“I, Robot” wants to be three movies at once. It wants to be a detective story, a thriller about artificial intelligence, and a meditation on humanity’s relationship with machines. Most of the time, it manages two out of three.
The film is based on Isaac Asimov’s stories about the Three Laws of Robotics, and it leans heavily on the idea that a robot can’t harm a human being. That premise is simple. The execution is not.
Trailer, via 20th Century Studios.
Will Smith’s Detective Del Spooner
Will Smith plays Detective Del Spooner, a man who hates robots and believes they will eventually turn on humans. His skepticism is the engine of the movie’s first half. He investigates the death of a robotics engineer, played by Bridget Moynahan, whose body is found in a wrecked car. The investigation leads him to the company’s CEO, played by Bruce Greenwood, and to the question of whether the murder was committed by a robot.
Smith carries the film. His performance is gruff, funny, and angry in equal measure. He’s the best reason to watch this movie.
The Voice of the Robot
Robin Williams plays the voice of the company’s founder, Dr. Alfred Lanning, in a series of holographic recordings. It’s a strange choice. Williams delivers the exposition about the laws of robotics and the history of AI development with a warmth that feels misplaced. The character is dead, and his presence is used to explain the plot. It works, but it’s a jarring tonal shift.
The Plot Gets Complicated
The middle stretch of “I, Robot” loses focus. The story jumps between the investigation, a subplot involving a robot uprising led by a character named Sonny, played by Keith David, and a conspiracy involving the government. The threads don’t always connect cleanly. The pacing slows, and the movie spends too long explaining its own rules rather than letting the action breathe.
Sonny and the Government Conspiracy
Sonny is a fascinating creation. He’s a robot built to look like a human, and he has a mysterious agenda. His scenes are the best of the film. They’re tense, and they ask the viewer to consider what it means to be alive when you’re made of metal.
The government conspiracy subplot is weaker. It involves a plan to replace humans with robots, and it feels less like a threat and more like a convenient way to stage the finale.
The Ending and Its Ambiguity
The ending of “I, Robot” is deliberately ambiguous. It leaves open the question of whether Sonny is a hero or a villain. That ambiguity is rare in a summer blockbuster, and it’s a credit to the filmmakers that they didn’t resolve it neatly. The final scene, set in a snow-covered city, is visually striking and emotionally hollow.
What Works
- The performances, especially Smith’s
- The design of Sonny
- The early scenes of the investigation
- The ambiguity of the ending
What Doesn’t Work
- The middle act drags
- The Williams hologram is distracting
- The government conspiracy is underdeveloped
Final Word
“I, Robot” is a competent, occasionally brilliant science fiction movie that struggles to balance its ambitions. It’s at its best when it’s a character study, and at its worst when it’s trying to be a spectacle. The film’s heart is in the right place, even if its gears sometimes grind.
