I, Robot (2004) (Movie review)

   More than any other category of film, I love me some Science Fiction cinema. I feel that Sci-Fi can offer the most variety for a viewing experience. They can be deep and thought provoking, they can be highly imaginative, transporting us to strange yet fascinating worlds, they can elevate action scenes in high-tech and jaw dropping ways, etc. More than anything, I love a good Sci-Fi that can combine a little bit of everything. The early 2000’s was the age of Sci-Fi blockbusters that had some semblance of a brain beneath all the flashy effects. Movies like “The Matrix” and “Minority Report” were all the craze, and several films tried to emulate their style of combining thought provoking themes with high-energy excitement. The 2004 movie “I, Robot” was one of the more main stream to follow in their successes, and was a modest hit at the time, but has sense fallen by the waist side, and has become something of a forgotten gem. Well, as always when I get nostalgic for a movie I grew up with, I like to look back, and see how much of it really holds up. 

   Set in a futuristic setting of Chicago, specifically the 2030’s, detective Spooner, played by Will Smith, has a serious prejudice toured machines, while everyone else on the planet has no problem letting robots run all the jobs and labor work of the planet. There are three laws set in place to make sure that a Robot never harms a human, but detective Will Smith still fears the day in which technology inevitably turns on the creator. One day, the sudden suicide of a robotic scientist gets the detectives attention, and an investigation leads to a rather unique robot named Sunny. This robot has his own intellect, and even emotes like a human. This raises a suspicion in the detective, that maybe the scientist was murdered, and possibly by the robot Sunny himself. As his investigation continues, he finds himself falling under constant attack by various robots. Meanwhile, all the rest of the world is completely oblivious of a robot uprising that’s building under their very noise.

   In short, the film has a cool premise, it boasts an exciting mystery, and manages to be a relatively fun summer action movie, but there’s one major problem here ... the movie is titled “I, Robot”, and this is not a proper adaption of its literary source material. The original “I, Robot” short stories written by Isaac Asimov are among some of the deepest and most influential that the Science Fiction genera has to offer. It wasn’t just an exciting action mystery thriller, it was much deeper and smarter, combining the themes of interactions with human’s, robots and morality. The “I, Robot” books took Science Fiction to new, inspiring heights that it had never reached before. The movie on the other hand, while certainly an engaging watch, is never the less just basic pop-corn entertainment, that occasionally makes reference to its far superior source material. Now to be fair, the movie has underlining themes of race, stereotyping, even slavery, and there are select moments that hint at something smart. However, the film just can’t escape it’s summer movie trappings. In general, there’s nothing wrong with pop-corn entertainment, and plenty of films from this genera can balance entertainment with thoughtful context, ... but, if this movie is going to bare the title of “I, Robot”, it really needs to be much deeper and more influential than this.   

   The highlight of the movie by far is the robot Sunny, who completely steals every scene he’s in. Outside of an outstanding performance from Alan Tudyk, and a really cool design, this character’s journey is genuinely intriguing. Granted the concept of a robot developing an intellect is obviously nothing new, but whenever this character is on screen I feel the small traces of Asimov’s original themes and subtext.  

The problem once again is that Will Smith’s character gets far more attention, and just isn’t as interesting by comparison. Will Smith’s performance is perfectly fine, albeit a little familiar, and even the characters back story is decent, but he just shouldn’t have been the center point focus of the movie. This might sound like an odd comparison, but this movie should have been a little more like “Who Framed Rodger Rabbit”, a movie that revolves around a detective who has to provide aid to a character that he has a serious prejudice against. One of that films many strengths was the partnership, and genuine friendship that slowly bloomed between the two main characters. “I, Robot” had a perfect opportunity to create a similar relationship between the robot Sunny and detective Will Smith, but nothing of the sort ever takes shape until the tail end of the film. The remaining characters are hardly worth mentioning ... There’s a female scientist who bears the name of a character from the books, but is largely a forgettable love interest for Will Smith’s character. There’s also a completely pointless teenage character played by Shai LaBeouf, although it is amusing to see him here before he stared in the “Transformers” movies.   

                      

    As far as action and entertainment is concerned, “I, Robot” is perfectly satisfying. I probably sound like a hypocrite after making my negative comparisons to the books, but I’m still going to enjoy all the robot action on some general level. While not as impressive as other action movies of this sort, it thankfully isn’t as over-the-top either, and is consistently fun to watch. The film moves at a great pace, unloading just enough fire power, while also giving our characters time to breath and emote. The battles also come in a nice variety, and this way we’re never tired of seeing the same thing. There’s a giant demolition robot chasing Will Smith in an abandoned house, we have good robots dueling evil robots, and the highlight is an out of control car-chase in this future setting. I have to admit, I’m a sucker for futuristic cars chasing in high-tech Sci-Fi surroundings, and this scene is a lot of fun. The visuals are great, the energy is high, and it lasts just long enough without overstaying it's welcome.

   The special effects are obviously top notch, and deservedly received an Oscar nomination, but lost that year to “Spider-Man 2” respectively. Outside of the effects themselves, some of the imagery is gorgeous, and I like the future setting of Chicago. Most movies revolving around robots taking over are set in these really ugly and depressing futures. The future depicted in “I, Robot” is actually very colorful, and looks like a natural, if slightly exaggerated depiction of the future. One little touch I really liked was that parking lots are apparently gone, and cars can just be filed away in a locker of sorts until the driver is ready to us it again. Another little detail I like is how casually people just replace their robots, not because their defective, but just because they’re not the newest model. I feel that there’s some commentary there on how people in general today just abandon their current devices just because they’re not the newest thing off the assembly line. Also, the world of “I, Robot” feels like a big one that can be explored in further films. On that note, I’m actually very glad that there weren’t any sequels, and it’s such a rare treat to have a completely stand-alone summer blockbuster with an expansive universe, but just one movie. Hollywood needs to take notes of this, because not every successful blockbuster needs to be made into a franchise. 

   Now back to the mystery plot, which is competently written, but there really aren’t enough surprises that I didn’t see coming. The supposed “twist” reveal of the computer Viki as the main villain wasn’t that shocking. I mean this is a movie about technology turning on humans, so why should we be surprised by a twist ending where a computer is the villain. The character herself also feels like a watered down version of the “Hal 9000” from “2001: A Space Odyssey”, and by that I mean it’s the same character, just mines the charm, subtext and scares that Hal provided in that movie. Now, for whatever it’s worth, I do love the climax, which takes place on a high rise in this massive building. The setting may not be that original, but I can’t deny that it’s a lot of fun to watch our hero’s jumping around while blasting killer robots with infinite ammo.    

   So, how do I rate this movie ... is it bad ... is it underrated ... is it just okay ... well, it all depends on what you compare this too. If you’re measuring this movie to the quality of its literary source material ... it’s very disposable. In comparison to other summer blockbusters, this film may come off as just plain average to common movie goers. Personally, I do still like "I, Robot", I think it's fun to watch every couple years, and it has a distinctly memorable presentation to stand separate in my mind from other similar movies of the genera. 

It’s definitely inferior to its literary source material, but perhaps it’s best to ignore the similar titles, and view them as two separate entities. The 2004 movie “I, Robot” on its own is fine, as I enjoy the visuals, the robot action, Will Smith just being his usual cool self, and even if it’s not that thought provoking, it’s not completely brainless entertainment either. It can still be a little creative, even a touch ambitious at times, but there are obviously better Sci-Fi films that mix entertainment and subtext in one package. Both “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” and “The Matrix” are arguably the best of the thinking man’s action Sci-Fi movie genera, and I’d probably just recommend those instead. In the long run, robots will always be fascinating subjects for Science Fiction movies, and I think this movie ... despite it's shortcomings ... is still a mostly worthwhile entry to the genera.  

Thanks for reading my review of the 2004 Sci-Fi “I, Robot” ... and continue to enjoy the movies you love!  

       

          

Disney's Lady and the Tramp (1955) (Movie Review)

  Way back when Disney started making live action remakes of their animated classics, I made a promise to myself to review every original animated film for each one that gets remade. I do so as a means to both celebrate and preserve the original, yet … had I known there would be up to five of these blasted remakes in a single year, I would have never committed to this. Well, it’s to late for me to quit now, in other words … time for yet another Disney review. So, what animated classic is getting remade this month … oh, “Lady and the Tamp” … was there really a demand for that one to be remade in live action? 

Oh well, it premiered this month, so let’s talk about the original 1955 animated classic. “Lady and the Tramp” was the studio’s 15^th animated picture, and it was something of a personal project for Walt Disney. He loved pets, more specifically he loved dogs, and this was his figurative love letter to them and the joy they bring to their families. In essence, this is the film that kick-started Disney’s “cute pet” sub-genera, and is still regarded to this day as one of the studios absolute best. Speaking personally, while I was absolutely a Disney kid, “Lady and the Tramp” for whatever reason was not part of my childhood. I didn’t own it on video, only occasionally caught glimpses of it on TV, and didn’t really see it all the way though until my mid-teenage years. I bring this up because I don’t have any real nostalgic ties to this one, and that childhood connection adds so much to these films. Still, I’m going to be as objective as possible when discussing this one, and like always, I’m just going to be honest with how I feel about it.

   Our tale begins when a young couple are celebrating Christmas, and the wife Darling receives a new born puppy for a gift. This cute little bundle of fur is Lady, and she’s the center of all the love and attention in the family. However, everything changes when a human baby inters the picture. Now the young pup’s life is turned upside down, she gets less attention, and is feeling more distant from her owners with each passing day. Things take a sharp turn when Lady’s owners go away on a trip, leaving her at the mercy of the narrow-sighted Aunt Sarah. While she’s not a cliched villain stereotype, she is the cause of all our young pup’s problems. Mainly, she puts all her focus on the baby, and treats Lady with hostility. Things get so uptight that Lady eventually runs away from home, and eventually crosses paths with a stray dog called Tramp. He shows her the ways of life without a leash, a romance ensues between the two, and Lady soon has to choose between embarking on a new life with the sly Tramp, or go back home and try be one with the family again.

  While this film is often cited as a romantic picture, I personally don’t really see it as that. Yes, there is a romance, but it doesn’t take shape until nearly an hour into the film, and it’s never really the center of all the focus. Truthfully, I’d categorize “Lady and the Tramp” as “a little slice of life”, just seen through the eyes of a dog. Everything moves in a very genuine and relaxed pace, almost like experiencing the simple things. There’s also a novelty in seeing the basic things in life unfold from a dog’s narrow perspective. 

I especially love that Lady assumes her owner’s names are Jim Dear and Darling, simply because that’s how they always address one another.  In many respects, I think this film might just be one of the most relatable of Disney’s offerings, and especially for little kids that have grown up with siblings. Anyone who’s grownup with little brothers or sisters can easily connect with Lady, as she adjusts to life with a new baby in the family. The confusion of it, the concern of it, the wonder of it, and ultimately the joyful affection are all things we’ve experienced, and can relate to. My favorite scene of the whole film is the buildup to when Lady finally see’s the Baby for the first time, as everything is conveyed through visual storytelling, and we see the transformation in Lady as her frightened curiosity becomes that of humbleness, and she finally understands why this baby is so special. It’s just an adorable scene, and I think it gets overshadowed by the more famous romantic beats. Another moment that seems to get overlooked is the heartbreaking kennel scene, which in my view is one of the saddest moments of any Disney film. We all remember the tragic scenes from other Disney films like “Bambi” and “The Lion King”, but look at this scene when Lady finds herself locked-up in the pound. We get this montage of all these sad puppy faces crying, all trapped in cages, all making moaning sounds, and one cheerful dog gets lead into a back room, completely unaware that he’s about to be put to sleep. It’s awful, and being a dog person myself, this scene just gets to me on a personal level. 

   On a more cheerful note, the romance is done well too, and I like that the film down plays certain clichés … like love at first sight. The first time they meet is a basic walk by conversation, and the Tramp isn’t even all that nice to her at first. Yet, their romance gradually builds through the experiences they share while out on the street, and for the most part it works. I really love that the film gets us to connect with both characters in different, yet effective ways. Lady is the one we feel the most emotional attachment to, while Tramp is the more entertaining character to have on screen. He’s a dog who walks on the wild side, is brimming with witty personality and always enjoys life when there’s a little more risk. As he discovers near the end, life is more complete with someone to love. So, we really have a perfect pair of leads that complement one another. Just as a side note, I love that these dogs can have a sense of hummer without becoming an obvious comedic stereotype. The dog Trusty for example is a little dimwitted, but he’s not a goofball, he has a big heart, and even his own subtle character arc. The Scottish Terrier named Jock is a bit of a spit-fire, but has his limits, and is all around one of the more lovable characters.

  One thing I can’t stress enough is just how good the animation is after all these years. Keep in mind, this was the mid-50’s, only the studios fifteenth animated production, and a number of proceeding Disney films to follow have not aged as well in the visual department. Not only are the colors incredibly rich, but there’s a genuine warmth that comes from the overall layout and aesthetic of the piece. 

It’s one thing to say that the animation in either “Fantasia” or “Sleeping Beauty” look great, as they had the advantage of being set in fantastical worlds with dazzling magic or creative landscapes. “Lady and the Tramp” however takes place in a basic neighborhood setting, with scenery comprising of front lawns, and home interiors. So, it really says something for the animation to standout when bringing such an ordinary setting to life. I think the most important thing the animation got right was keeping the surroundings framed from the dog’s eye level. While a number of animated Disney films feature pets, they also have human characters with their own independent screen time, and as such, the eye level changes to compensate for their features. In this movie, the majority of the human characters are barely seen above the shoulder line, and the only exceptions of seeing their faces is either from the dogs POV or in the case of the two French cooks, they’re faces are seen because they come down to meet the dog’s eye level. Also, with the exception of the opening and closing shots of the picture, the movie never cuts away to a random wide shot of the environment, and if there is a wide shot of the neighborhood or a great landscape, its always in the context that it’s being seen from the dog’s perspective. It takes real talent to be that consistent with the details, and it really puts us in the characters place. 

  Let’s talk songs, because while this soundtrack is classic, I don’t think “Lady and the Tramp” is one of the first films that come to most people’s mind when they think of memorable Disney albums. We all remember the iconic spaghetti dinner scene set to the song “Bella Notte”, as it’s one of the all-time great romantic ballets ever put to film, Disney or not. However, there’s still other noteworthy songs that might fly under the raider for some fans. Case in point … Peggy Lee’s “He’s a Tramp”, while not one of my absolute favorite Disney songs, has never the less stuck with me as something memorable, and could be viewed as a classic number in its own right. Peggy Lee was all around a great contribution to the cast, as she not only voiced the Kennel dog Peg, but was also the voice of Lady’s owner Darling, and the voice of those two mischievous cats named Si & Am. Speaking of whom, I always found it interesting that those two have remained marketable Disney villains, despite only appearing in one short scene in the whole film. It really has everything to do with that catchy “Siamese Cat Song”, which is a really up-beat villain number. Also, sense the story really doesn’t require a main villain of any sort, it’s just nice to have memorable side characters such as these, and with an even more memorable song to boot. 

  One minor issue I’ve always had is how quickly things get resolved between Lady and tramp at the end of the film. Just as their romantic venture in the middle act wraps up, Tramps need for mischief gets Lady in trouble, and she gets locked away in the pound because of it. While there, we learn that Lady is just one of many female dogs that Tramp has had a romantic interest in, which gets her furious. 

Once she returns home, Lady and Tramp have this lengthy, heated argument, and in the end, the Tramp can’t defend himself for any of his faults. This segues into the climax in which Tramp rescues the baby from a rat that snuck into the nursery. After a brief misunderstanding, the owners discover Tramp protected the baby, and he’s welcomed into their house. We then jump a phew months ahead to see our two dogs have had a litter of pups, and while it’s sweet and all, I just keep wondering … what exactly fixed that whole relationship problem? Yes, Tramp did something heroic by protecting the baby, but it doesn’t change the fact that he had all those affairs with other dogs, and hurt Lady’s feelings in the process. Maybe I’m being just a little too picky, but I always felt that something was missing. All the movie needed was a simple conversation at the end of the climax in which Tramp says something along the lines of … “You're the only lady for me”, or something like that to make amends after that intense argument from earlier. Still, this is a good ending, and I like that it didn’t build to some over the top car chase like in every other cute pet adventure. Actually, I remember seeing this finale as a kid, and the scene with the Rat sneaking into the bedroom bugged me out. There’s one standout shot in which the “figurative camera” dollies in on the rat while under the cradle, and that image always got me spooked to look under my bed. Also, I love that the movie concludes with puppies at another Christmas celebration, as it’s kind of like the movie went full circle from where things began. 

   In the end, while I wouldn’t call “Lady and the Tramp” a personal favorite of mine, it never the less stands as a great example of how to craft a mature animated family film that can appeal to kids, without dumbing down to basic forms of amusement. Just about every animated family film these days has to have either an over the top sense of hummer, or has to be really fast paced, or a grand spectacle, and it’s a breath of fresh air when of an animated movie of this sort doesn’t need to rely on any of those gimmicks. It can be calm and relaxed, yet still engaging. It can be charming and have a lot of character, without being needlessly silly. It’s a film that highlights how simplicity can be a strength, and sense the movie has endured after all these decades, I think current family films should really consider following it’s example. Again, I can’t pretend that “Lady and the Tramp” is a film I watch often, and I don’t even like it as much as other pet centered Disney offerings, but it’s still a great little film that takes me by surprise every time I see it. With the abundance of entertainment available to kids, I sincerely hope such films as humble as “Lady and the Tramp” don’t get lost in the shuffle. Well, it’s lasted this long, and I have no doubt it will remain a classic in the years to come.

Thanks for reading my review of Disney’s 1955 animated classic “Lady and the Tramp” … and continue to enjoy the movies you love!