I, RobotMovie Reviews

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So-so
Avg. Critic Score: 59 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
13 OK for kids 13+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 90
    Washington Post | Desson Thomson

    Fabulous mental escape. It's fun and playful, rather than dark and foreboding. And there doesn't seem to be an original cyber-bone in the movie's body. But it's put together in a fabulous package. Read full review

  • 80
    Washington Post | Ann Hornaday

    Smith makes it look easy, but underneath the physical high jinks and slick veneer of I, Robot lies a performance of real discipline and intelligence. Read full review

  • 75
    San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle

    Although I, Robot provokes thought, it doesn't exactly deliver thought, despite the occasional Cartesian reference to "ghosts in the machine." Read full review

  • 67
    Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

    A routine Will Smith cop-on-the-hunt thriller at heart, I, Robot lacks imaginative excitement. Read full review

  • 60
    The New York Times | Dana Stevens

    Lacks both the intellectual rigor and the soulful sublimity of "A.I.," but it nonetheless allows some genuine ideas and emotions to pop up amid the noise and clutter. Read full review

  • 50
    The Hollywood Reporter | Kirk Honeycutt

    The film works best as a kind of mindless, action-packed B-movie. But on the A-level at which recent science fiction/fantasy films operate -- meaning the "Spider-Man," "Harry Potter" and "Terminator" series -- this movie falls woefully short. Read full review

  • 50
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    The plot is simple-minded and disappointing, and the chase and action scenes are pretty much routine for movies in the sci-fi CGI genre. The robots never seem to have the heft and weight of actual metallic machines, and make boring villains. Read full review

  • 50
    Variety | Todd McCarthy

    A humans vs. robots saga that feels machine-made, I, Robot looks to have been assembled from the spare parts of dozens of previous sci-fi pictures. Read full review

  • 50
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    Performances, plot and pacing are as mechanical as the hard-wired cast. Read full review

  • 40
    Los Angeles Times | Manohla Dargis

    More disturbing, yet another robot, or maybe two, seems to have written a Hollywood script and hijacked a major studio production. Given the film's assembly-line screenplay and mechanistic storytelling, no other explanation seems viable. Certainly no one with a heartbeat or taste would blow so much talent, time and resources on such rubbishy writing. Read full review

View more reviews for I, Robot on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 13+ Will Smith almost redeems generic man vs. machine actioner.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that though most of the violent attacks are directed at robots, the creatures (some with distinct personalities and human voices) are crushed, dismembered, exploded, shot at, and destroyed. The results of one car crash are particularly intense. Humans are also in danger: a scientist is dead and bloody on the ground having fallen from a great height; repeated flashbacks show a young girl trapped and drowning in a car; a great, military-like force of robots chase and try to kill humans. Swearing is relatively mild, but there are many instances of  "ass," "s--t," "goddamn," "hell," "piss," etc. In one early scene, Will Smith is seen in the shower, naked from the back, perhaps to compare the human physical ideal with the robotic form, otherwise it seems gratuitous. Product placement is obvious and frequent.
  • Families can talk about technology. What do you think the filmmakers are trying to say about the fast pace of developing technology? What are the positive effects of the changes? What are the dangers?
  • Do you think that movie violence is easier to watch when the object of destruction is not human? How does that compare to "cartoon" violence?
  • Was the movie successful at creating the year 2035? How did the sets, visual effects, music, and costumes contribute to your experience?
  • Del Spooner seems to be the only person suspicious of the robot culture. What kinds of pressure does he have to face because of his beliefs? How does he change over the course of the story? How does he change others?
The good stuff
  • message true2 Positive messages: Human beings have to be watchful as they develop newer and more complex technology; There is a danger inherent in letting automation take over so many aspects of our lives. The hero faces ridicule and punishment for following through on his beliefs; sometimes doing what you think is right has consequences.
  • rolemodels true3 Positive role models: Heroes come in all sizes, shapes, colors, and genders: African-American police officers and supervisors, female scientific expert, etc. Leading character begins as "robo-phobic," but learns to accept, even respect, the robotic beings. 
What to watch for
  • violence false3 Violence: Heavy on violent Robot versus Human action. Numerous scenes in which robots are shot and "terminated." Robots chase and attack humans in several sequences. A particularly intense car accident results in major destruction of the robots. A little girl is shown trapped underwater in repeated visuals. A dead human body is seen on the floor with blood around the mouth. Character jumps out of window.
  • sex false1 Sex: Brief shot of naked backside.
  • language false3 Language: Frequent cursing: "ass" in various forms, along with "s--t," "goddamn," "hell," "damn," "sonofabitch," "kiss my ass," "pissed off."
  • consumerism false3 Consumerism: Obvious and frequent product placement including JVC, Converse, Fed Ex, and Audi.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false1 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Some alcohol consumption: drinking from a bottle, social drinking, one high ball.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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