Alex Proyas: I, Robot

by Alex Proyas

I, Robot is based on the Isaac Asimov novel of the same name. The year is 2035, the setting: Chicago. U.S. Robotics (USR) is a highly successful manufacturer of robots. These robots have not only made some jobs obsolete, they’re becoming household appliances as well, tending to their owners’ needs so long as they comply with the three laws of robotics:

1. A robot may not harm a human or, by inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the first law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first or second law.

Del Spooner (Will Smith) is a detective prejudiced towards robots, unlike the rest of the population. We learn where this prejudice stems from as the story unfolds, but in the meantime, Spooner’s colleagues think he’s paranoid when it comes to robots.

Spooner receives a phone call and goes to the USR offices to find Dr. Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell), the robots’ designer, has committed suicide. The detective is convinced it was murder, and furthermore, that the murderer was a robot. With the help of Dr. Susan Calvin (Bridget Moynahan), a USR staff psychologist whose specialty is robotic psyches, Spooner attempts to solve the case

I have a fondness for movies set in Chicago, and this is no exception. The city is recognizable, but buildings have been added and the el is updated. Many elements remain familiar, such as the interiors of people’s homes. This sense of familiarity makes the viewer comfortable with the idea that robots could easily be a part of our everyday lives.

The robots are agile and capable of physical feats that make them seem like very powerful insects, especially when gathered in large numbers. The computer animation is excellent.

A really fun movie if not a little predictable. Would make a great stocking stuffer, though!