"Robots" was a major disapointment for me. Of course, every animated film will be a major disapointment for me after the masterpiece known as "The Incredibles," but that's something I'm going to have to get over. Considering the talent behind "Robots," this could have been something special...and for a few brief moments, it almost is.

"Robots" is the story of Rodney Copperbottom (Ewan McGregor), a young robot who lives in a world populated only by robots (don't ask, it's a fantasy, and therefore no literal explanation is given for a society of robots). Rodney dreams of being an inventor, so he heads to Robot City to meet his idol, a robot CEO named Bigweld (Mel Brooks). Rodney soon discovers that the evil Ratchet (Greg Kinnear) has seized control of the company and is planning to discontinue old parts that would keep poor robots going. Naturally, it's up to Rodney to stop him.

Since this is an animated film, the most important aspect is the animation, and to say the least, the film is gorgeous. Every robot is unique. There must have been thousands of designs drawn and the work the animators have obviously put into the film is shown. "Robots" has a retro comic book style that defines clever. Certain scenes, like an early comic interlude that displays the complex transportation system of the city, are wholly original and brilliant. The designers must have had a field day! From a visual standpoint, this is grade A stuff.

Unfortunately, "Robots" is marred with a horrendous script that often makes the movie nearly unwatchable. While the basic story works fine, as the movie progresses the cliches and bad jokes begin to arise. The final 1/4 of the film is so different from the first 3/4, that one wonders "What the Hell happened?" What starts as a witty family action/comedy turns into a deranged and ridiculous mess that wouldn't be complete without a cheesy "rescue" scene and TWO musical numbers, the worse of the two involving (shudder) Britney Spears.

Naturally, beautiful animation can't compensate for a bad script, but one other aspect of the film stands out: the voice talent. This is a big name cast, but unlike the disastrous "Shark Tale," these actors were not chosen for their names, but for their talent. McGregor has proven himself to be a fine actor again and again, and he makes Rodney an endearing presence. Robin Williams, as a junky robot named Fender, is hit and miss. When he hits, he is GREAT, but when he misses, boy does he MISS. Mel Brooks tackles his role well, considering that the character makes his appearance at the dreaded 3/4 turning point. Drew Carrey, Paul Giamatti and Jim Broadbent all work well in small, but decent roles. Halle Berry is wasted in the role of the flat love interest. The only weak link in the cast is Amanda Bynes, who continues to prove she can't act.

My favorite character, though, and the best performance in the film belongs to Greg Kinnear. His villain is simply perfect. Not only does Kinnear play him perfectly, but the character design is the coolest of all of the robots. There were moments where I wanted him to triumph.

Parents, don't fret too much about taking your kids to see this. It's basically harmless with a nice moral. You should enjoy the visual images and the voice work, but try to ignore the humor.

"Robots" is NOT a bad film, but a film made average by uneven quality on different sides of the production. IF a better script had been written, this really could have worked.

© Written by Jacob Hall

How We Rated This Film TC Candler -     Richard Propes - C+ Jacob Hall - C+

TC Candler's Comment

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Richard Propes' Comment

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