I, Robot (2004)

Directed by: Alex Proyas | 114 minutes | action, science fiction, thriller | Actors: Will Smith, Bridget Moynahan, James Cromwell, Bruce Greenwood, Alan Tudyk, Adrian Ricard, Chi McBride, Jerry Wasserman, Fiona Hogan, Peter Shinkoda, Terry Chen, Craig March

Three laws of robotics are the common thread in Asimov’s books:
1) A robot may not harm a human, or allow a human to be harmed.
2) A robot must obey humans, as long as this does not conflict with rule 1.
3) A robot must ensure its own existence, as long as this does not conflict with rules 1 and 2.

In ‘I, Robot’ these laws make for an unsolvable murder. An old-fashioned murder in a locked room with a futuristic twist. Director Proyas already has experience with this thanks to the ‘Dark City’ written by himself. Fortunately, there is also a Sherlock Holmes or Jessica Fletcher in the future, but a detective who loves action. He comes in the form of Del Spooner (Will Smith) who immediately suspects the butler. The butler will of course be a robot in 2035 and that’s the problem. After all, the laws would make it impossible for the robot to commit murder.

In addition to this murder mystery, this film also considers the deeper philosophies of life. What makes us human? When does something or someone have a soul? What is a soul? Robot Sonny (Alan Tudyk) makes us think about that while his life, or artificial intelligence, is on the line. However, the questions come in a package of lots of action and excellent special effects, so you don’t have to worry about a headache. The film surpasses the depth of an average Hollywood blockbuster, but does not exceed the difficulty of a good ‘Star Trek’ episode.

‘I, Robot’ is also an entertaining film for people who can be told which headaches are addressed. The tight action always comes in combination with large amounts of robots, which also look great. When things start to get too serious, Will Smith makes a short, light-hearted comment. And it’s always fun to peek into the future, even if it’s a fictional one. Very imaginative how the parking problem has been solved.

There is, unfortunately, one point of annoyance. The first ten minutes of the film are full of commercials. Advertisement for a stereo, a postal company, a shoe brand, a car, Will Smith’s body (the shower scene was a bit overkill). During the rest of the film you are regularly surprised by these product placements, as if Alex Proyas has not found a good producer and has paid for his film in this way. The downside in this case was that the brands were so common that it actually became disruptive. Fortunately, between the commercials there is an extremely entertaining film.