I, Robot

In turning Isaac Asimov's groundbreaking, intellectually and morally challenging series of stories into a summer blockbuster, director Alex Proyas (Dark City, The Crow) has also stripped it of even the smallest hint of intelligence or originality. Instead, the movie offers Will Smith as a wisecracking, future-cop action-hero cliché--who bears no resemblance to anyone in Asimov's book. It's the year 2035 (insert leftover Minority Report and A.I. sets here) but Smith is a shopworn 20th century anachronism--a newly divorced, rebellious cop (complete with a butt-chewing lieutenant to take away his badge) who has a theory no one believes: he thinks a robot overrode its supposedly infallible safety protocols and committed a murder. Asimov's I, Robot stories unfold as these protocols contradict each other, leading to independent thought and evolution in the robots. The movie, however, is just one big chase scene in which Smith jumps a motorcycle (in Matrix-style slow-mo while fancy-firing his futuristic hand-cannons) into an army of robots to save The Girl (sexy robo-psychologist Bridget Moynahan) and The Kid (two-scene tag-a-long Shia LaBeouf) from a Giant Conspiracy to Take Over the World. What, did robots write the script too? Not recommended. [Note: Available in either widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras include audio commentary by director Alex Proyas and co-screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, a 13-minute “making-of” featurette, a stills gallery, and trailers. Bottom line: a rather small extras package for a big-budget disappointment.] (R. Blackwelder)[DVD Review--May 17, 2005--Fox, 114 min., PG-13, $26.98--Making its second appearance on DVD, 2004's I, Robot: All-Access Collector's Edition includes both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound tracks. Besides the original extras, new additions to this double-disc set include two new audio commentaries (one by the effects crew, including production designer Patrick Tatopoulos, and editor Richard Learoyd; the other by composer Marco Beltrami), the 100-minute production diaries documentary “Day Out of Days,” a “CGI and Design” featurette (35 min.), “Sentient Machines” on robotic behavior (35 min.), a “Three Laws Safe” featurette about science fiction and robots (31 min.), deleted scenes and an alternate ending (7 min. total), and three “The Filmmakers' Toolbox” visual effects how-to clips (about 6 min. each). Bottom line: a fine extras package, although the film itself is no classic.][Blu-ray Review—Apr. 15, 2008—Fox, 114 min., PG-13, $39.98—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2004's I, Robot sports a great 1080p transfer and fine DTS HD Master lossless audio track. The bonus features on the disc are similar to ones on the previous DVD release, which include an optional trivia track, three audio commentaries (first by director Alex Proyas and co-screenwriter Akiva Goldsman; the second by the effects crew, including production designer Patrick Tatopoulos and editor Richard Learoyd; and the third by composer Marco Beltrami), the 77-minute production diaries documentary “Day Out of Days,” a “Sentient Machines” featurette on robotic behavior (35 min.), a 21-minute “CGI and Design” featurette, nine minutes of “The Filmmakers' Toolbox” visual effects how-to clips, and seven minutes of deleted scenes (including an alternate ending). Bottom line: even if the film of I, Robot is a travesty of Asimov's novel, the Blu-ray version looks and sounds ab fab, although this version doesn't contain a number of extras from the standard DVD collector's edition, and even some of what is here has been oddly trimmed.]