Ugg ... Going along great ... then just ends in a big mess

Rating: 1/10 (26 July 2004)

*Start Rant*
How can someone take the works of a great Master like Isaac Asimov and so totally miss the point? This movie might be a great action film if you do not care at all about Asimov's principles and basic Robot Laws, which unfortunately are quite deliberately paraded in front of the audience in the initial moments of the film. There are the totally formulaic chase scenes and inane stupidity of the main computer's limitations, which of course are required in a pabulum-feeding film that assumes the average viewer has an IQ lower than his shoe size. As far as Blockbusters go, I am sure it will do well, giving people a couple hours of mindless distraction that is all a Blockbuster is intended to do. But calling it "I, Robot"? Instilling such an unavoidable attachment to Asimov? These things were done for only one reason ... to get people who like Asimov's work to come see this film. And what a pity it is for us who do so, thinking that perhaps Hollywood might take a bit of the man's genius and put it on film.
I suppose I should come to expect this from mainstream film, but I am ever the optimist, hoping that somewhere, someone will see the value of the written word and do something good with it on film. Too bad it was not the case this time.
*End Rant*
Rating: 7 if you have no idea who Asimov was or read any of his books, 1 otherwise