Today’s quick review: Bicentennial Man. Richard Martin’s (Sam Neill) life changes in a profound way when he purchases Andrew (Robin Williams), a robot meant to help around the house. Richard and his family soon discover that Andrew is special, capable of curiosity, creativity, and emotion just like a human. As the years pass, Andrew develops a close bond with Richard’s daughter Amanda (Embeth Davidtz) and searches for ways to become more human.
Bicentennial Man is a science fiction drama based on a story by Isaac Asimov. Bicentennial Man addresses the question of whether a robot can ever become human, as embodied by Andrew, a kind android who serves the Martins but nonetheless dreams of something more. The movie is a soft drama, dealing with weighty themes in gentle, optimistic ways and offsetting them with bits of comedy. However, its calm storytelling does hurt its emotional impact.
Bicentennial Man is a conceptually ambitious movie that sets out to chart a robot’s growth from subservient machine to independent individual. Along the way, the movie shows what life and humanity look like through a fresh pair of eyes, reassembling piece by piece for Andrew what an ordinary person takes for granted. Robin Williams handles the role well, from the deadpan of Andrew’s early days to the increasing emotion he shows as time goes on.
The downside of this is that Bicentennial Man can be a dry watch. The conflict takes place at an abstract level, over Andrew’s perspective on life and sense of self-worth rather than anything concrete. The stakes never rise very high. Even at its most dramatic, the movie is a calm experience with no gut punches or surprises. Despite having an emotionally laden story, Bicentennial Man comes across as an intellectual exercise more than anything.
Bicentennial Man is a peculiar choice that will only appear to some viewers. Fans of the science fiction genre who are interested in speculation for its own sake will get the most out of the movie, as it’s a richly detailed rumination on the nature of robots and humanity. Those who prefer stories driven by tangible conflict will have a harder time with it. Bicentennial Man is generally successful in what it tries, but it is very dependent on taste.
For a similar story about the journey of a lifelike robot, try A.I. Artificial Intelligence. For an action-oriented adaptation of an Isaac Asimov story, try I, Robot. For a more sober sci-fi drama about self-transformation and the nature of humanity, try Gattaca. For a darker examination of artificial humans, try Blade Runner or its sequel.
6.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for well-grounded speculation and a hit-or-miss emotional arc.