Bicentennial Man

Name: Bicentennial Man
Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Family
Released: December 17, 1999
Duration: 132 min
Rating: 42
Cast: Robin Williams

1999

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 31 Critics

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 83 Ratings

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7.4

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7.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 83 Ratings

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Bicentennial Man

Movie Details & Credits

Buena Vista Pictures | Release Date: December 17, 1999

Starring: Robin Williams

Summary: Follows the life and times of Andrew (Williams), a robot purchased by the Martin family as a household appliance programmed to perform menial tasks. As Andrew begins to experience emotions and creative thought, the Martins soon discover they don't have an ordinary robot. (Touchstone Pictures)

Director: Chris Columbus

Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Family

Rating: PG

Runtime: 132 min

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Awards & Rankings

30	#30 Most Discussed Movie of 1999
57	#57 Most Shared Movie of 1999

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Seattle Post-Intelligencer - William Arnold

Finally becomes a somber, sentimental and rather profound romantic fantasy that is more true to the spirit of the Golden Age of science-fiction writing than possibly any other movie of the '90s. Read full review

Miami Herald - Curtis Morgan

Entertains but never quite engages.

Charlotte Observer - Lawrence Toppman

May wrestle with big ideas, but it does so through a succession of small emotional moments. Read full review

Variety - Todd McCarthy

Columbus' approach is intended to cloak such topics as mortality and human identity in the warm glow of greeting card sentiment, which renders the prescription palatable for mass consumption but hopelessly diluted. Read full review

Entertainment Weekly - Lisa Schwarzbaum

Director Chris Columbus...seals this comedy in an impenetrable bubble of hollow humanism. Read full review

Philadelphia Inquirer - Steven Rea

I'll be darned if I can think of a more excruciating, ponderous, remarkably unfunny and inert cinemagoing experience to come down the pike in ages.

Newsweek - David Ansen

Kids will be bored, the rest of us baffled.

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User Reviews

ALF

Sep 25, 2011

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 crassThis 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

3 of 6 users found this helpful33

MasterTank3825

Dec 5, 2015

This film gets better each time I watch it and I cannot sensibly explain my love for it. The year is 2005 and technology is thriving. Robin Williams (Rest his magnificently talented and funny soul.) plays an NDR-114 service robot named Andrew purchased by the Martin family. This movie thenThis film gets better each time I watch it and I cannot sensibly explain my love for it. The year is 2005 and technology is thriving. Robin Williams (Rest his magnificently talented and funny soul.) plays an NDR-114 service robot named Andrew purchased by the Martin family. This movie then goes through the highlight moments of the next 200 years of Andrew's search for purpose and acknowledgment. I don't want to say much about the film past that because I believe going into any film as blind as possible guarantees a truly wonderful and unbiased film experience, especially with Bicentennial Man. This movie has given me great perspective on the value of humanity, freedom, and life itself. I highly recommend you watch this film, you'd be doing yourselves a cinematic favor.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

Rox22

Mar 28, 2013

Probably one of the most underrated movies in the last 20 years. Aside from perhaps being a tad too long, Robin Williams gives a really fantastic performance here. Really showing of his range in both comedy and drama. Oddly it is the drama in this movie that makes him shine, not the comedyProbably one of the most underrated movies in the last 20 years. Aside from perhaps being a tad too long, Robin Williams gives a really fantastic performance here. Really showing of his range in both comedy and drama. Oddly it is the drama in this movie that makes him shine, not the comedy (which was generally a bit flat.) Overall: Bicentennial man is a Drama that happens to be set in a Sci-Fi-ish setting. The "human" drama is really what captures you and really gets you questioning what it means to be alive. A really nice approach to the A.I. rights idea that doesn't involve guns or time traveling Austrians. Over This is a heartwarming story that makes me cry a little every time I say it. It may not be to everyone's liking, but I thought it was brilliant.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

Martimus98

Mar 14, 2019

This story was based on a novelette written by Isaac Asimov, The Positronic Man.

It's a story about an unusual robot that spends it's life striving to become human. The movie is highly underrated in my opinion. I think the actors all did well dealing with what had to be a challenging storyThis story was based on a novelette written by Isaac Asimov, The Positronic Man.

It's a story about an unusual robot that spends it's life striving to become human. The movie is highly underrated in my opinion.

I think the actors all did well dealing with what had to be a challenging story to recreate. I'd speak highly of Robin Williams in particular but I think that others have spoken to his comic genius better than I can. I enjoyed Sam Neill's contribution to the movie. Embeth Davidtz did well in her dual role of 'Little Miss' and Portia.

In my opinion Chris Columbus allowed Robin fairly free reign in his role and that's what really made this movie shine. Is it a serious re-telling of Asimov's story? Not really. It's a serious story peppered with Robin Williams silliness that makes the subject matter much easier to digest.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

[Anonymous]

Dec 8, 2005

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.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

StevenF

Jun 18, 2013

Robin Williams begins the film of Bicentennial Man in a mechanical suit, he is a robot, or 'household appliance' who is found to have feelings and reactions similar to human beings. Unfortunately he doesn't stay in the suit for the entire film, not to take away anything from the remarkableRobin Williams begins the film of Bicentennial Man in a mechanical suit, he is a robot, or 'household appliance' who is found to have feelings and reactions similar to human beings. Unfortunately he doesn't stay in the suit for the entire film, not to take away anything from the remarkable talent and personal admiration of Williams, but a lacklustre and bland second half will have you counting the minutes until the end. A running start, but an egg and spoon finish.
The script is filled with emotional appearance from start to finish, but its time frame fast forwards so unpredictably that it can be difficult to feel any sort of attachment to anyone but Andrew, the robot purchased by Richard Martin, or 'Sir', (played by Sam Neill) who quickly realises that his robot may do more than the standard model.
Andrew begins to immediately bond with the his masters children, and as the years go on and Andrew's talent for carpentry and other things have made him quite a rich man.
But the more he understands humans and the more he reads, he knows the demeanour of freedom, and wants to become his own man.
Where the film starts to lose its feet is when it starts fast-forwarding, because for a film spanning 200 years it moves at quite a fast pace. Andrew deals with death, others growing up around him and is unable to convey emotions to these changes, but the film is perhaps to polite for its own good in these situations, with a calm and mellow score throughout the film, there is no sense of despair or sadness, but always a sense of epic romanticism and heightening shows of this is how the world should be, but it isn't.
Robin Williams and Embeth Davidtz are the leading people in the film, Davidtz playing two people in terms of generation. Williams, while in the suit and a few times outside of it, is an ideal and welcome choice for the role, but he seems to be held back quite often and although he is playing a robot, the lack of emotional depth can be blamed on a script which never digresses or takes a new path, it perhaps should have listened to its own words,"sometimes it's important to do the wrong thing".
There are laughs to be had and some of the script is quite funny, particularly the earlier parts of Andrew getting to know the ways of human behaviour,but a slow and messy second half have held the film back from being as good as the opening 45 minutes suggested, but there are definitely lessons to be learnt and teachings to follow from this very quotable film, which explains human behaviour at its very core.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

KeithH.

Aug 30, 2007

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 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.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful

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