Nicholas Thurkettle

Originally published 7/15/2004

I, Robot
Director: Alex Proyas
Writers: Screen story by Jeff Vintar, screenplay by Jeff Vintar and Akiva Goldsman, suggested by Isaac Asimov’s book
Producers: John Davis, Topher Dow, Wyck Godfrey, Laurence Mark
Stars: Will Smith, Bridget Moynahan, Alan Tudyk, James Cromwell, Bruce Greenwood

The Dr. Susan Calvin I knew never wore leather pants, or blasted away at hordes of attacking robots with a big futuristic gun, or took gratuitous showers. I never imagined her being as photogenic as Bridget Moynahan, either. But comparisons like that between this big expensive summer movie and Isaac Asimov’s I Robot, a thought-provoking compendium of short stories, are a deadly trap. Best to stay away.

What we get with this admittedly exciting, visually-rich, action-packed movie has almost nothing to do with any of the story material from that book – although a sequence in a robot maintenance facility with an unaccounted-for extra occupant is a clear nod to the story/chapter “Little Lost Robot”. What the filmmakers have done is plug a few character names, like Lanning and Robertson, and of course, Dr. Susan Calvin, into an explosion-filled scenario. But more importantly, they used the 3 Laws of Robotics, one of Asimov’s most enduring creations.
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