I, Robot
Originally Written: August 2004
For me, the wait for a new Alex Proyas film was akin to how Kubrick fans must have felt in the time between the late director’s films (7 years between “The Shining” and “Full Metal Jacket”; 12 between “Full Metal Jacket” and “Eyes Wide Shut”). My last theatrical experience with a Proyas film was in 1998 with “Dark City,” a stunning sci-fi thriller that still stands as the best effort in the genre since 1980’s “The Empire Strikes Back,” “Matrix” worshipers be damned. In the six years since “Dark City,” I’ve had to contend myself with Proyas’ two major films (“Dark City” and 1994’s “The Crow”), discovering his short films and some of his commercials and music videos by way of his terrific website (http://www.mysteryclock.com), and torturing myself with tidbits about his films, both past (his 1989 feature debut- “Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds” (a trailer can be seen at Mystery Clock)- is unavailable) and forthcoming. Last year, Proyas came out with a Rock and Roll comedy called “Garage Days,” but it quickly sank in limited release, never making it to Atlanta-area theatres (apparently, it was to be released in Atlanta on August 1, 2003, but when the film tanked in other markets, it was pulled out); it finally saw it’s US DVD/video debut on August 3 (my birthday, coincidentally, enough; thanks Fox).
This summer, the six-year drought of Proyas-free movie theatres ended with the release of “I, Robot.” Science Fiction fans will recognize the title from Isaac Asimov’s classic novel (released in 1950), a collection of nine short stories about mankinds fragile relationship with robots which introduced the “Three Laws of Robotics” that provide the basis for Asimov’s robot universe.
The laws go as follows:
1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2) A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
They’ll also recognize the Three Laws, US Robotics, and characters such as Dr. Susan Calvin, Dr. Alfred Lanning, and Lawrence Robertson. What they won’t recognize, however, is the story (though it slightly echoes Asimov’s “The Caves of Steel”), which was originally written as a spec script by Jeff Vintar (“Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within”) titled “Hardwired,” and later reworked to fit within Asimov’s universe by Vintar and others (most prominently, hit-and-miss Oscar winner Akiva Goldsman) when 20th Century Fox acquired the rights to “I, Robot.” What does all this mean? Take the credits at their word when they say “Suggested by Isaac Asimov’s book.”
Just as well, perhaps. Though a brilliantly constructed anthology, Asimov’s “I, Robot” would be a tough nut to crack when adapting it for the big screen. One person has tried in the intervening 54 years between Asimov’s book and Proyas’ film- back in the late ’70s, famed writer Harlan Ellison took a stab at adapting “I, Robot,” and his results- which languished in development hell at Warner Bros. for years (and are available as an illustrated screenplay in hardcover format)- pleased the late Asimov to no end, and followed the same, journalistic structure Asimov used in the book. It’s a great structure on the printed page, but one that might come off as, well, dull if literally translated to the screen and handled the wrong way. I could be wrong; “Citizen Kane” has a similar structure, and that film- a great film- is widely considered the greatest ever made.
But this is a moot point in discussing Proyas’ new film, which is- more or less- a traditional action/mystery thriller in form and story. At the center of Proyas’ “I, Robot” is Del Spooner (Will Smith), a detective in 2035 Chicago who’s wary of the robots designed by US Robotics (or USR), who’s just about to introduce its’ latest model- the NS-5- to the public when Dr. Alfred Lanning (“L.A. Confidential’s” James Cromwell, authoritative and effective in his brief scenes)- who developed the Three Laws in Asimov’s universe- seemingly commits suicide by jumping out of his office window at USR. When Spooner is called in to investigate, he finds USR’s CEO- Lawrence Robertson (Bruce Greenwood, teasingly ambiguous in his typically-villainous personality)- smooth but on-edge, and grudgingly willing to cooperate when Spooner smells something more to Lanning’s death. This leads to an unlikely partner Robertson assigns to Spooner- Dr. Susan Calvin (“The Recruit’s” Bridget Moynahan), USR’s resident “robopsychologist.” Spooner’s distrust for robots leads him to an impossible idea- a robot killed Dr. Lanning. Of course, the nature of the Three Laws makes that a particularly paranoid theory, but it’s not far into the investigation when Spooner and Calvin run into Sonny, an NS-5 hiding in Lanning’s office that leads the two on a chase around Chicago and into the USR manufacturing factory. But that, as you may have guessed, is only the beginning.
Now, as my regular readers should know, I’ve been dreadfully worried about “I, Robot.” Not because it was deviating from Asimov’s book, but for other reasons. Chief among them was this- in addition to starring in the movie, Will Smith was also executive producing. Now, most seasoned moviegoers will tell you that when stars have that much power on the set, tensions can rise. The best examples: Tom Cruise on “Mission: Impossible”; Mel Gibson on “Payback”; Sean Connery on “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”; and lastly, Kevin Costner on both “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” and “Waterworld.” In all cases, the actor wielded their power with an iron fist at times, which led to the directors either being out of control of the film’s final cut, or abandoning the film all together. In almost all the cases, the film- however entertaining- suffered creatively (though in each film’s defense, such actor-director quarrels were not the only reasons for weaker-than-desirable end results).
Did this happen on “I, Robot?” Not that I can tell. In this case, Proyas delivered a smart and engrossing thriller with top-drawer special effects and production values, intriguing performances and ideas, and an effective balancing of elaborate action and brain-teasing suspense that’s a few steps ahead of just about every other large-scale epic that’s come out this summer.
That last component is especially important to note. In “Dark City,” “The Crow,” and now “I, Robot,” Proyas has proven himself one of the most fluid, creative, and thoughtful storytellers in modern cinema. I can say this in spite of having not seen “Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds” for this reason- in each of his four films I have seen, I can think of no scene, no subplot, and no character I would remove were I editing Proyas’ films. Proyas’ films are some of the most carefully edited this side of Kubrick, without the endurance-testing running times (none of his five films have run over 2 hours; “I, Robot” is closest at a brisk 115 minutes).
What separates him from some of his higher-profile contemporaries from the world of music videos? (Michael “Pearl Harbor” Bay, Antoine “Training Day” Fuqua, and Simon “Tomb Raider” West are among that list.) My best guess is his experience and experiments in the short film format, something the aforementioned directors lack if their filmographies at Internet Movie Database are to be believed. Before “Spirits of the Air” back in ’89, Proyas had already directed at least three fine shorts, and in 1994- the same year “The Crow” came out- his short “Book of Dreams: Welcome to Crateland” played at the Cannes Film Festival. Though not all great works, he clearly loves the medium and risks short films present, resulting in a richer and more rewarding body of work than any filmmaker deserves.
So that’s one thing Proyas brought to the table for “I, Robot”- a strong sense of storytelling. Another factor in that equation- a rich visual style. One thing you will hear from only the most jaded of critics as criticism of Proyas is that he lacks imagination. Both “The Crow” and “Dark City” are two of the most imaginatively directed and designed films of the past 10 years, and “Garage Days” is no slouch in the former category, either; no surprise when you see the list of credits for either production designer (“The Crow’s” Alex McDowell has gone on to do “Minority Report” and “The Terminal” for Spielberg; “Dark City’s” Patrick Tatopolous designed for “Independence Day”) or “The Crow” and “Dark City’s” cinematographer (Dariusz Wolski also shot “Crimson Tide” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”).
“I, Robot” is a worthy successor to Proyas’ earlier films. With Proyas’ keen storytelling instincts, a visual sensibility only enriched by the production design of Tatopolous and cinematographer Simon Duggan (who also shot “Garage Days” for Proyas), and a distinct, strongly thematic, and aesthetically colorful score by Marco Beltrami (the “Scream” movies; “Hellboy”) that further intrigues after multiple listens, “I, Robot”- Proyas’ first blockbuster production- remains, through and through, an Alex Proyas film. Though it follows the more lighter visual pallette of “Garage Days” than the dreary, noirish universes of “The Crow” and “Dark City,” Proyas continues to find the narrative center of the story, tell it in a way that neither “dumbs it down” nor baffle the audience, and enhance it with a strong and consistant visual style that doesn’t dwarf the story, or conflict with its’ tone.
If there’s one area that Proyas- and his screenwriters- misstep in “I, Robot,” and there is the one, its’ the humor. Some of the humor flies, but too much of it doesn’t. Word has it Goldsman was hired on to tailor the script to Smith, and it shows. If Smith’s brand of sarcasm didn’t grab you in his earlier blockbusters (“Bad Boys,” “Independence Day,” “Men in Black”), it won’t here either. I’ve not had many problems with Smith in his earlier films, but even I could tell- from the film’s first trailer (which shouldn’t have even been released)- that his typical smartass self just didn’t fit in Proyas’- or Asimov’s- world. Should “I, Robot” have been devoid of humor? Of course not; in fact, from what I’ve read of Asimov’s books (all of “I, Robot” and “The Caves of Steel”; I’m working on “The Naked Sun” now), he was a master at incorporating subtle, everyday humor into his writing- jokes not meant for a punchline, but observational and growing naturally out of the situations. Not a crippling criticism of the movie mind you (some movies have survived more damaging flaws), but a disappointment to be sure for fans of Asimov’s writings.
The cast is uniformly excellent in that it finds the core of their characters, and even if not all of the characters are layered, they manage to make us identify with them and understand them. None of Proyas’ films have had what you might say were three-dimensional characters in them; the characters are usually archetypes within their genre, and mostly serve a purpose in the story than feel real. No matter; Proyas- like Kubrick- always manages to give these thinly-written- yet smartly developed- characters personality and strong character arcs that leave a viewer riveted.
In “I, Robot,” three actors stand out in particular. As Susan Calvin (who’s much older in Asimov’s book), Moynahan is simply asked to play “the girl,” but this isn’t a romantic interest. Instead, she’s more of the Scully to Will Smith’s Mulder if you will, bringing intelligence and a nose-to-the-grindstone professionalism that makes Calvin more than a pretty face. Like Sandra Bullock’s character in “Speed,” she’s not afraid of a little danger, even if she’s not used to it, making the character far more appealing than it has any reason to be. Next is Alan Tudyk, who provides- in Andy Serkis-as-Gollum-like fashion- the voice and mannerisms of Sonny, the robot at the heart of the investigation. Who is Tudyk? You’ll probably best remember him as one of Bullock’s rehab buddies from “28 Days,” or even as Steve the Pirate in this summer’s hilarious “Dodgeball.” But genre fans like myself best know him as Wash, the comically-inclined pilot of Serenity on Joss Whedon’s beloved sci-fi western saga “Firefly,” which is making its’ way to the big screen next April as “Serenity.” The thing all of these characters have in common with Sonny is that they have nothing in common- each character is different from one another. In just this handful of roles, Tudyk proves himself a strong character actor capable of any feeling and finding distinct nuances, and as Sonny, he does probably some of his best work, investing this slickly-designed machine with a soulful warmth and conviction that brings to mind not only Gollum- still the gold-standard in CG characters BTW- but also the most memorable of cinematic robots (“2001’s” HAL, “A.I.’s” David and Gigolo Joe, and Schwarzenegger’s “T2” Terminator). That leaves the star- Will Smith. Don’t mistake this character for a futuristic version of his “Bad Boys” characture, or “M.I.B.’s” smartass intergalactic cop, though it shares attributes with both. This is a more mature character, and a more world-weary individual than any fictional character Smith’s played (not including his problematic but laudable turn as “Ali” in Michael Mann’s epic). Granted, he’s not above sarcasm; as I said, this character was tailor-written for him, and some of his patented comedy comes through (even if it falls flat). But Det. Spooner is someone who hasn’t let advancing technology take over his life, and he sees the risks others aren’t willing to admit when it comes to allowing robots do the grunt work humans are now too lazy to do. He’s not above change, though; he’s not a purist or a prude who would rather see things go back to how they were before. He’s just a realist. This is probably Smith’s best character yet, and in my opinion, his best work yet (his Ali felt too much like an imitation than an immersion in the character to me). If a rumored about sequel does happen, one hopes Smith will be allowed to explore and enrich this character further, not just follow the same routine as before (as happened in both “Men in Black II” and “Bad Boys II”).
In the end, “I, Robot” is just the type of film you want to see during the summer. One with visionary ideas, intelligent and engaging characters, dynamic visuals, and a storytelling momentum that knows when to stop for the little moments that define character and enhance the story, and, most importantly, knows when to quit. Proyas achieves that, and I can’t thank him enough.
