MPAA Rating: for intense stylized action, and some brief partial nudity

Reviewed by: Sheri McMurray
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating:

Average

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Moviemaking Quality:

½

Primary Audience:

Teens and Adults

Genre:

Thriller, Sci-Fi

Length:

1 hr. 45 min.

Year of Release:

2004

USA Release:

______

Producer’s Synopsis: “In the year 2035, robots are an everyday household item, and everyone trusts them, except one, slightly paranoid detective (Will Smith) investigating what he alone believes is a crime perpetrated by a robot. The case leads him to discover a far more frightening threat to the human race.

Inspired by the classic short story collection by Isaac Asimov.”

How far can mankind come technologically in a 30 year period in history? Are we really capable of some or even all of the technology depicted in this current summer addition to the blockbuster arena? The ultimate question for Christians is: “would our God allow mankind to go this far in 30 years or at any time in the not so distant future?” A closer study through Revelation and Daniel is in order.

In our modern day history, advancements of machine and technology has been going along on a whirlwind course. 30 years ago only the rich could have a home computer. Today there is estimated there are two per home. 20 years ago the Pentium Processors we so rely on, were not even a twinkle in it’s creator’s mind. A mere 10 years ago the vice president of the company my husband worked for was teaching a class on Artificial Intelligence at UC San Diego. To look at it in this way, it is not so fantastic to expect we just may have robots integrated into our society. Mr. Asimov has taken us a step further, to conceive these robots working as separate yet alongside humans as helpers. Then to consider these 'life forms' to become self aware.

There are many 'human condition' issues that popped into my head as I watched this very entertaining and at some times, disturbing take on Isaac Asimov’s story of the future which he hatched after a conversation with John W. Campbell (editor of Astounding Science Fiction in the 1940's).

We are set up with Asimov’s own words in the beginning credits. These are the basis of the movie’s murder mystery theme and the questions raised every time a robot seemingly went outside of THE THREE LAWS OF ROBOTICS:

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

In the year 2035, Chicago Det. Del Spooner ( Will Smith ) is taken into an investigation of the mysterious suicide of top robot scientist Alfred Lanning ( James Cromwell ). Dr. Lanning, a brilliant and dedicated robotitian, has supposedly jumped from a balcony within the U.S. Robotics building, but Spooner suspects foul play. The story line from here, sounds like the typical renegade cop movie Hollywood loves to dish out. It’s full of powerful futuristic car races all over the city, the Det. shoots off his mouth, is misunderstood by his Captain, gets his badge pulled, but keeps pushing to solve the crime on his own time. Along the way, Spooner survives countless physical adventures and finally solves the mystery of Dr. Lanning’s death, doing this with the help of the strong and lovely Dr. Susan Calvin ( Bridget Moynahan ).

Although this seems simple minded, and if anyone besides Will Smith were given this part to tackle, we would all be bored stiff, this story has been molded into a well rounded sci-fi mystery thriller. It is obvious director Alex Proyas and special effects supervisor John Nelson were going for some eye popping visuals, but at the same time Proyas has taken the screenplay and given us a fresh look at an old story because of the “human” side of the robots. Sonny ( with the voice of Alan Tudyk ) was beautifully done and moved easily within the complexity of being self realized. The whole thing worked because the actors and visual effects worked seamlessly together. I enjoyed myself and those around me in the theater did also, considering their laughter, oohs, ahs and rousing go-get-em comments throughout.

What we may overlook while enjoying our popcorn is the underlying human rights ( and robotic rights, as it were ) issues presented to us to munch on.

We have an emotionally hurting character in Del Spooner.. He believes his Dad lost all of his self-sufficiency and human worth when his job was taken away by the onset of technological advancement, which in turn, Spooner has determined caused his Dad’s death. Spooner has also lost his wife to divorce because of his dedication to the police department. These instances in his life has made him a very bitter individual. Another factor woven into this story is a reacquiring dream of a girl trapped in a car after an accident. She is struggling to free herself from the car as it floats to the bottom of a lake. Spooner is unable to save her and blames a robot for her death because the robot “was too logical.” The audience finds out the true reason for his angst over this dream near the end of the movie. I will leave it at that so the plotline isn’t revealed and spoil it for the viewer.

All he has left in the world is his wise and loving Granny G.G. ( Emily Tennant ). Granny’s character is depicted as a “Christian” woman and is the one thing he hangs onto for emotional support. Granny has obviously taught Spooner something about Jesus, as his character begs to differ with the villain, CEO of U.S. Robotics, Lance Robertson ( Bruce Greenwood ) when he as pounds that “a robot could no more kill a human - than a human could walk on water.” Spooner explains “…there was a man once who did!” Granny is held hostage by a run-amuck robot in one scene and we see her turning to God for her help and support by praying aloud “..because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”

We are forced to take a look at prejudice because of Spooner’s bigoted contempt for robots. We must consider us as the human race and what is it that putting other gods before God himself can produce. The truth being our trust in our own devices can beget horrific endings. We are also given the chance to consider placing our trust in anything other than God, as the character’s placed their total trust in their man made robots to run and organize their lives which brought on revolution within the robotic realms and almost destroyed the human race because of complacency and arrogance. Ponder the facts of historic record of man’s faith in himself as we remember the fait of the Titanic “the unsinkable” ship, or the missions of our space vessels exploding over earth. How finite we really are and how infinite God is.

In the end, our hero saves mankind, but along the way he learns to believe in a higher reason for life. Sonny’s ability to defend and remain loyal to Spooner and all humans he encountered spoke of how we all must be responsible for each other, no matter where we hail from. Even though the struggle was between robot and man, it could well be interpreted as our struggle between ourselves. True freedom, as Sonny’s character points out is to find one’s purpose. Of course, true freedom is in God. Some reviewers have already stated the storyline was not adult, complex or worthwhile, but I beg to differ. There are many issues of where man is headed and is this the “true happiness” we should pursue?

There were no sexual scenes, although there were two shower sequences. One in the beginning with a brief torso shot of Will Smith’s character in the nude and later in the film Bridgot Moynahan’s character was seen taking a shower, but the shower door was steamed enough that nothing was visible from her shoulders down. There was, however, a lot of swearing. One kid who was supposed to be Spooner’s friend used lots of 'fast' slang and bad language. It went by so fast, it was hard to tell what he was saying. One “GD,” one “sh**,” four “A**,” and one “bull**.” Our Lord’s name was taken in vain once. The PG-13 rating is for intense stylized action, and some brief partial nudity, and that is appropriate.

I recommend we study the words of Joshua and head the words of The Lord “be strong and of good courage.” David, the Psalmist says to follow hard after God and know the benefit of being humble before The Lord. He is the One who makes and creates and all man’s works are as stubble. If we marvel in our own creation, we are but fools sealing our own fate.

The bottom line is that kids will love this movie for it’s action and visual effects. Anyone who has read Isaac Asimov’s work will most likely be upset, as this film does not hold true to the original story.

I enjoyed this film, Will Smith came through and the other actor’s gave life to their parts, but the real star was the visual effects and the stunning way we as the viewers were able to become part of the action and feel for Sonny’s quest to endure.

Violence: Heavy / Profanity: Moderate / Sex/Nudity: Minor

Positive - Good special effects, some clever camera moves and editing. Entertaining. But storyline lacked a bit. I found myself saying, “Yeah, but that wouldn’t be the case if [such and such] were the case also” (i.e. there was many inconsistencies in minor details that made it less effective for me). But overall a good, fairly clean, and entertaining movie. Will Smith delivers.
My Ratings: [Average/3]
—Doug Stuart, age 23

Positive - Neither a great nor a classic sci-fi film, “I, Robot” is still entertaining. The main drawback is the formulaic nature of the movie. We’ve seen this hero saves world outcome all before, many times. There is lots of action though, and enough suspense and humor along the way to keep things interesting. The highlight is the great special effects: this movie feels and looks like the future robot based world it is supposed to be. There is foul language, so I would not recommend taking children.
My Ratings: [Average/3½]
—Todd Adams, age 36

Positive - I think this was the best film of the year. It said a few swear word here and there like s**t and H**l and G*d a few times, but it was EXCELLENT overall.
My Ratings: [Better than Average/5]
—Bryan, age 40

Part of my comment is for a previous poster because it is something I ponder quite a bit and try to make good decisions about what my family sees for movies…A previous poster mentions the movie only uses minor swears and God’s name in vain a couple of times. My question or comment for movie viewers is this…aren’t we dumbing ourselves down? God calls us to be holy because he is holy…to focus on things that are pure and of good report. I read in Christian movie reviews all the time that a movie was good except for x, y, or z. This is a challenge for myself as well, shouldn’t we be taking a stronger stand on movies we decide to go see?
—R. Roy, age 39

Positive - I took my three children (18, 14 and 11) to see this film… I was a bit nervous about the “brief nudity” warning, but it turned out to only be a few seconds of Will Smith in the shower. The language was offensive, probably more to me than to my kids. Since they attend public schools, they probably hear worse stuff in the hallways on a daily basis. All that aside, it was a great movie and we did enjoy it. I would recommend it.
My Ratings: [Average/4]
—Kim, age 36

Positive - …an excellent movie… true to the book…
My Ratings: [Better than Average/4½]
—Albert, age 39

Positive - This movie raised important theological and philosophical questions which Christian families will enjoy discussing after the movie. Here are some examples: 1) Can robots have consciousness which might be termed a “soul” and thus be potential perpetrators or victims of “murder”? Genesis 9:5-6 seems to suggest that the reason why the murder of humans is wrong is not that humans have a soul or consciousness, but rather that humans are created in God’s image. 2) What constitutes “free will;” what kinds of creatures can have it; and what implications does it have for moral responsibility? Classic evangelical doctrine, rejecting Pelagianism and following Romans, holds that human will after the fall is in bondage to sin and cannot be truly free unless freed by God’s grace in Jesus Christ. 3) Is it true that the human race by nature is inclined toward violence, war, self-destructive behavior and destruction of the environment? If so, is the only “logical” solution to take away human freedom, but the only “right” solution to leave us as we are?

Romans 3:10-26 suggests that this movie is correct in its diagnosis of the human condition, but that it fails to perceive God’s solution. God neither took away human freedom nor abandoned humankind to self-destruction. Rather, God entered our world as one of us, took our violence and destructiveness into himself, and overcame it through the loving, self-giving power of the cross. Surely Detective Spooner’s grandmother could tell us this if she were given a chance. Dr. Lanning knows something about self-giving love. This movie did a great job of posing some very important questions in the middle of an extremely entertaining action-thriller popcorn flick.

It is a shame that it was marred by the foul language and semi-nudity, as well as blatant product-advertising for FedEx and Converse sneakers (the latter shamelessly targeting inner-city youth with an exploitive overpriced product). Regarding the semi-nudity, potential viewers should be aware that in addition to the two shower-scenes, the movie has repeated lengthy close-ups on Will Smith in his underwear, especially focusing on his muscular torso — something which may cause some women to stumble and cause some teenage boys to think they have to have huge muscles to be “cool.” But despite these flaws, this more-than-a-popcorn-flick was definitely worth seeing.
My Ratings: [Average/4½]
—Joseph, age 44

Positive - WOW! I’m a fan of science fiction, both in books as well as in movies. This film, though not directly taken from Isaac Asimov’s book, is woven with a great mix of elements: believable computer graphics, cool action, not too much cussing, and no sex. It’s a great film and I would recommend seeing it. However, its rating of PG-13 is warranted by the action, swearing (nothing worse than s*), and a scene of a guy taking a shower for 5 seconds (nothing explicit is seen, just the guy’s profile). Keep this in mind when taking younger children Overall, a great movie and worth seeing more than once.
My Ratings: [Better than Average/5]
—Jeremy Gonyea, age 20

Positive - I have three words: this movie rocks. This is one of the only TWO films that I have seen this year that was worth the price of the $6.75 admission fee (Spider-Man 2 is the other one). I could see some Biblical symbolism in the film about mankind and the human condition. Despite the profanity, it made a great film. I was a little picky about the blatant product placement, but, what movie DOESN’T have product placement?
My Ratings: [Average/4½]
—Shannon H., age 22

Positive - Excellent visuals. I just don’t understand why they had to use the Lord’s Name in vain. If it were not for the swearing I would have taken my son to see it. I loved the comment Will made about “I knew a man that did” — referring to Jesus when He walked on water.
My Ratings: [Better than Average/5]
—John Long, age 38

Positive - I went into this movie thinking it was going to full of pure CGI and actors against a blue screen ala Star Wars. But it was surprisingly good. Regarding the swearing - Will Smith’s character was a mentor of sorts to a young kid who used most of the swear words found in the movie. Every time the kid would swear, Will Smith would tell him to knock it off and tell him that he could speak better than that. I thought it was refreshing for a 21st Century role model like Will Smith to get that message out to today’s youth that there are ways to get your point across without resorting to curses.
My Ratings: [Better than Average/3½]
—Pete in Buffalo, age 25

Negative - My biggest negative on this film was the cinematography. Like the HULK movie, it was shot in an MTV style with wild camera movement that gave me a headache. It was as if someone had watched The Matrix too many times and wanted to take it to an unreal level.

The line from Star Trek VI is very appropriate for creators of movies today: “Let us redefine progress to mean that just because we *can* do a thing, it does not mean that we *must* do that thing.”

Computer graphics special effects have freed film creators to design spectacular sequences. However, when the camera dives and spins through a scene in unreal ways, or when battle scenes look like they were shot with a strobe light, I just can’t watch anymore. That’s why this film got such a low rating for production value in my book.
My Ratings: [Average/2]
—Carrie, age 35

Negative - My biggest issue with the movie is the 2 minutes of Will Smith at the very beginning. Although the nudity was supposedly “brief” in this film, it did last surprisingly extended period of time. And, although no reason is good for inappropriate material, it seemed to be thrown in just for kicks. Disgusting. In artistic regard, the movie was well put together, exiting, and creative enough for its genre. However, viewers need to be aware of the beginning scene in the movie (especially ladies.)
My Ratings: [Average/4]
—Jonathan Ingram, age 19

Positive - My 10 year old son and I went to see the movie. I did not want to move from my seat the entire movie. I loved the story line and special affects. However, the one thing that stands out the most for me was the line by Sonny, “My creator made me for a purpose.” Sonny knew that he had been created for a purpose; he was clear about his purpose, and he ran his race to completion. What a lesson for us to follow. Do you know your purpose? Are you running the race you were created for? Will you run it to completion or will you quit when the enemy tries to shut you down? Hmmmmmmmmm…food for thought.
My Ratings: [Better than Average/4]
—Tammy, age 34

Positive - This movie seems to reflect the core messages of Christianity. Here, let me rewrite the storyline of iRobot to explain what I mean. It is year 2035, downtown Chicago. Robots are created to be servants of humans. However robots (as we later find out) start thinking in their own logics and rationality and leads the world to chaos believing that is the smart, rational way. They do not understand that it is not the right way.

So the creator of the robots give up his life to save the world. He leaves a secret message in the form of a dream in one unique robot that he loved. The special robot knows he was created for a purpose but doesn’t know what. But he believes there is a purpose for his life and he is willing to sacrifice himself to fulfill that purpose. That is a shock to Will Smith who only believed in himself who was a god of himself.

Positive - No one has yet picked up on the fact that there is a character in the movie named Dr. Susan Calvin. Calvin, as in John Calvin, the theologian perhaps most responsible for successfully showing how Scripture clearly does not teach some kind of wild free will or that God somehow, as the creator owes it to man to give him a free will that can choose against God’s Will. How fitting to include the name in this movie with overtones of a “creator” and robotic evolution and desire for freedom from the creator.

Those who argue against this view often claim that if man doesn’t have this free will then he is himself nothing but a robot. However, this is a man-made idea, born of our own human nature that leans toward the aggrandizement of self over the Sovereignty of God. But the question is: Does the doctrine of election (God’s Sovereignty) just mean that we are robots without a free will?

I would call this a “straw man” argument. The implication and connotation is meant to feed into a human being’s desire to be autonomous and free and not under the control of some authority (much like the robots in the movie). Most people would say they don’t want to be a puppet or robot. It’s too easy. The implication, however, is a logical fallacy. We are to reject the premise and therefore reject the theology that dictates the conclusion. The argument would be something like this:

Premise 1: The doctrine of election makes man a puppet or robot because they have no free will.

Premise 2: Man is obviously not a puppet or robot and scripture speaks of God’s intimate relationship with us.

Conclusion: If premise 1 is true and premise is 2 true, then it must naturally follow that the doctrine of election is false.

However the doctrine of election doesn’t hold that man has no free will. The doctrine of election teaches that man is a free moral agent that has the ability to make choices according to his desires (or in the case of the robots in the movie, according to his 3 laws). However, as Scripture teaches, apart from God no man desires to please God. Man is only free to choose that which his nature desires. Added to that, it must be understood that Scripture clearly teaches that God is sovereign. Only one being can be sovereign-posses the ultimate Will. If God is Sovereign, man is not. If man is Sovereign, God is not. Therefore man has free will, but not over God’s will. God’s will supercedes man’s will. God has the ultimate say. God can control and influence and direct as He wills. He has the power to dictate and decree. He has the power to have compassion on those He chooses.

Romans 9 clearly teaches that Pharaoh was created by God to serve God’s purposes. His path was set by God. But what did Pharaoh do during his life? He had as much power on Earth as a human can have. Did he not act according to his desires? He most certainly did. At any point, do you think Pharaoh thought he was under the control of the Sovereign God in heaven? Did he feel like a puppet? Did he feel restricted? No. He did exactly as he pleased. From his perspective he was free. But God controlled it all. And it is God’s perspective that holds the reality. Free will and God’s will. Free moral agent acting freely according to his desires. God acting according to His purpose. His Sovereignty does not preclude God’s love for man. He has the right to deal with all of His creation as He chooses. Still question that? Look at Romans 9:19-25:

--One of you will say to me: ''Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? ''Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'" 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? 22 What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath-prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory.
My Ratings: [Average/3½]
—Evan D. Baltz, age 38

Positive - I thought they did a pretty good job converting the book to a movie, for once. I recognized many details from the book as I watched the movie (oh! that was such-and-such part!). As far as the morality goes, it was average for a teen/adult flick, maybe a *little* bit better. There was a lot of violence (mostly explosions and robots being destroyed), and it *was* a sci-fi adventure, after all. In addition, there were 2 shower scenes with more than just the head and shoulders (why do they even put those in?), and a lot of cussing (Will Smith repeatedly told one younger character to stop cussing, but only because he “didn’t do it very well”). Overall, though, it was extremely enjoyable. I’m buying this one on DVD.
My Ratings: [Average/4½]
—Rae, age 18

Neutral - …I counted the use of G*D from Will Smith three different times in the movie. He cursed quite a bit and with him coming out in the past talking about being a positive influence and not having to curse in his rap- I guess it stopped with his movies. This is obviously a movie that kids will seem and I am very disappointed that he didn’t stand true to his standards that he vocalized at some point in time.
My Ratings: [Average/4]
—Tiffany Kline, age 23

Positive - How refreshing it is to see a movie that focuses on man’s genius capabilities and actually includes an upright and moral truth! In “I, Robot,” one can finally enjoy a futuristic movie without having to constantly endure a plot that portrays politically correct nonsense throughout the film. This movie shows mankind’s shortcoming in believing himself self-sufficient and sovereign, and portrays that everything created by human hands is subject to flaws and chaos. I would definitely recommend this over any other summer 2004 release.
My Ratings: [Better than Average/5]
—Neil Schenk, age 18

Positive - “I, Robot” was a very enjoyable movie. It was the type of movie that kept you on the edge of your seat the entire time. I wouldn’t take children under 13 to go and see this movie, however, some older ones would enjoy it. There are a few scenes that include nudity and there is heavy language so I suggest that think about it before going to see this. There were no sexual scenes/relationships, and I admire this movie for those reasons. It really was good. So check it out, see if it’s a movie you would like to go see, pray about it and then do what you think is right!
My Ratings: [Better than Average/4]
—Jackie Barnes, age 15

Positive - This movie rocked! Ok, like all Will Smith movies, there are more swear words than I would have liked. Other than the language it was an awesome movie. Not too much violence. Go see it…
My Ratings: [5]
—Daniel Robison , age 15

Positive - I LOVED this movie…It had a perfect balance of action and story, and the special effects were so real that I actually wondered if they were even there. The problems that Christians might have with it are the swearing and two brief shower shots. Spooner also looks suggestively at a woman after she tells him that he is at his service. I was slightly disappointed in the fact that most of the swearing is said by Shia Leboufe who is the star of the kids show EVEN STEVENS, and I have never heard him swear. The movie must have realized this because fortunately every time he did, Spooner said, “Stop swearing. You’re not good at it.” (he’s right). The only thing that I was really dissappointed in was the fact that the best, funniest, and probably everyone’s favorite line had the word b***s*** in it. I laughed just as hard as everyone else, and I’m not sure if I should feel ashamed for it. I would recommend this movie for teenagers and up. If you can take an average dose of swearing then you should definitely see this movie.
My Ratings: [Good/5]
—Stephen Kennedy, age 16

Neutral - I thought the movie wasn’t the greatest. There was slight objectional language. The movie wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. It wasn’t the worst movie, but it’s not worth the money.
My Ratings: [Better than Average/2]
—Anna, age 13

Positive - The book I, Robot is a collection of short science fiction stories detailing the evolution of robotics, as told by an elderly Susan Calvin. The movie uses elements from several of these stories, but for the most part has very little in common with the book. I was very impressed with the movie overall. The action was exciting, the special effects were generally very good, and most importantly, the plot was absorbing and interesting. As for objectionable content, I wasn’t offended by anything in the movie. There is some swearing (which could have been avoided), but it wasn’t enough to bother me. Actually, for a film based on a book by a staunch atheist, “I, Robot” is surprisingly positive towards religion. Christianity is placed in a good light throughout the story, and it brings up some important questions about topics such as free will. I highly recommend “I, Robot.”
My Ratings: [Better than Average/4½]
—Christine, age 17

Positive - I, Robot has something that is unusual for an action movie: a brain. It explores the concepts of individuality, consciousness, and other “deep” issues. Will Smith is his usual wisacre self. Some of his comments are quite funny. A few curses, but mostly insults and S-words. Also, there is a lot of violence towards human-like robots, which may disturb some movie goers.
My Ratings: [Average/4½]
—Eric, age 16

Positive - This movie was good. I have to say that there were a few things that really upset me (the entire first few scene for the most part) that included, nudity, and language. The one thing I did like about it though, was the fact that there were not any sex scenes! I was pretty impressed. There was nothing even close to that. I do not want to go to a movie when it’s all about sex, and this one turned out great. There were words in it that could’ve definitely been left out, and things that the industry used only to get their rating. But, the few scenes that do have it, close your eyes. The language; yep it’s bad. So I would suggest praying before you see this movie, let the Lord lead you and give you the wisdom to decide whether or not you should go see it. Will Smith’s character made a slight reference to Jesus; which really put a smile on my face. So overall, look at the rating and I suggest you don’t tak anyone under 13. The action is awesome, the special affects are great, and it was worth seeing on the big screen, definitely! Props to Will Smith, he did a great job acting also.
My Ratings: [Average/4]
—Jackie, age 15

Positive - I really did enjoy this movie, it had a great plot and awesome special effects. Will Smith brought his acting up a notch and was very clear. The movie did have a lot of profanity and a nude scene (Will Smith) that should not be seen by younger children. But over all the movie was a hit.
My Ratings: [Average/4]
—Matt, age 14

Positive - I think this is one of the best movies of the summer, maybe even the whole year. It had a great story, actors, and the most realistic special effects I have ever seen, watchout Spider-Man. Although this movie was great it did have some objectional content, There was a lot of language, mostly minor stuff, although they used God’s name very inappropriately twice. There are two parts of brief nudity in the movie that are very unnecessary, but not over the top. If you consider shooting and blowing up robots very violent, than yes this is a violent movie, but it should be commended for keeping the body count on the humans low. Once again this is an awesome movie, I think the rating is apropriate, although maybe some younger kids could see it if they’re very mature.
My Ratings: [Very Offensive/5]
—Andrew, age 15

Positive - …it was AWESOME! The only thing that I find offensive is the swearing (just stuff like s**t, h**l, and a**) and the scenes that show the guy, and then the lady, in the shower was totally unnecessary. But other than that, the movie was really good, with a good story line. It kept you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Two hours went by in a flash during this movie. If you like these type of movies, go see it! I just would NOT let young kids see this. I’d say anyone over 13 could go see this movie.
My Ratings: [Good/4½]
—Sarah Vidal, age 17

Positive - …a pretty good popcorn movie with a lot of good graphics but not so much with the story. All in all pretty good!
My Ratings: [Excellent!/4]
—Matt Merkel, age 14

Positive - I thought that this movie was both true to Asimov’s work (in a way) and a very entertaining movie. The next phase of Will Smith’s career has started: he is very good here, fast, sharp, funny, and he brings a wounded quality to Del Spooner, as the character has a troubled past. The effects were very good; my favorite character, ironically enough, was Sonny (Alan Tudyk), the accused robot. Sonny is unique in that he is a robot who thinks, questions, and even dreams. The director, Alex Proyas ('The Crow', 'Dark City', 'Garage Days') manages to seamlessly intertwine special effects and good acting. The fantastic script doesn’t hurt, either. Overall, this is a very good movie.
My Ratings: [Better than Average/4½]
—Chris Coppedge, age 14

Positive - This movie was awesome! Despite a lot of violence between both humans and robots, it was a good movie. I especially liked how they went in depth to why Will Smith despised almost all robots. Even with some language throughout the movie, it was a good movie. I recommend the movie!
My Ratings: [Excellent!/5]
—Jonathan Moran, age 16

Positive - …a great movie. It teaches us a thing or two about trust, and who to trust. I thought the ending was great and would lead to many other things.
My Ratings: [4½]
—Amy, age 12

Positive - …the best EVER! …two thumbs up!!
My Ratings: [Excellent!/5]
—Jamie Souder, age 12

Positive - I loved this movie. It was so cool with all the future things like his car. His car was the coolest but the thing I did not like was all the cussing. They didn’t need to put all that cussing in the movie but the movie kept me on my toes to the very end. I loved the robots they were so cool looking. I would definitely see this movie again.
My Ratings: [Good/4½]
—Kirstin, age 13

Positive - I, Robot is the type of movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat without resorting to gruesome and bloody imagery. This film was very well done and I love all that they did with the camera! For those of you who are complaining about the language, look at the actors, what film with Will Smith doesn’t have profanity in it? There is no sex and scene in which Will Smith is shown naked from a side view isn’t that bad because you can’t really see anything. The premise of this film is not a violent one for the people who think the robots want to destroy the world and that is the end of the plot. The story is well done, the film raises an ethical question: If a robot kills a human and the robot is a machine, can that be counted as murder? The acting I like and Will Smith uses his talent well. Overall, this movie is one of the cleanest in it’s genre and deserves high praise for a job well done.
My Ratings: [Better than Average/5]
—Benjamin Layman, age 12

“… futuristic thriller with plenty of high-tech fun…”
—Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press

“…a slick, shiny video game of a movie bursting with computer-generated chase scenes and cool gadgets. It’s spectacular entertainment…”
—Christy Lemire, Associated Press

“…perpetuate[s] a misunderstanding of predestination, and marred by some anti-capitalist elements, humanist ending, political correctness, and evolutionary comments…”
—Dr. Ted Baehr, MovieGuide

“…a summer popcorn movie. It’s just unfortunate that it’s not more…”
—Bill Muller, The Arizona Republic