Doesn't reach its potential

Rating: Null/10 (18 December 2012)

As a big fan of Isaac Asimov, I can say that I have enjoyed most films based on his work, but I don't think any of them have reached the same tone that permeate his various short stories and novels. More often than not they take the basic ideas and the settings and then proceed to play out as big Hollywood blockbusters. The same in this case. The Three Laws of Robotics are an important part of Asimov's writings, and they do get their limelight here, but the way they are explained, handled and addressed is rather disappointing, because Asimov has dedicated whole novel series to these three laws and their various strengths and weaknesses. And while some of these strengths and weaknesses do get addressed in this film, it still feels like they only scratched the surface, if even that. Much more time is spent following around Will Smith's character, Spooner, and admiring his hijinks and vintage Doc Martinis.
And don't get me wrong, I like Will Smith's role here. He plays a very convincing tough cop with a troubled past and you can totally understand his dislike for robots, especially when more light is shed on the events of the past. But I still think that the movie would have been better had more time been spent with the principles and underlying theories of robotics rather than Spooner and his wacky grandmother. I can understand the decision to go with more Spooner and less robo-theory, because it's a more marketable choice, especially with Will Smith in the lead role, but it still lacks ambition and effort.
Especially so when Will Smith plays pretty much the only good character in the film. The rest are played by actors of varying quality, but they all seem rather flat and unimaginative, with the possible exception of the robopsychologist Susan Calvin (Bridget Moynahan). She didn't do much for me, but at least she had some characteristics. The same can't be really said about the various robot characters, because while they tried to insert some degree of humanity into them, they also tried to make them a bit alien-like, detached from the world, which also served the purpose of detaching them from the audience.
Then again, I must admit that the various robots look remarkably good, especially for their time, and the special effects in general are very nice to look at. The same can be said about the action scenes, which are a lot of fun, being imaginative and intense.
In the end, it all boils down to the story, which isn't all that hot, as I've said. It's not bad for a typical blockbusters, if anything it's slightly above average. It's just that there was so much potential for more. They could have gone with a more thoughtful, psychological route, especially with someone like Will Smith leading - he has the depth for it. Instead we get a pretty basic scifi action film. It's very good for what it is, and if you're looking for nothing more, it'll suit your purposes perfectly, but I'll always see what it failed to do, which sours my personal viewing experience.