The Usual Will Smith Summer Action Fare

Rating: 7/10 (17 July 2012)

In 2004, the summer saw the obligatory release of its Will Smith blockbuster with I, ROBOT. Those familiar with the "source material" that have not seen the movie, don't be fooled. Aside from a few passing similarities (the use of the Three Laws and a few character names), there is no connection between this film and the stories of famed science fiction author Isaac Asimov. The general public (which included myself at the time of my first viewing) will have no idea that the movie shares little with Asimov's work, and that's fine because it really boils down to no more than you average CGI-infused summer boom-fest. The film is set in the near future of 2035, where civilization and technology have grown immensely. The people have come to rely on the assistance of robots for everything from general labor to basic household tasks. Detective Del Spooner (Smith) is on the scene following the death of tech giant U.S. Robotics' lead robot designer, Dr. Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell). Spooner's investigation into Lanning's death, an apparent suicide after crashing through his lab window to the lobby stories below, leads to a rogue model NS-5 robot named Sonny who appears to be experiencing symptoms of full sentience: emotions, dreams, etc. Following a traumatizing event in his past, Spooner has no love for robots and he's quick to accuse the robot of murder. The hitch: Lanning programmed the robots to follow the famed Three Laws that prevent robots from ever harming a human. So a robot should be incapable of murder right?
The premise is pretty awesome, and if it had been handled differently it could have been an awesome science fiction thriller. Instead the filmmakers took the road most traveled and turned it into your average mind-numbing summer blockbuster. Disappointing, yes, but it doesn't mean it's a bad movie. I, ROBOT does have some pretty awesome sequences. The auto chase/robot swarm battle in the tunnel stands out as my personal favorite, but there are plenty of fun moments. It is a Will Smith movie, after all. There is plenty of action and one- liners to keep the audience interested, at least until the credits roll. My biggest complaint is that the movie as a whole is pretty generic. Director Alex Proyas and the screenwriters, whether it be from studio interference or their own negligence, failed to make anything special with such a promising concept for a sci-fi movie. It's your usual action fare that managed to rake in enough to cover its budget and a little extra before fading into the background. The plot is pretty simple and most people will see the big baddie reveal coming a mile away, especially if you've ever seen a sci-fi movie before. I, ROBOT is simple fun that most people will enjoy with minimal complaint. The product placement can be a little annoying, as it's shoved in your face pretty blatantly here. You'll know what I mean when Spooner busts out in the beginning of the movie with his "vintage" 2004 Converse (2004...the same year the movie was releasedcoincidence? I think not.)
The cast is nothing special but they manage to get the job done. Will Smith is Will Smith as Will Smith. He's no different here than any other of phoned in roles from other movies (I'm looking at you INDEPENDENCE DAY). If you enjoy a good Will Smith summer action flick, you'll be fine here. Bridget Moynahan is the fountain of expositionI mean scientistfrom U.S. Robotics that joins with Spooner reluctantly in his investigation. She's a bit of a joke. She acts as if she hasn't experienced human interaction in decades and she continues to disbelieve Spooner's "the robot killed him" theory against the constantly mounting evidence. She's just here to feed the audience information. James Cromwell is horribly underused as Dr. Lanning, or more specifically his hologram; and Bruce Greenwood is the required "evil businessman" and head of U.S.R. who falls under suspicion. Honestly, the strongest member of the cast is Alan Tudyk as Sonny. Tudyk provides the voice and motion capture for the rogue robot and gives him a good dose of humanity. Complimented with good CG, Sonny and the rest of the robots (as well as the rest of 2035 society) comes to life really well and continues to hold up to recent viewings. I, ROBOT is actually a fun little bit of summer action, just (and I hate to say this about a movie that tries desperately to piggyback off of Isaac Asimov) remember to leave your brain at the door and enjoy.