英文影评-《机械公敌》（I.Robot） movie reviews

英文影评-《机械公敌》（I.Robot） movie reviews 英文影评:《机械公敌》(I.Robot) movie reviews Futuristic thriller starring Will Smith as a troubled cop whose issues with the ever-increasing robot population are seemingly vindicated when one of them becomes a murder suspect. Slick sci-fi from Alex Proyas, director of Dark City I, Robot is essentially Blade Runner by way of Minority Report with a dash of Attack Of The Clones (but not too much thankfully). However, it transcends the restraints of the formula by virtue of being a good quality blockbuster, which is well-made and relatively smart. It starts in a mildly depressing manner, with product placements coming thick and fast (JVC, Converse and Audi all have starring roles, plus look out for FedEx!), but it soon settles into intriguing thriller mode, before later moving into what could be considered prequel territory for the likes of The Matrix or Terminator. As with these sci-fi films, I, Robot deals with the relationship between man and machine. The year is 2035 and Will Smith is Del Spooner, a Chicago homicide detective haunted by a previous trauma, but who’d rather get on with his job than dwell on the past. However, his friend and superior officer Lt John Bergin (McBride) is beginning to lose patience, as Spooner’s bigoted suspicion of robots - who fill most labour and domestic roles in this future society - is starting to look like mental illness. Spooner’s concerns increase because USR, the Microsoft of robotics corporations, is on the verge of rolling out the next generation of robots: the NS-5. "By Saturday there will be one robot to every five humans" says USR employee Dr Susan Calvin (Moynahan). Not only are the robots set to take an even bigger role in society, but Dr Alfred Lanning (Cromwell), the genius who "practically invented robots", has died in mysterious circumstances. Spooner doesn’t believe it’s suicide - he believes an NS-5 is responsible. It’s a theory that speaks to Spooner’s paranoia about robot behaviour, which is supposedly tightly constrained by the Three Laws of Robotics - termed a "perfect circle of protection". But Spooner feels vindicated when a unique NS-5, who calls himself Sonny ("played" by Tudyk), becomes a suspect. Sonny calls Lanning his father, and seems to have abilities beyond those of other bots - emotions, and potentially, free will. The USR boss and "richest man in the world" Lawrence Robertson (the Bill Gates of robotics) promptly brings in his lawyers, forcing the cops to relinquish Sonny on the grounds that he’s merely a machine. He argues that even if the robot’s actions did result in a death, it could only be considered an "industrial accident". Spooner is taken off the case, but he’s determined to prove his point. And that’s when things spiral out of control. Old-school sci-fi fans hoping for a faithful adaptation of Asimov’s ‘I, Robot’ may be disappointed to hear this is barely related to the landmark opus. But is that surprising? The book was a series of short stories spanning a long period, linked by reminiscences - not exactly conducive to a Hollywood blockbuster. What started life as a murder mystery script called ‘Hardwired’ by Vintar (Final Fantasy The Spirits Within), Proyas’ I, Robot is a more straightforward sci-fi thriller with elements of Asimov bolted on - specifically his notion of the human-robot relationship (which parallels slavery once the AI becomes self-aware), a few of the same names (Calvin, Dr Lanning), the concept of The Three Laws, and the "positronic" brain - ideas that were later popularised by the Data character in ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’. With just a few CGI skyscrapers, robots in crowd scenes, and nice clean transport, Proyas offers a fairly unfussy futuristic vision realised by a team that includes production designer Patrick Tatopoulos (Independence Day, Dark City), visual effects supervisor John Nelson (Gladiator), and surprisingly, former kiss-of-death screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (Batman & Robin, A Beautiful Mind). Thankfully Proyas also keeps Smith from getting too carried away with his shtick. The relationship between Spooner and Calvin, a scientist seemingly as logical as her charges, is also not overdone. More interesting than a traditional movie romance is the triangular relationship that emerges between Spooner, Calvin, and Sonny who - despite his strength, agility and logic - is emotionally just a child. The mismatched humans act as unwitting surrogate parents to the robot, despite Spooner’s disdain; robots are "just lights and clockwork" he asserts. It’s nicely done, partly thanks to Tudyk, who, like Andy Serkis before him, brings a non-human CGI character to life with sensitivity. Arguably, the end result is a better picture than Minority Report. The trail of clues may be a tad convoluted, but ultimately it’s nothing compared to how confused Spielberg’s film became in the third act. Proyas, Vintar and co have successfully blended an old-fashioned detective thriller with a high-tech and salient premise; how will humans relate to machines if genuine AI ever becomes a reality? It also comes replete with both interesting (if unsubtle) subtext and lively action sequences.