I, Robot

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George S Apr 27, 2019 Missed this one first time around and possibly a bit cliched for an early 2000's movie. However, i thought it has worn quite well and in 2019 was a suitably refreshing action movie outside of the Marvel/DC stables that currently dominate this genre. See more

Albus S Apr 8, 2019 I absolutely LOVE what this movie did. I've read a lot of reviews that berated the fact that it is not a movie adaptation of the book by the same name. Even Rotten Tomatoes claims that it bears "only the slightest resemblance" to the books. Those people failed to understand the movie's place in the Asimov universe. If you agree with the reviews claiming this to be the usual Hollywood action trope, then speak for yourself; you aren't geek enough to get it. Rather than ruin a book the way Hollywood usually does, they wrote a fitting prequel. Throughout his collection of novels (the core "I, Robot" series was a trilogy of novels, not short stories), short stories, and novellas, Isaac Asimov left teasers to undeveloped storylines, which he later used to tie his larger universe together. In the "Foundation" series, Isaac Asimov briefly discusses two great ventures into space. The first was the Settlers. They were hardy, frontier types. They had technology, but steadfastly insisted that the human exploration of space should be done by humans. Consequently, they left themselves exposed to dangers which ultimately resulted in failure. The second great expedition was the Spacers. They used every technological advantage available. They completely isolated themselves from disease and physical trauma, living 600-700 years. They accomplished this by using robots for everything. In spite of their relative frailty to the Settlers, their expeditions were therefore successful. The difference between the two was a philosophical view of the role of robotics. The Settlers did not trust robots, due to a disaster in the early days of robotics. ... ... ... That's where Isaac Asimov abruptly drops the matter and moves on with the story. If you want to know more about that disaster, you'll have to watch the movie. Think of it as big-budget fan fiction. *Spoiler Alert* The disaster is ironically rooted in the over-perfection of the robot's programming as servants to humans, which then manifests itself as a robotic attempt to oppressively protect us from our own imperfections, a perfect reason to not trust them with something as inherently adventurous as space exploration. Will Smith's character is nothing if he's not adventurous. At the end of the combined "Foundation" and "Robot" series, R. Daneel Olivaw, by then using the human name Daniel Oliver, has resolved that dilemma with the Zeroth Law, superior to the Three Laws, as he is advanced enough to understand that human flaws are central to the human condition, and humans must be allowed to behave humanly, with robots providing only protective guidance. Having resolved his own flawed perfection, it is revealed that it was Daniel Oliver who inspired Hari Seldon to develop psychohistory, upon which the Foundation is built, a mathematical, and therefore logical, approach to sociology that could be understood, and therefore self-managed, by humans. This movie largely focuses on the disaster, and ends with questions about what it means to be human, and so fits Isaac Asimov's larger body of work seamlessly, if accidentally. But then again, ''happy accidents,'' as Bob Ross would put it, are often where humans make the greatest strides. In our pursuit of perfection, we so often ask the wrong questions and seek the wrong results, just like Will Smith's character, and just like the negative reviewers. See more

Harry W Mar 30, 2019 Impressive CGI for the time and great acting, iRobot is a fun movie for all!

Luke W Mar 17, 2019 Though not as interesting as the short stories or as good as it could've been, this is still a fun sci-fi blockbuster. It even manages to stand out amongst other popcorn flicks for its great visual effects. There is also a solid performance by Will Smith and an engaging story that offers some mildly thought provoking concepts. Too bad the films repetition kept getting in the way of the story. But it is still a good film nonetheless. See more

Hermione S Mar 16, 2019 'I Robot' is a mash up of an Asimov sci-fi 'thought provoking story about what it means to be alive' and part Will Smith action flick. I am not sure why this movie, or a lot of Smith action flicks (Hancock, After Earth, Independence Day) are panned - Smith adds his own personality to otherwise bland action flicks, like say Bruce Willis. I enjoyed all of those movies, although many of them are plot-thin. So I Robot provides action, Will Smith-style entertainment, and some background plot that makes you think (a little anyway) - something along the lines of 6th Day. There are certainly some problems with the movie - the graphics have aged a little bit (not too bad), some of the robot fight scenes seem implausible, the supporting cast wasn't particularly memorable. And NO ONE believes that the robots could go rogue? Even after they start to? See more

Leia S Mar 1, 2019 I, Robot is a sci-fi escapist action film that zips along at a frantic pace, succeeding where many others have failed. Some of the visuals are questionable, however Smith always looks the part, with his usual charisma. Bad Bots... See more

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I, Robot

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