I Robot, Revisited by Quicksand

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

I Robot, Revisited

POSTED BY: QUICKSAND
UPDATED: Sunday, August 21, 2005 19:12
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VIEWED: 4192
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Friday, August 19, 2005 10:12 PM

A few months back I posted a note stating how terrible I thought "I, Robot" was gonna be / was. Someone called me out on it, and we don't 100% sure know who it was, but the signature at the end of the note was "Alan Tudyk."

The note was reasonable, of course: Hey, don't knock it 'til you've seen it, people worked hard on that, etc. And while I have of course seen the film, and my opinion of the overall product hasn't changed, I wanted to add something out into the ether, just in the name of karma, if nothing else.

I stumbled across what is, to me, the single most exciting web page on the 'net, www.digitaldomain.com -- it's a haven for commercials and music videos produced by Anonymous Content, a production team on which David Fincher plays a prominent role. In addition to his staggeringly incredible commerical work, the sight also contains a Quicktime file on "The Making of I, Robot."

(see how I brought it back around? thanks for being patient)

I have no desire to spring for the "I Robot" DVD, so if the same footage is on there, nevermind. But in this file was the first time I saw Tudyk in the "robot suit" (for lack of a better term), and could actually appreciate his performance as an actor, not a special effect. And I was amazed.

Honestly, I should give credit to EVERY actor who appeared in that movie, except Will Smith, who played Will Smith. I thought Michelle Monaghan was great in it too, but the movie was so Will-centric that she was really overshadowed by his undeniable charisma.

Alan's a great actor, and to actually be able to SEE even that tiny scene of him, in a scene from the movie, was a revelation. He gave a FAR better performance than the CGI that replaced him; the white see-thru robot was more difficult to read; video-game faces aren't as interesting to look at as real ones. It played like a cartoon with a voice-over.

Between Dodgeball, A Knight's Tale, Firefly, and now I Robot, I really do respect what he had to do as an actor for this role, and all his roles. He's on the verge of becoming a household name, perhaps the first "Serenity" cast member to accomplish this.

Unfortunately, the script for "I Robot" is still incredibly weak, and while it does its very best with its considerably talented actors, director, and Oscar-nominated FX team... you can't build a house without a foundation. The movie is ultimately forgettable, but the truly talented people within it -- Monaghan, Tudyk, and director Alex Proyas -- will work again, and often, in even better movies.

And I can't wait to see them.

___\_o_/___
--------------- (Qs)

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Friday, August 19, 2005 10:24 PM

SERENITYPUNK

I admit I only watched i Robot cause of Alan playing Sonny, But i kind of enjoyed it, but im not someone who looks to deeply in movies unless im told to look deeply into it. I sit back and enjoy what is just pure written fiction. that way, im not usually disapointed. (mind you I fell asleep during lord of the rings so who am I to comment - yes it was actually in the cinema)

Alan is already a household name around here, but then again, that just me.

So what was I actually thinking of saying,

oh yes, nice to see you appreciate the genius that is Mr Tudyk, for he shall rise like the little blonde stunner he is. even in his green latex (shexaaay - heee)

=================================================
Carol
Pirate Steve defines the word cool.....
http://www.freewebs.com/serenityshindigs/index.htm - big damn shindigs

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Saturday, August 20, 2005 1:07 AM

SIMONWHO

Quote:
Originally posted by Quicksand:
A few months back I posted a note stating how terrible I thought "I, Robot" was gonna be / was. Someone called me out on it, and we don't 100% sure know who it was, but the signature at the end of the note was "Alan Tudyk."

It was him. He discussed this post at the Serenity convention about how disappointed he was that fans would assume something was "crap" sight unseen. He then disingenuously made a comment that the audience "would have decided for themselves how crap it actually was."

But some movies, you see the trailers and you just know what they're going to be like. Wild Wild West was another one. My friends and I just exchanged glances and we knew. Trailers that make a great or even a good movie look appallingly cheesy are like hen's teeth.

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Saturday, August 20, 2005 11:51 AM

CHRISISALL

Well, I bought my own copy, I thought it was pretty good. The whole I think therefore I am gig.
Might have been better, but not too shabby.

Plus: Alan- Chrisisall

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Saturday, August 20, 2005 12:54 PM

NIKNAK

I enjoyed it. Actually I never realised that Sonny and Wash were the same actor until I read it somewhere. Just goes to show how good Alan's voice acting is that I didn't recognize him.

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Sunday, August 21, 2005 4:21 AM

TRACY

I did the subtitles in Spanish for "I Robot" - after I met Alan. I liked it then and I netflixed it recently. I loved the movie now. Will is good, Alan is superb... and the cat ain't too shabby either!

MAL: If anyone gets nosy, just, you know... shoot 'em.
ZOE: Shoot 'em?
MAL: Politely.

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Sunday, August 21, 2005 4:55 AM

FINN MAC CUMHAL

I liked "I, Robot," or as Zoidberg would say, "I, Rob't."

I was completely unaware of the Tudyk contraversy, but I do agree agree with him that one should see the movie before resigning it as 'crap.' Trailers are often very poor representations of the movies with their own little agendas.

Also, this is the first time I've heard of Tudyk playing Sonny. It didn't sound like him, and last I saw he had more flesh around his neck, fewer hydraulic cylinders.

-------------
Qui desiderat pacem praeparet bellum.

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Sunday, August 21, 2005 6:05 AM

GONZAI

While I bought 'I, Robot' simply to see Alan's performance, I also admire James Cromwell and Bruce Greenwood, and I had no feelings on the film one way or another prior to seeing it. Enjoyable, definitely. High art - ah, no. But certainly watchable.

Interestingly, it was 'Dodgeball' that I dismissed based on the trailers and ads. Again - enjoyable, not fine art but not a waste either. (Mostly because it never took itself seriously.) But it does make you wonder what the heck the people making the trailers are thinking...

"I'm not a control freak. I'm a control enthusiast." - Joss Whedon

The Mid-Atlantic Browncoats are hiding from the Alliance at:
http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/Midatlanticbrowncoats

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Sunday, August 21, 2005 6:28 AM

NEEDY

The road to Hel is paved with good intentions

Well it seems like I'm one of the minority on the forum who thought it was great. No actually, I thought it was excellent.

I saw the trailers and admittedly thought it was going to be your average brainless action flick. I was completely surprised by it (in a good way), not only did it have an intriguing story and a superb character in Sonny, but it was genuinely funny in places and the special effects looked a hell of a lot better than I thought from the trailers.

One of the main reasons I saw this though, ignoring the fact that Alan Tudyk was in it, was Alex Proyas - who did The Crow and the excellent and vastly underrated Dark City.

In my opinion, I Robot was the best movie of 2004. I enjoyed it more than Spiderman 2 (which as a big Spidey fan is saying something) and I actually saw I Robot twice, on consecutive days

BTW - don't mean to nitpick but it's Bridget Monaghan

Needy. Male Companion a.k.a. First Boy Whore of Destiny

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Sunday, August 21, 2005 6:53 AM

SERENITYPUNK

Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:
I liked "I, Robot," or as Zoidberg would say, "I, Rob't."

I was completely unaware of the Tudyk contraversy, but I do agree agree with him that one should see the movie before resigning it as 'crap.' Trailers are often very poor representations of the movies with their own little agendas.

Also, this is the first time I've heard of Tudyk playing Sonny. It didn't sound like him, and last I saw he had more flesh around his neck, fewer hydraulic cylinders.

-------------
Qui desiderat pacem praeparet bellum.

Well to all intents and purposes he did 'play' sonny, every move the robot made, Alan made, hence the shexy green lycra, and sonny was built around him including facial movements, and I have to admit he didnt sound like Alan, but then he did the voice at the serenity con and it was very much 'ahh there he is!!'

It took me days to convince my chloe that pirate steve was in fact wash...

and therein lies the reason why alan is one of my favorite actors, because he can play any part.

=================================================
Carol
Pirate Steve defines the word cool.....
http://www.freewebs.com/serenityshindigs/index.htm - big damn shindigs

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Sunday, August 21, 2005 10:22 AM

QUICKSAND

Sonny was a great character, and its a testament to the seeds planted by Alan Tudyk that the scenes with Will Smith held together, not something any actor could do.

Glad you liked the story, Needy; if you were intrigued by that, I would highly recommend the book "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov. It goes into much, much more detail on what makes a robot, a robot, though there is no character named Sonny.

I like a lot of the filmmakers involved here (and I LOVE Dark City; I own it), but the film was ultimately written by Akiva Goldsman, who has graced the world with such clever, insightful screenplays as "Batman and Robin," "Lost in Space" and "Practical Magic."

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Sunday, August 21, 2005 12:30 PM

NEEDY

The road to Hel is paved with good intentions

Quote:
Originally posted by Quicksand:

Glad you liked the story, Needy; if you were intrigued by that, I would highly recommend the book "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov. It goes into much, much more detail on what makes a robot, a robot, though there is no character named Sonny.

I like a lot of the filmmakers involved here (and I LOVE Dark City; I own it), but the film was ultimately written by Akiva Goldsman, who has graced the world with such clever, insightful screenplays as "Batman and Robin," "Lost in Space" and "Practical Magic."

Yes, I've been planning on getting the original book for quite a while now, not that I'd read it anytime soon (my reading list just grows larger and larger - I'm quick at buying, not so quick at reading)

As for Akiva Goldsman... I had no idea he was responsible for such atrocities. He's like Hitler of the film world. Based on those other movies, I'd have to state that I Robot is his BEST SCRIPT EVER!

Needy. Male Companion a.k.a. First Boy Whore of Destiny

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Sunday, August 21, 2005 4:18 PM

G1223

I Robot was ok. I have seen worse and wanted to sue the company that made the film for stealing time from me. I did really enjoy Alan's work in the film and I like how it was not Wash as a Robot.

As was said else were Alan has some real talent. I hope we get to see a lot more of it.

TANSTAAFL

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Sunday, August 21, 2005 5:05 PM

FREMDFIRMA

The movie itself was... okay.

The basic plot threads were there, but while Will Smith brought 'spark' to it, the *story* should have had 'spark', rather than the actor, really.

Will's a good actor, I give him that, but you know what ?

Surprisingly, so is Alan - they really gave him very little to work with, a few facial expressions and a voice, and he managed to make sonny-the-robot into sonny-the-person on us.

I'd hit the movie with a C+ .. but Alan's work within it is at least an A- .. if not better.

I did pay to go see it at the theatre tho, which is a pretty big statement for a critic as downright harsh as I am.

-Frem

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Sunday, August 21, 2005 6:56 PM

SUNYATSEN

I, like a few others, genuinely enjoyed I, Robot. Admittedly it wasn't the hardest of the hardcore sci-fi, but then again, it had to at least try to be a mainstream, box-office hit.

Ironically, I saw Firefly long after I saw I, Robot. I was enthralled by Sonny and the emotion expressed in the intonation and CGI. When I found out that Sonny was in a TV show and soon-to-be movie, I flipped.

One caution about reading I, Robot: I know this is sacrilege because Asimov is a sci-fi god, I enjoyed the film ... gasp ... more than the book! Asimov was quite clever in exploring what 3-laws robots would be like, and how the conflicts their use would entail.

I, Robot, IMHO, did an admirable job of capturing the gist of the book and trying to sculpt it into a coherent plot. Some of the plot points and ideas are lifted from Asimov (a robot hiding in a warehouse of other robots, the 4th law [due to humans idiocy, robots may act against orders to insure future benefits to humankind], etc.)

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Doo yoo know wat a rep-yoo-TAY-shun ees? Eet's pee-pull tock-eeng, gaw-seep, eet's not... to hold, tutch eet, yoo can't ... Now, for yoo, mai rep-yoo-TAY-shun ees not frum gaw-seep.

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Sunday, August 21, 2005 7:12 PM

SNEAKER98

My gal and I saw I, Robot and Dodgeball purely to support Alan. His performance made it worth seeing, as it always does.

Will Smith was in I, Robot? Really? Oh... guess I tuned him out.

;)

"I do the job... and then I get paid. Go run your little world."
-Malcolm Reynolds

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