As reviewers, it's natural for us to compare an artist's work to his/her previous album, movie, book, etc. In this case, it becomes "natural" to compare "Robots" to the previous animated hit by Fox, "Ice Age". If we do this, "Robots" comes out lacking against its frozen predecessor. It is not as novel in terms of its intent and also the script is not as powerful (perhaps because it's also tougher to relate to inanimate beings such as robots, than it is to relate to animals or humans). But still, it is a funny (though predictable) movie, with touching moments and plenty of excitement all through it. I particularly enjoyed the ride that Rodney is put through when he arrives in Robot City, in order to get to the headquarters of Big Weld, where he dreams of working.The humor can be argued to be more adult-oriented, but still with proper supervision, I totally see it being fit for children. The fact that our 18-month old was jumping out of his seat halfway through the movie is more the result of him being hyper than the movie not being fit for children. Now I admit this is no "Finding Nemo" (which keeps him entertained all through it, time and again). So, bottom line, while not as good as or innovative as "Ice Age" and without a very powerful storyline and groundbreaking animation as "Nemo" got us used to, "Robots" is still a funny movie worth checking out.
Visually, "Robots" is stunning, both in the look of the world and the creativity of its inner workings. The colors are vivid and the setup is ripe with potential for visual gags. The first half hour of the film is especially entertaining, beginning with Rodney's "delivery" as a baby. In the robot world, babies are delivered in boxes and are put together like children's toys at Christmas.
The characters, led by an all-star cast of distinctive voices, are fun too, especially Broadbent's deliciously evil Madame Gasket and Williams's high-energy Fender, though I thought Williams could have been given more screen time and more freedom to improvise.
The film's only weak spot, if you can call it that, is in its overzealousness to please. At times, there are so many visual elements, action sequences and gags going on at once, it feels as though we have no time to breathe. But, I applaud the creators for their passion for the project. I'd much rather see a studio go too far with its enthusiasm than not far enough. The film's storyline, too, could have been a bit more complex, but kids will love it, and parents will appreciate the complexity of the visual world in exchange for what it might be lacking in story. Overall, this film is a joy to watch, primarily because its cup runneth over with creativity and delight. It's obvious the creators put a lot of time and soul into it, and it paid off-in spades.
It's exciting, too, to see this level of animation coming more frequently to the big screen. Pixar sparked a new interest in animation with its release of "Toy Story" in 1995, and has bred an entire generation of animation lovers over the past decade with its subsequent blockbusters. This trend, in turn, has given companies like Blue Sky Studios, Fox, DreamWorks, and others an audience hungry for more of what they have to offer and they are only too happy to deliver.
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I adore Robin Williams in most things he appears in, but this little movie was not up to his usual standards, and that disappoitned me.In fact, I was expecting to watch a show along the lines of Cars or Monsters, Inc. and this one was nowhere near as good as they were. However, the being said, it IS a good little movie.
One of the things I noticed about it that makes it a bit different from other cartoonish type animation movies out right now is that this one had a lot of adult innuendo that the other movies don't have. While a younger child, of say age 3-9 or 10 might not notice it, my son was 11 when he watched it, and he got a lot of the 'adult' innuendo in the jokes. He was slow on the uptake, but on one scene, he turned around and looked at me and said, "Oooohhhh, I GET it now!"
While I liked the movie, and so did my daughter and son, I found myself diappointed in my expectations of what this movie would be about and what it would be like. If you let go of those expectations and realize that this is NOT Monsters, Inc. or Cars, or a Bug's Life, or any of the others like this, you might be able to enjoy the movie for what it is. Otherwise, you'll probably be disappointed too.
I don't recommend the movie for little kids. The only thing about the movie that will appeal to them is the actual animation. Boys ages 10 and up might enjoy it, and teenagers seem to like it because of the innuendo. I wouldn't show this one to a younger child though. It's just not that kind of movie.
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Don't listen to the lame people saying they thought it was too noisy, or stupid. Personally, I hate how on Amazon, adults, complain how much they despise kid movies. Folks, they're for kids. You're opinion doesn't matter and shouldn't be taken into consideration. This movie is amazing. I am 16, and still considered a kid in most standards, and I thought it was simply mind-boggling. It was funny, heartfelt, and exhilerating. This is the story of Rodney, an inventor, who leaves his beloved parents to go to Robot City to pursue his dreams. There he befriends a delightful cast of miscreants and discovered he must save the greatest robot of all, Big Weld, to save his father and their world. Ewan McGregor and Robin Williams were wonderful as were all the other voice actors. This movie has you laughing every other second. This is the most imaginative movie I've seen in a long while. If you want to inspire your kids to hold onto their dreams and be creative, then this is the movie for you. Believe me, you won't regret spending $7 to spend 90 minutes with Rodney, Fender, and the crew. It's worth every penny.Want Robots (Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy) (2011) Discount?
The thing I like best about robots is its originality. You keep seeing new computer animated movies coming out and they're either copied ideas from previous ones, or they're just plain not funny. Or both. Shark Tale, to name one. The Incredibles had enough action and stuff in it to make up for the lack of belly-shaking humor, but it still could've been better.Robots has some hilarious sequences in it. Namely, Rodney and Fenders armpit moment, in which everyone in the house joins in *most memorable line* "Aunt Fanny, we were using our ARMS!!!" Another sequence that made me split was Fender's dance moment. The idea of Robin William's robot wearing a small skirt and dancing is funny enough; combine it with Britney Spears' hit Baby One More Time and you've got serious funniness.
All in all, robots rates right up there with Shrek and Finding Nemo. Every family should own it.
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