One of my favorite films.

Rating: Null/10 (9 March 2001)

I realize I'm merely adding my voice to a huge throng that is largely in agreement here but when a movie is this good I cannot stand not saying something about it if given a chance. The story is the well tread "child befriends outsider" plot, mixing E.T. with Short Circuit in roughly equal amounts. But the presentation here is top notch. None of the characters, not even the bad guy, are distorted caricatures. They're all human, believable and very well voiced. Even the robot, despite his fantastic nature is believable as a character too. And a very likable one at that. Despite his size and mechanical form, he is very emotive. His gentle nature even helps drive home the point of the movie that those which we are told are dangerous are not necessarily so. Violence, fear of the unknown, tolerance, friendship, sacrifice and more are all presented for your consideration with a grace and subtlety Disney would do well to study. I can't even recall a Disney film in years being brave enough to take on some of the subjects explored in this film. And it's still fun enough to entertain young children. A couple of scenes made me laugh harder than I've laughed in a theater in a long time, only to be followed by a thought provoking moment that didnt' feel at all disjoint from the rest of the film. I saw this film when it first came out, and saw its brilliance immediately. I was terribly disappointed when Warner Bros. gave it such short shrift when it looked like it might not draw the kind of crowds Disney features get. Some supposedly savvy people there should be ashamed that they could not see this for what it was. But I suppose it is not the people who "know" films that make those sorts of decisions, unfortunately.
A visually appealing, well acted, stunning film.