He hates them with the very fire of his soul.
Why does he hate robots?
That part's...not really that interesting. But it does work nicely to set up this solid summer blockbuster from one of the most charismatic actors of the past decade.
I, Robot's not exactly perfect. Oddly enough, there's too much plot and too little action. It's pretty far into the movie before you get a real "him vs. the robots" scene. But it's not something you notice too much as the plot is actually fairly enthralling (and, on occasion, unusually thoughtful.) And what action there is is wonderfully entertaining.
Imagine A.I. as directed by John Woo. But...turn it down a notch on both ends. It's nothing brilliant, but it certainly makes up for Wild Wild West.
I, Robot opens with generous shots of Will Smith getting out of bed in a pair of boxer briefs and starting the day with a nice, curtainless shower. (Note: this is how every movie should open.) He shuttles off to work, minding his own business, when he sees a robot rushing through the streets with a woman's purse! The Will Smith on-foot chase scene is underway, complete with all the running and jumping and weaving you've come to expect. He finally catches up to the robot and beats him against the pavement. But why? "What the hell is wrong with you!? That robot was just bringing my inhaler, which I left in my purse at home! He saved my life!" Will Smith is surprised, but unapologetic. Again, Will Smith hates robots. And he lets everyone know this.
He gets to work and is immediately thrust into an investigation of the apparent suicide of the world's most successful robot designer. The old man jumped through his office window hundreds of feet onto the lobby floor. Clearly the robots are responsible. Will Smith sees this. Why doesn't anybody else?
Oh, right.
I'm not going to detail any more of the plot, as it's actually pretty good; but, suffice to say, by the final half hour, the world is in serious danger and it's up to Will Smith and his sexy sidekick to save humanity. And they're gonna have a pretty kick-ass action sequence in the process.
Cool, cool.
For those concerned with the cultural implications of the film, I, Robot may seem, at its surface, just another vile attempt by Hollywood to exploit for profit the discrimination and stereotypes that have been plaguing robot-kind for decades. However, one will be happy to find that the movie ultimately has a lot more to say about the American way and why we should be accepting towards all, robot or living.
Or, ok, not really. But it's a pretty entertaining trip.
If you're into the sci-fi/action thing (or Will Smith's ass) and were left cold by Chronicles of Riddick (featuring absolutely no Will Smith ass), drive (don't walk) to see this.
