MovieChat Forums > I, Robot (2004) Discussion > Very good...but not great

Very good...but not great

posted 4 years ago by stevewyzard (1238)
6 replies | jump to latest

After many years of seeing this movie in small parts only on various cable channels, I have at last seen the whole thing all the way through. And it's really good...but not great.

Perhaps the biggest mistake they made was setting it in 2035. This allowed for convenient pop-culture call-outs and product placement, but seems far too close to today. 2135 would have been more realistic. The demolishment scene of a fully furnished, wired home was just an excuse for an effects extravaganza. Putting an abandoned suspension bridge within sight of Chicago (not Mackinac Bridge) might have looked cool, but has no basis in reality. We'll let the "rogue cop" clichés slide.

Everything else was really good. Writing/direction/effects (for 2004)/supporting actors (especially Bridget Moynahan) were all commendable. Will Smith is Will Smith and the production design was fabulous: the best thing about this movie. All in all, a worthy 2-hour sci-fi diversion...but not great.

I'm somewhat biased in that I, Robot contributed toward the release date of my favorite movie of all time (Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow) being pushed back to September of that year. But taken on its own, this film is very good...but just very good.

[–] SOteric (114) a year ago

It's not as good as Proyas's previous movie, Dark City, but still worth seeing. It has a bigger budget, better effects, but a far less memorable created world. Try as one might, you can't avoid the reality that it's just a Will Smith vehicle.

The dead giveaway is in the end credits: "Suggested by Isaac Asimov". They take the Three Laws, a few character names, and one or two story ideas from the book, and throw out the rest.

Never mentioned is how the people in this society (even if we throw out the given date, 2035) earn their living if robots are doing most of the work.

[–] stevewyzard (1238) a year ago

Alex Proyas's previous movie before I Robot was Garage Days (2002). Dark City was released in 1998.

Also never mentioned is how the rebellion against the curfew/lockdown imposed by the robots is organized when no one is seen with a cell phone.

[–] Rorikon (16360) 5 months ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYnQGWjsGXQ

Good backstory on the Suggested by Isaac Asimov. It was actually supposed to be another movie but they just swapped in the Isaac Asimov settings then popped in one of the famous rising actors during that time.

[–] SOteric (114) 5 months ago

Thanks for the background info!

[–] R_Kane (15828) 5 months ago

The movie makes a travesty of Asimov’s collection of robot short stories, collectively published as I, Robot.

Asimov was prolific, but a dreadful stylist. He was very impressed with himself. Kinda like Will Smith.

[–] SOteric (114) 5 months ago

Too much academia will do that to a person.