I, Robot (2005, VHS)

What will the future look like in America and in the world when it comes to technology? Will advances be minimal and productivity per person only marginally better than today? Will humans have more free time? Will much of our tasks be completed by various forms of artificial intelligence?

The possibility of robots performing tasks is nothing unusual, and many think it will be the norm in the next few decades. This idea of robots as workers forms the basis of this movie,I, Robot, a film set in the year 2035 in the city of Chicago.

Movie Facts:

Rating: PG-13
Format: Color
Director: Alex Proyas
Screenplay/Writing Credits: Isaac Asimov, Jeff Vintor, Akiva Goldsman
Theatrical Release Date: July 16, 2004
Movie Length: 115 Minutes

Cast: Will Smith, Bridget Moynahan, James Cromwell, Bruce Greenwood, Chi McBride, Alan Tudyk, Jerry Wasserman, Fiona Hogan, Adrian Ricard, Terry Chen, Craig March, Peter Shinkoda, Shia LaBeouf.

Contents of This Movie:

Chicago policeman John Spooner (played by Will Smith) is a cop/ detective who works in the city and is used to the interactions with robots. Each and every day, he encounters robots and he knows that they can generally be counted on for their helpfulness to the human race, even though he is a little suspicious about what they are capable of doing.

On day, a man at the robotic factory is killed. He is Dr. Alfred Lanning (played by James Cromwell) and he has been working at the U.S. Robotics Company for many years. What s weird is that one of the robots named Sonny (played by Alan Tudyk) has been listed as a possible suspect in the murder. Spooner doesn t trust robots at all, but everyone assures him that a robot would never commit such a heinous act. The reason everyone is so confident about robots is because they are programmed by humans to follow three very important rules: 1. Robots must never harm a person or allow a person to come into harms way 2. Robots must always follow orders from humans as long as they never violate the first rule and 3. Robots can defend themselves, as long as they don t break the other two rules.

Dr Susan Calvin (played by Bridget Moynahan) is brought in to work with Spooner on this mystery. She is an expert on the thought processes of robots and, together with Spooner s expertise with the law, they set out to determine if one of the robots really committed this murder; if the robot was programmed to do this by another person; and if robots are actually more dangerous than people think and could take over the world if given the chance.

Final Thoughts:

I, Robot is a futuristic science fiction flick that presents a situation that few may have considered. We often see robotic creatures in movies and some forms of artificial intelligence have already been commercialized to help with manufacturing, cleaning, and other chores. These computerized people seem to be helpful and we don t think of them as threatening to the outside world. This is the way most people perceive robots- helpful objects that are only as good as the computerization in their artificial brains allows them to be and that are basically harmless in every way.

But like this movie points out, artificial intelligence will continue to advance into the future. Furthermore, it is possible that it could advance too far and these artificial beings could possibly take on a mind of their own. This is the basic premise of this movie. It attempts to answer the question: Could robots become so advanced that they start to act on their own, in defiance of a pre- programmed set of rules.

Will Smith s John Spooner character is very distrusting of the robots in the year 2035 and he is convinced that Sonny is responsible for the murder of Alfred Lanning. Everyone thinks he is nuts, because robots have always been programmed to obey the three rules. As long as they continue to obey these rules, there is no reason to suspect that they would ever harm anyone.

This movie, like all futuristic films, is based on speculation about the future in the world, where robots with human- like forms and speech capabilities have integrated themselves into society. Some will look at this film and say it is far- fetched and silly and that we are much more than 30 years away from living in a world where robots walk our dogs and clean our laundry.

I don t know if the world of 2035 will look like this or not, but the way the story is presented, the director and the actors and actresses succeed at making it seem real. When I watched this movie, I rolled my eyes a few times at some of the things I saw, but on the other hand, some of it seemed real, in a creepy sort of way. I can t imagine walking down the street while metallic men walk beside me, carrying groceries for people and helping rescue those who are in danger. But the director, Alex Proyas, at least deserves some credit for making the situation seem as realistic as possible.

Will Smith does a good job in the lead role in this film and even though the movie isn t a comedy, there are a few one- liners tossed in from time to time to keep things from getting too serious. I also liked Bridget Moynahan and her contrast with Will Smith. His character is very suspicious of robots, worries that they are capable of some very bad things, and feels that technological advances are the cause. Moynahan, on the other hand, likes robots and trusts them more than she does humans, creating some good friction between the two leads.

The thing I like best about this movie is the special effects. Ok, some of them are a little hard to believe. But most of what you see on the screen is believable. The robots themselves seem to blend in well with humans and they seem very much like people themselves. The body movements, the shapes, and most everything else makes them seem real. And the action sequences are well done, keeping the viewer entertained while waiting for the murder mystery to be solved.

I, Robot isn t one- hundred percent intellectual by any means. But it offers enough intelligence to get you thinking about the future and the role that robots and technology will play. Will we really be asking our robot to get the mail for us, take our kids to school, and take out the dog in the morning? That is difficult to say. But the message of this film- the extent of intelligence of the artificial variety and what it is capable of doing- is something to ponder. It, along with the special effects, makes I, Robot a good film for all to see.