Posted on: Friday, July 16, 2004
MOVIE REVIEW
Phenomenal 'I, Robot' takes its place among superb sci-fi thrillers
| • | Smith savors blockbusters |
By Jack Garner
Gannett News Service
|
| I, ROBOT
PG-13 Three-and-a-Half Stars (Good-to-Excellent) |
A cynical human detective on the case in a major U.S. city of the mid-21st century. A robot murderer on the loose. The frightening possibility that androids generally are evolving into freethinking, independent-minded individuals.
It may sound like "Blade Runner," because the new Will Smith summer action spectacular is certainly in that tradition.
There are important differences that justify this additional look at runaway technology. For openers, Alex Proyas' "I, Robot" is based on some of the most famous tales in all of science fiction, the Isaac Asimov robot stories. Asimov predicated his stories on realistic science and gave the world the famous "Three Laws of Robotics" — which are also the first things we see at the start of the film:
1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the first law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first or second law.
As in the Asimov stories, "I, Robot" opens with a violation of the three laws — a man is murdered and a robot is suspected. The film's tension stems from our desire to learn why and how that happened, and what it signifies for our continued relationship with artificial intelligence.
The script by Jeff Vintar and Oscar-winner Akiva Goldsman (who penned the script for "A Beautiful Mind" and whom The Internet Movie Database says is penning the script for "The Da Vinci Code") is smart and remarkably well plotted, especially for a summer popcorn action film. What's more, its ideas are supported by a bevy of superb special effects.
Just when you think you've seen everything computer graphics engineers can bring to the screen, "I, Robot" offers more. From the expressive emotions in Sonny (the main robot played by Alan Tudyk), to a sequence in which scores of robots attack Smith in a swiftly moving vehicle, "I, Robot" is a visual stunner.
As detective Del Spooner, Smith brings just the right balance of world-weariness and moral indignation, as well as a quick wit and a buff body (which gets displayed in a shower scene). His Spooner would be right at home in the hardboiled world of 1940s film noir.
Bridget Moynahan, Bruce Greenwood and James Cromwell offer strong support as the resident geniuses at U.S. Robotics, while Chi McBride is Spooner's demanding police supervisor.
The dangers of new technology have fueled hundreds of stories, going back to "Frankenstein." "I, Robot" earns a spot alongside "Minority Report," "A.I." and the aforementioned "Blade Runner" as the more intriguing films on the topic.
Rated PG-13, with action violence, partial nudity.
