07-24-2004, 04:54 PM
I admit. I was prejudiced against I, Robot the movie. It couldn't do Asimov well, could it? From the trailers, it looked like they turned it into a survival horror movie. Luckily, I was surprised it was not.
Mind you, the first half an hour or so is pure cheese. Not really worth seeing. That's where all Will Smith comedy joke likes that don't belong are there, where there are gratuitous 'show-off' body shots of him, where there are obvious product placements, and Grandama sweet potato pie eating scenes. Will Smith is prejudiced, and the audience is obviously made to take his blind hate side because he's Will Smith, the hero, right? Well I'm not. I take the robot side. I've read Asimov's I, Robot short story anthology before--I know the basics of what'll happen. I'm there in the movie theater to see if I, Robot can really stick up to Asimov's style. . . and you know? I, Robot does.
Will Smith stops yapping. Product placements, gratuitious lines and body shots end, and we get a Robot Protagonist! The movie becomes a real robot detective story, with Dr. Alfred Lanning leaving clues for Will Smith's character Detective Del Spooner like the breadcrumbs. A Hansel and Gretel book in Lanning's lab being one of the first tip-offs to the greater mystery our detective has to discover.
I am happy it is not a pure B-movie ripoff of Asimov. I thought it'd be a cheesy techno-flick with nothing but Will Smith's yapping and lots of robots going crazy, but I got my detective story with robot protagonist heart. Three Laws Robots acted as robots should, and other Asimov Robots acted as they should when those rules are stretched to their limit. The robot mystery onion is peeled, and I got a near thoroughly enjoyable experience (with exception to the beginning, and one or two waste-of-time sell-out spot scenes later).
Anyone else?
Mind you, the first half an hour or so is pure cheese. Not really worth seeing. That's where all Will Smith comedy joke likes that don't belong are there, where there are gratuitous 'show-off' body shots of him, where there are obvious product placements, and Grandama sweet potato pie eating scenes. Will Smith is prejudiced, and the audience is obviously made to take his blind hate side because he's Will Smith, the hero, right? Well I'm not. I take the robot side. I've read Asimov's I, Robot short story anthology before--I know the basics of what'll happen. I'm there in the movie theater to see if I, Robot can really stick up to Asimov's style. . . and you know? I, Robot does.
Will Smith stops yapping. Product placements, gratuitious lines and body shots end, and we get a Robot Protagonist! The movie becomes a real robot detective story, with Dr. Alfred Lanning leaving clues for Will Smith's character Detective Del Spooner like the breadcrumbs. A Hansel and Gretel book in Lanning's lab being one of the first tip-offs to the greater mystery our detective has to discover.
I am happy it is not a pure B-movie ripoff of Asimov. I thought it'd be a cheesy techno-flick with nothing but Will Smith's yapping and lots of robots going crazy, but I got my detective story with robot protagonist heart. Three Laws Robots acted as robots should, and other Asimov Robots acted as they should when those rules are stretched to their limit. The robot mystery onion is peeled, and I got a near thoroughly enjoyable experience (with exception to the beginning, and one or two waste-of-time sell-out spot scenes later).
Anyone else?