Product: I, Robot [Region 2] (2004)
Rating: 4.0
better than expected, but let's talk about design
Portraying a future america on film is a tricky thing to do. Movies like Robocop, AI or Bladerunner have all had their take on life in our country several hundred years from now, but I, Robot is only 30 years out. And yet, the skyline of Chicago is more dramatically changed than a mere thirty years would allow.The cars with autopilot and superspeed highways are also too far flung for such a near future. Will Smith's character Calvin is apparently making a fashion statement by wearing a pair of Converse hightops, even his Granny comments on his strange footwear. People have been wearing converse since the 1950's and will continue to. I hardly think that in 2030, anyone will raise an eyebrow. I think the golden rule when it comes to envisioning the future is that the more things change, the more things stay the same. I understand that movies are a visual medium and must fill the screen with new and exciting images, and because of that I forgive I,Robot some of the extraneous machinery. But would someone please steer Hollywood away from the semi-transparent white plastic veiw of future devices? We have all seen an Apple computer, and that look is already becoming dated. Will robot designers in 2030 really be taking their concept ideas from the look of a outdated PC from the late 1990's? It's possible. Maybe it's supposed to be retro.