Today’s quick review: I, Robot. Will Smith stars as Detective Spooner, a Chicago police officer who distrusts the robots that have become ubiquitous in society. When famed roboticist Dr. Lanning commits suicide and a robot flees the scene, Spooner suspects foul play. His investigation reveals a pattern of strange behavior among robots, but his conclusions are seen as paranoid by both his boss and Dr. Calvin (Bridget Moynahan), a roboticist helping him with his investigation. With the Three Laws of Robotics apparently failing, it’s only a matter of time before worse happens than one man’s murder. And at the heart of it all is the enigmatic Sonny (Alan Tudyk), the robot that fled from Dr. Lanning’s lab.
I, Robot is a sci-fi action thriller loosely adapted from Isaac Asimov’s book of short stories by the same name. The film features elegant CGI, a creative yet grounded vision of the future, plenty of high-speed action, and a gradually unfolding mystery that leads into an impressive finale. Will Smith brings his usual hard-headed heroism to the role of Detective Spooner, whose issues trusting robots make him the only one willing to follow where the clues lead. Bridget Moynahan plays Dr. Calvin, a stern scientist who views Spooner as a throwback. Alan Tudyk rounds out the cast as Sonny, a seemingly gentle robot who is keeping secrets.
I, Robot does an excellent job of merging classic sci-fi themes with modern cinematic action. The film explores the role of robots in society, the pitfalls of artificial intelligence, and the appropriate level of trust for such beings, all while delivering healthy doses of robot action. The mixture of a strong core plot and satisfying action gives the film longevity, and subsequent viewings are just as enjoyable as the first as long as they are a few months apart. I, Robot ranks very well as both a science fiction movie and an action thriller. While there are perhaps stronger movies in either of these categories, few of them handle the intersection of sci-fi themes and action as cleanly or as satisfyingly as I, Robot. 7.1 out of 10 on IMDB.