Robots Movie Review: By Adam Mast, ZBoneMan.com

Robots is a fun, computer animated effort that many film-lovers flocked to see to get their first peek at the new trailer for Episode III. And quite frankly, there couldn’t have been a better film to show the trailer with, as the two have quite a few things in common. Both are 20th Century Fox released sci-fi flicks featuring a performance by Ewan McGregor. The similarities don’t end there. Like the Star Wars prequels, Robots is clearly a case of awe-inspiring style over substance.

Robots is a sometimes clever tale of robots and the mechanical world they inhabit. The story revolves around Rodney Copperbottom (voiced by Ewan McGregor), a dreamer who journeys to the big city to fulfill the big dreams his father (voiced by Stanley Tucci) never quite realized. Along the way, he makes plenty of friends and finds himself in one adventure after another.

The premise is simplistic (which is often the case with animated features) and quite frankly, complexity isn’t much of an issue when a film looks this good. Robots is simply gorgeous in terms of visual style. It’s vibrant, colorful and absolutely alive with energy. There are several notable sequences to speak of but the most impressive, is an absolutely breathtaking action piece featuring thousands of dominos tipping one another over in a massive chain reaction. It’s an absolutely dazzling display of animation genius.

As previously stated, the plot is simple – a young man goes on an extraordinary adventure and makes several friends along the way. There are several clever moments to be found in the picture - courtesy of screenwriters Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel (who wrote for Happy Days before penning heartfelt comedies like Ron Howard’s Parenthood). Take for instance the fashion in which robot babies are made. I won’t spoil it in this review, but will say it was one of the more creative moments in Robots. Ganz and Mandel keep most of the gags family oriented, but be warned – there is some adult humor here – hence the (PG) rating. What the film really could have used was a little more heart. There are certainly sweet moments to be found (much more so than there were to be found in the overrated Shark Tale), but the emotional pull that elevates films like Finding Nemo and even Ice Age to a higher plane is somewhat lacking in Robots.

The all-star vocal talent on tap is solid, but not overwhelming. Robin Williams is in full manic mode as a fast-talking, hyperactive android whose big mouth gets him into trouble. Given the kind of movie this is, Williams is a perfect fit. I really enjoyed Stanley Tucci and Diane Wiest as Rodney’s loving parents, as well as Jennifer Coolidge - an absolute riot as a robot with a few extra gears in the rear.

I had a fun time at Robots. I wouldn’t rank it with the likes of Pixar’s computer animated contributions or Shrek for that matter, but it is a technical marvel and it should keep most kids and their parents adequately entertained.

Grade: B

Adam Mast, ZBoneMan.com