Sunday 22nd 2004f August 2004

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I, Robot

A , posted by Anthony in the early evening.

I feel let down. Not by the movie, but by the trailers. I was misled! We were all misled! This isn’t a rollicking action movie vehicle for Wil Smith: another Wild Wild West, a science fiction tinged Bad Boys. This is an engrossing whodunnit. It’s paced reasonably, not frantically. There are moments of refection, character interaction, the odd thought. It has explosions, sure, and very cool they are too – but it also has a plot.
It has a flawed maverick cop, an understanding, beleagured superintendent whose hands are tied, a locked room murder, a suspect who couldn’t possibly be guilty, the richest man in the world trying to impede the investigation, a female robopsychologist who finds her loyalties tested, and the potential for the end of human civilisation as we know it looming. What’s not to like?
Sure, it’s not perfect. There was a big twist which had me gasping, but was then revoked, leaving me feeling cheated. I’m not quite sure where the film stands on the advisability of letting smart robots run loose. There are one or two threads that seem to be important, but are then left dangling (what became of the cat?). And what was with that cryptic suicide message? Why couldn’t it just have been a little bit more – explicit?
But I enjoyed it. And it owes more to Asimov than the just its name, the three laws and Susan Calvin, which I wasn’t expecting, but which pleased me. I used to read a lot of Asimov.

Comments on "I, Robot"

  1. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 1655

    At 3:47 pm on Monday 23rd 2004f August 2004, Andrew Bellware imparted

    The cat is a “felidroid”. It is sentient. It does not follow the Laws of Robotics. In the sequel, it will command an army of naked female combat – model robots which eventually wipe out the human race.

  2. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 1659

    At 8:18 am on Tuesday 24th 2004f August 2004, Anthony felt the urge to write

    Right. Bit of a downer, then.

    Or is it..?

  3. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 1663

    At 9:19 am on Thursday 26th 2004f August 2004, daragh pounch imparted

    uesta read Asimov too, foundation and earth stuff is really cool, the man was way ahead of his time – reckon arthur c clarke or kubrick dipped into his books for inspiration now and again- haven’t seen I Robot but from what u say and the trailers ive seen i reckon ive seen and heard enough –

  4. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 2108

    At 4:37 pm on Friday 12th 2004f November 2004, Ruairi O'Brien realised it was important that we all should understand

    NO ANTHONY NO!!!
    It wasn’t an engaging anything. Itwas an embarassing waste of celluloid (made from poor dead cows) and my time.

    How come in the future the only person with a sense of humour will be Will Smith?

    Sonny get the Nanites! AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH...

    Bad BAd BAD. I wanted to like it. I even dragged a friend of mine out of a warm jacuzzi to come and see it. But it was a big let down. The pace was good. It looked good etc… But the only half way well written character was the plastic one with the hlaf personality. AAAAAAAAAAAGH!

    Ruairi O’B.

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