I, Robot

[B5_Obsessed]

It's not Asimov's work, but it's entertaining. I was originally turned off by all the robot mayhem in the trailers but that is only a small part of the film. There is actually plot and acting in there as well. It's a little clunky in places, but nothing like "VAN HELSING!" (I added the caps and exclamation points myself due to that movie's mind-knumbing pace and volume)

 

[hypatia]

You know, I keep hearing this movie isn't too bad. I may have to check it out.

I guess it's like the old Vincent Price "Poe" films. The titles were Poe. Absolutely nothing else was "Poe" about them.

You just shrug, know that is's a "Vincent Price" Poe film, and enjoy it for what it is.

A plot? Decent acting? That's far more than I expected. I'm glad to hear it might work out.

 

[vacantlook]

And I read elsewhere that there are some enjoyable shots of Will Smith's naked butt in the film.

I kinda had been turned off by association: I read people saying that there was little in the movie from the book, and despite having not read the book, I was going to avoid the movie on principle. But I've read several people who were very hesitant about the film having come out having enjoyed it, so I might give it a chance. Though I probably won't go see it in the theater (I rarely go anymore).

 

[LondosHair]

I saw I, Robot Saturday -- we went in figuring we might as well see this now, just in case it sucks and we don't have to worry about it next week when The Bourne Identity comes out... but it was MUCH better than I'd thought it would be.

"...sorry, I'm allergic to bullshit" is one of the funniest lines in movie history, because of the timing & situation in which it's delivered. Any other point in the movie and it woulda been silly.

I'm still fascinated by the "one robot per house" idea... although I think I preferred the looks of the NS-4 robots better than the more human-looking NS-5 robots. I'd like to be reminded that they ARE still machines... but at the same time, one that can mimic expressions and speech patterns has a certain appeal to it...

 

[Mike G]

I thought the movie was quite enjoyable. I never read the book, nor did I really care if it had anything to do with it.

Interesting story, fun action, good acting and direction. What else do you need?

 

[B5_Obsessed]

The real "I, Robot" (or closer version) has been done twice for the Outer Limits, once in the 60s and once in the 90s. The story focuses on the trial of a robot accused of killing it's creator. Coincidentally, Leonard Nimoy appeared in both, first as a reporter on the story and then in the much larger role as counsel for the defense.

Many of the moral and ethical issued posed in the story were borrowed heavily in "Measure of a Man" (I think that's the title), the ST:TNG episode where Data fights for his "life" against being disassembled and studied.

 

[hypatia]

The real "I, Robot" (or closer version) has been done twice for the Outer Limits,

I think that's stretching it a bit. The Outer Limits episode you refer to (the older one at least) isn't actually from an Asimov story, is it?

I would think the closest you could come to associating it with Asimov's work would be a similar "was inspired in part by" tag.

 

[B5_Obsessed]

You know, you may be right. Having never read I, Robot, I always assumed the trial of Adam Link was more or less the real thing. Guess I better get to the library.

 

[jnk5y]

I, Robot (the book) is nothing but a collection of short stories that have only one thing in common which is robots and the three laws. Asimov then wrote a filler story to link them together for the book. Most of Asimov's sci-fi books started out as serials in magazines and were later published together. Most of his stories were average with the exception of a couple amazing books. The best way to experience his novels is by reading all the series in order. You get the same feeling as you would watching B5 start to finish. The sense of watching a huge story come together over thousands of years. (i've read the whole story twice, not to mention reading a few books twenty or so times )

Some books were never meant to be made into films. This movie does deal with some things Asimov mentioned in various books, the idea of a robot killing a person, lying, or trying to hide, but Asimov was a bit more subtle.

 

[jnk5y]

Just saw it. Wow a million times better than I thought it would be. Actually kept Asimov's spirit alive in this movie. A nice bit of social commentary wrapped into a summer block buster.

 

[sleepy_shadow]

Disclaimer:

Even after trying to suspend disbelief... accounting for difference of era... I stopped reading Asimov's robot stories. My opinions on robotics and artificial intellect contradict too messily with his. I could not read something I found myself constantly second-guessing.

That said... for the very reason of people claiming the movie to differ from Asimov's works (how much remains to be seen)... I will consider viewing it when it becomes available in local cinemas.