep-inducer of a story. I found myself disconnected from practically everything except the sometimes dazzling action, which in turn is hardly dynamite enough to save the ennui of the film as a whole. We are introduced to a future inhabited by humans and... intelligent robots, which, as you might guess, are servants to the humans. I can't really get into it very deep, but apparently something goes "terribly wrong" and a robot is suspected of murdering his master. Sound like an intriguing story? It's anything but, with detective Will Smith eagerly hunting this robot down whilst further investigating into this mysterious homicide. The story is light on humor, amusement, and the element of surprise, and we are left starving for spectacular CGI to wield the shortcomings of this banal story. The CGI is impressive-- hundreds of identical androids, robotic car chase, etc.; yet hardly sufficient to save this film or provide nearly enough entertainment one might expect in a summer blockbuster. Bottom line: a confusing, technical, and underwhelming story which ultimately sinks as a piece of entertainment, as the decent CGI can hardly compensate for the film's banality, lack of delight and lack of surprise. ** out of ****