I, Robot

I hate it when a potentially thought-provoking film ends up being a simple action ride with only one goal: entertainment. Maybe I’m in the minority, but I refuse to be only entertained with such a topic. On top of that, everyone is praising the special effects, but to me that ubiquitous CGI eye pounding was terribly annoying, only surpassed by Will Smith in the main role – I hate his typical cool pose. Proyas’ excellent direction saves things a little and I, Robot is at least watchable – I even felt some tension by the end… but I’d much rather see this theme approached in another way. And only imagining how Asimov’s “Foundation” will turn out in the hands of Emmerich brings tears to my eyes. (06/30/2009)

A very solid film with flawless special effects that I believe will not become a sci-fi classic like, for instance, Blade Runner. It lacks a deeper dimension of thought for that, its ambition is only to entertain, nothing more. Which, of course, is no small feat, and it delivers without problem. The futuristic vision was very impressive, some of it really amused me, because the horizon of 30 years is not that far away, the creators really let their imagination run wild in places. Will Smith with his swagger is an advert for testosterone, some of the action sequences were outstanding (especially Smith's duel with the robots in the tunnel) and the whole thing ran like a Swiss watch without a hitch. Cool. (09/05/2004)

An effective and self-aware hit with a light philosophical undertone. In other words, one of the few smart, eye-candy popcorn movies of the new millennium. That has to be appreciated, whether the topic is your cup of tea or not. Still, it is a class lower than Minority Report. (12/26/2004)

If it weren't so excessively cool, it would be the biggest sci-fi event since the launch of Spielberg's Minority Report. Directed by Alex Proyas, the film has a suggestive atmosphere and, surprisingly, a decent (albeit reduced) idea. Will Smith was cast to ensure commercial security, so his Del Spooner makes the film a bit of a macho zodiac. I don't mind the character as a whole, but some of the one-liners seem as natural in the context of the story as Zarathustra in public toilets. Nevertheless, I pay tribute to Proyas for the ease with which he was able to balance the compromise between the action show and the impressive sci-fi spectacle with a warning undertone... How easily he was able to incorporate impressive emotions and sequences worth remembering into the veins of the film. In the end, one tends to forgive even the several exaggerated fancy "matrix-like" scenes, and if you are not one of the uncompromising fans of Isaac Asimov, then with a bit of good will, you won’t be able to help but enjoy this perfectly filmed ride. Definitely a hot candidate for sci-fi of the year. (09/03/2004)

I saw the movie as a hot novelty in the cinema in 2004 and I was absolutely thrilled by it. As a sci-fi enthusiast, I have to constantly stand by the fact that the movie has an idea and by using Asimov's laws, it only points out the classic problem associated with robots. How far can we go with artificial intelligence before it turns against us? Well, the ending is a bit shaky, but otherwise, this is an excellent action ride with a good detective plot, and considering the movie is already 10 years old, it has great special effects sequences. (12/20/2013)