Glosses over some cool ideas

Rating: 5/10 (7 March 2007)

A typical summer blockbuster that tries to be something more but ultimately fails. The visuals are fantastic, even if the robots look a little too fake, the futuristic world that is created is awe-inspiring. Will Smith gives another likable performance in a blockbuster, and he's supported here by a pretty good cast, but the story never really takes risks and the style doesn't fit the overall themes well. For a popcorn flick, it's attempting to take on pretty heavy themes of the nature of humanity and such, and it just doesn't work. A darker, more subtle style would have worked better. Still, it's a decent blockbuster, and there's not really anything wrong with it, but it seems like the potential was there for something better.