I, Robot (2004) Movie Information:

I, Robot (2004) Directed by: Alex Proyas I, Robot (2004) Written by: Akiva Goldsman, Jeff Vintar I, Robot (2004) Cast: Will Smith, Alan Tudyk, Bridget Moynahan, Chi McBride, Bruce Greenwood, James Cromwell, Shia LaBeouf, Adrian Ricard, Jerry Wasserman, Fiona Hogan

I, Robot (2004) U.S. Distributor: 20th Century Fox I, Robot (2004) U.K. Distributor: 20th Century Fox

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I, Robot (2004) Synopsis:

The year is 2035. Detective Del Spooner is sent to an experimental space station to investigate the death of brilliant, eccentric scientist Dr. Alfred Lanning. Spooner is aided by psychologist Dr. Susan Calvin, and the death is initially labeled a suicide. Spooner, though, suspects that a robot may have perpetrated the crime. That seems unthinkable since robots are governed by The Three Laws of Robotics, which state that a robot may never harm or allow harm to come to a human being. As Spooner and Calvin investigate the death, they come to believe that a robot did, in fact, commit the crime. They are aided in their investigation by Dr. Lanning himself, who appears as a hologram, and reveals that he was working on a top secret project at the time of his death.

I, Robot (2004) Movie Review:

This ripping futuristic thriller is one of the more intelligent action films in recent years. It's a thoroughly entertaining combination of strikingly visual direction with strong writing and intriguing performances--three elements that seem to come together very rarely indeed.

In 2035 Chicago, where robots perform all mankind's pesky daily tasks, Del Spooner (Smith) is a detective with robot-phobia, even though there are three strictly enforced laws that ensure safety. When the head of US Robotics (Cromwell) is found dead from an apparent suicide, Spooner naturally suspects something's fishy with the robots. But he his boy-who-cried-wolf reputation isn't going to get him anywhere. Working with a scientist (Moynahan), Spooner is in a race against time to figure out what's up while navigating a minefield that includes his sceptical captain (McBride), a unique robot named Sonny (Tudyk) and an unhelpful executive (Greenwood).

"Suggested" by Isaac Asimov's book, the filmmakers combine intriguing ideas about artificial intelligence with the structures of an action movie, and they get the balance exactly right. The script is especially smart--with a strong narrative, intriguing action sequences and well-defined characters we can grab hold of. It helps that Smith is at his charming best, beefy and offbeat at the same time, carrying us through the story effortlessly. Moynahan holds her own against him, and Tudyk provides the film's emotional centre with a combination of fascinating effects and superb voice work.

The look of the film is wonderfully original--and not so distant that it's not recognisable. This is a realistic take on life 30 years form now, only going over the top in skylines and transport systems that probably couldn't be developed so quickly. This is a gritty, witty version of the future that the characters fit nicely into. And after establishing the people and places so well, the filmmakers are free to develop the film in to a big conspiracy thriller with suspicions everywhere, inventive action set-pieces (only the car-crash sequence is too computer-animated), and lots of clever plot twists and turns. But best of all, this is a story that's actually about something--the soul, free will, revolution. Very cool.

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I, Robot (2004) review written by: Rich Cline