I, Robot: or, Asimov Lite

I have not read many of Isaac Asimov's sci-fi novels (yet), but I have read the first few books in his Robot series. I, Robot, the first book, is a collection of nine loosely related short stories dealing with the rise of robots and their interactions with humans.

I went to see the movie version of I, Robot expecting that it would bear little resemblance to its namesake book. After all, the movie stars Will Smith, there isn't a practical way to pack nine stories into one movie, and the trailers said that the movie was "suggested" by Asimov's book (not to mention Hollywood's track record of mangling books to turn them into blockbusters). I decided to forget that the movie had anything to do with the book and try to enjoy it for its own sake.

The three laws of robotics play a major role:

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 to 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

Robots walk the streets side-by-side with humans, and because of the three laws, most people accept them as conveniences and don't consider the possibility that they could be dangerous. Detective Del Spooner (Smith), is one of the few humans who harbors a serious distrust/hatred for all robots (a flashback halfway through the movie explains why). As the movie progresses, he discovers that a new line of robots can somehow choose to ignore the three laws. This obviously poses a serious threat to humanity, and Spooner, with the help of Dr. Calvin, sets out to discover what went wrong and how to stop it.

The lead actress who plays Dr. Susan Calvin, Bridget Moynahan, is really, really, really, really hot. Oh, and she did a good job of acting, if I recall correctly (I was a bit . . . distracted). Will Smith was great in this movie and seemed comfortable in the role of a robot-hating detective; I'm just glad that he wasn't supposed to be Elijah Bailey, as I initially feared.

This film will inevitably be compared to Bicentennial Man by fans and critics alike. Bicentennial Man was based on the Asimov novel The Positronic Man, and while it was not faithful to the book at all times, it was fairly close (or so I've heard . . . I have not had a chance to read it yet). The fact that Bicentennial Man stuck close to the overall plot of the novel proves that Asimov's stories can make superb movies. I, Robot just takes some of Asimov's fundamental ideas (i.e. the Three Laws) and pushes them in different directions, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

(Side note: one of the characters mentions the fact that the internet eventually leads to the closing of all public libraries. I guess I don't have much job security).

Final rating: 80%. I, Robot is a greatly entertaining action movie. The special effects are wonderful, as are the sound effects, the music, the dialogue, etc. It's full of awesome action sequences and a few genuinely hilarious parts. So, if you are a fan of Asimov's work, see this movie, just don't try to compare it to the original I, Robot.