Stays incredibly close to the novel while bringing out the hidden emotions. A great family film.

Original short story / remade novel aside, let's look at the movie itself. Poignant to excess, (e.g. Little Miss' holding Andrew's first expression of creativity in her dying hands), this movie engages the viewer to consider, "What really is humanity?" At its most humorous when Robin Williams' creativity is caged by the robotic form ("Good ... Night"), this movie is certainly not the laugh riot that the studio publicists tout. The underlying message of the movie is that change is unavoidable. The only thing that we can control is how we react to it. Even the character of Andrew, who fights human aging because of his own needs, finally acceeds to the inevitable. There is indeed a natural order of things, and only in acceptance can we find peace. After 200 years, we finally understand.… Expand

This story approaches classic Sci-Fi ones, introducing the topic "how things would be when...", or better, "how men would be when...", reflecting on vital topics, etc. Asimov's story is great in this sense, but Buena Vista adaptation is focused on commercial success and some special effects. And the result is POOR! The worst in this movie is its construction: time seems to fly, leaving no time for emotion or reflectio. Of course, anything performed by R.Williams is great, but I'm afraid he is too human to perform a robot! I didn't like it.… Expand

A boring movie. I was intrigued, when in the beginning they recapped asimov's three laws of robotics, but then they never used them. At the end, one robot even seems to break them. Plodding pace, a weepy score that will put you to sleep and Robin Williams mugging for the camera in almost every scene (not for the first time either) make this a movie to avoid.

Asimov'd spit. The story is great, one of the best Isaac wrote (and he wrote some glorious ones). But poor old Chris "I discovered America!" (points down) "Look, there it is!" "Stop doing that." Columbus turns it from a thought-proving piece of SF into a sappy, sentimental mess. Shame.

Makes you think how much more fun we could have, how much more we could get out of life if we were more rational and of service to others. Presents the wonders of intelligent systems better than anything to date. I'm sorry to see that most reviewers can't be considered such. As with most things, with emotion, less is more. "The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think." -Horace Walpole.… Expand

If you don't like it, you don't get it. id say its as simple as that, wonderful movie gets me everytime.

I am not quite sure why this film was so often disliked by the critics. It is a bit overlong, and it does have some slow stretches, but otherwise I thought is was warm and wonderful. Good score, imaginative, and Robin Williams is great.

This is the most amazing movie I have ever seen in my life!! It touches the heart on so many different levels that other movies can't even come close too. It is amazing.

Flawed, but I liked it. A bit too much Robin Williams in the mix, though. While I, Robot was a good actioner/thriller that interplayed the three laws of robotics, this one looks from a calmer perspective, feeling more like an Asimov short story.

This film exemplifies just how pointless professional film critics are. As soon as I see a negative review by Roger Ebert I know I will really like the film. I concluded this is because firstly, I see the film, secondly I have an open-mind before seeing it and do not suffer from the crass "look at me" approach of most film critics. This film is a wonderful story really well told. A robot who through a fault, fate whatever aspires to be more than it is (a trait film critics could learn other than being failed writers). It is a film no matter how often I see it, never fails to leave me feeling entertained and fully engaged. It has the right mix of humour, story telling and a poignant ending which it only takes two brain cells to rub together to understand. Clearly to many film and television critics have nothing to rub together :). This was (1999) and is a rarity these days, a film which you can sit the whole family in front of, from toddlers to your 90 year old grandparents and know they will not need to reach for earmuffs, hide under the settee or pray for a rapid one way trip to the next life. I could not recommend this film highly enough for family entertainment. As JonR rightly says an emotional film, which at the end of the day is surely what the world of film is about, an emotional connection. Perhaps film critics need to learn this. Robin Williams excellent. One of his best roles. Embeth Davidtz also excellent. Sam Neil - also excellent. The rest of the cast were excellent to. Special FX to enhance, not dominate. Good pace and a decent length unlike the usual cheap 80 to 90 minute dross we normally get. Script is a good adaptation of Asimov who is one of my favourite authors. Having read the film reviews by so many supposedly professional critics, I must thank most of you for increasing my already deeply rooted levels of contempt for your "industry." An industry which seems to be one composed of literary hacks and failures and produce nothing but spite. If any of you had any balls you would create.… Expand