I, Robot (2004)

In 2035, a technophobic cop investigates a crime that may have been perpetrated by a robot, which leads to a larger threat to humanity.

Director:

Alex Proyas

Writers:

Jeff Vintar (screenplay), Akiva Goldsman (screenplay)

Stars:

Will Smith, Bridget Moynahan, Bruce Greenwood

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Will Smith	...	Del Spooner
Bridget Moynahan	...	Susan Calvin
Alan Tudyk	...	Sonny
James Cromwell	...	Dr. Alfred Lanning
Bruce Greenwood	...	Lawrence Robertson
Adrian Ricard	...	Granny (as Adrian L. Ricard)
Chi McBride	...	Lt. John Bergin
Jerry Wasserman	...	Baldez
Fiona Hogan	...	V.I.K.I.
Peter Shinkoda	...	Chin
Terry Chen	...	Chin
David Haysom	...	NS4 Robot / NS5 Robot
Scott Heindl	...	NS4 Robot / NS5 Robot
Sharon Wilkins	...	Asthmatic Woman
Craig March	...	Detective

Storyline

In 2035, techno-phobic homicide detective Del Spooner of the Chicago PD heads the investigation of the apparent suicide of leading robotics scientist, Dr. Alfred Lanning. Unconvinced of the motive, Spooner's investigation into Lanning's death reveals a trail of secrets and agendas within the USR (United States Robotics) corporation and suspicions of murder. Little does he know that his investigation would lead to uncovering a larger threat to humanity.

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Plot Keywords:

humanoid robot | man versus machine | grandmother | dystopia | artificial intelligence | 

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Taglines:

What will you do with yours?

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense stylized action, and some brief partial nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to the credits, the film was "Inspired by Isaac Asimov's Book". The book referred to was a collection of short stories by Isaac Asimov that was published in 1950. Asimov had been heavily influenced by a short story of the same name by the writing team that called themselves Eando Binder. The title of Asimov's collection was changed to "I, Robot" by the publisher, against Asimov's wishes. The Binder story was filmed twice for television, as The Outer Limits: I, Robot (1964) and The Outer Limits: I, Robot (1995).

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Goofs

When Dr. Calvin first goes into her lab to question Sonny, she has to go down several steps. As the camera angle switches from back to front, she takes four steps down. However, there are clearly only three steps.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Detective Del Spooner: [singing along with Stevie Wonder's "Superstition"] Seven years of bad luck.

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Crazy Credits

Instead of opening credits, the beginning of the movie features Isaac Asimov's 3 Laws of Robotics: LAW I. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. LAW II. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. LAW III. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

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Alternate Versions

In the 3D re-release the old 20th Century Fox logo is replaced with the new 20th Century Fox logo that was used in Avatar.

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Connections

Referenced in Hollywood Game Night: Battle of the Champions (2014)

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Soundtracks

Superstition
Written and Performed by Stevie Wonder
Courtesy of Motown Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Great Special Effects, Looked Real And A Good Story Overall.

I thought the concept of the storyline was good, as it could be conceived as realistic. Given the ever increasing advances in modern technology, one can, indeed, conceive the possibility of this kind of future occurrence.

I did not really see any flaws in this movie or in the actor's character but the philosophical aspect of the movie questions at what point does artificial intelligence cease to be artificial and true consciousness arise? Anyhow, I did like the A.I. in this movie and would definitely recommend, especially if you like Will Smith movies are the Terminator series. I do, however, prefer there to be no sequels to this movie due to the fact that a sequel would probably be no more than a revamped version of the first one. With that being said, I recommend seeing it. 8/10

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 July 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hardwired

Filming Locations:

British Columbia Institute of Technology - Aerospace Technology Campus, Vancouver International Airport, 3800 Cessna Drive, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$120,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$52,179,887, 18 July 2004

Gross USA:

$144,801,023

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$353,133,898

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, Mediastream Vierte Film GmbH & Co. Vermarktungs KG, Davis Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Alphacine)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1