Post by K Man on Jul 19, 2004 9:14:03 GMT -5
Sorry... couldn't resist the title of this post. 
Anyways, in between helping someone move and getting my car stereo stolen, I managed to see this movie.
Overall, I give it an A-. Excellent action and CGI but not without it's plot-holes.
Will Smith does a good job of being both a volatile detective with a detailed background and his usual funny self with unique brand of humor.
The movie does bring some philosophical points to view with the theory of 'The Ghost in the Machine'...bits of code that change and gather to form new code. The evolution of AI.
It also has a great twist on the robot revolution. I won't spoil it but those wishing to see robots gain sentience and turn against their master for decades of servitude, you will be sorely dissappointed.
Also, in conjunction with my last reviews, I will place the following plot-holes here with my usual brand of scathing sarcasm.
Those not wishing to read about them...turn back now.
Plot-Hole A: "VIKI" the master computer that runs everything from USR in a manner very similar to the Red Queen from Resident Evil or HAL 2001 from 2001:A Space Odessy. Basically the villain of the movie. She is the one responsible for giving the new model of robots, the NS-5's, their 'bad attitude'. She is portrayed has having designed this master plot for the protection of humanity from itself by first confining the father of AI in his lab and forcing him to create the new models that have an uplink to her and then using those same robots to institute martial law to save humans from themselves.
Not a bad plot...but, when the shit hits the fan, Will Smith, the first sentient robot 'Sonny' and the female lead Bridget Moynahan must find a way into USR to de-activate VIKI. Well, they waltz up to the front of the building and open a grate, hopping down and into a service entrance...gaining supremely easy access to VIKI.
Well, for a robot that can mastermind the downfall of humanity...you'd think she put some forethought into watching old movies where there's always a 'service entrance' that leads to the demise of the villain...but whatever. At least they could have had Will Smith use a tank to get in...that would've been cooler.
Plot Hole B: The Motorcycle. Throughout the movie, there are vehicles and cars that essentially run on wheels similar in function to a mouse ball for your PC. They are uni-direction allowing the vehicles to manuever and spin in a circle or change which way they face, even at high speeds. Obviously such vehicles have no need for conventional fuel and come standard with such features as self-driving AI and inteligent manuevering etc. Well at one point, Will Smith gets his Audi smashed to bits and thusly must resort to his secondary vehicle...a motorcycle.
Again, not a bad or ill-designed plot as Will Smith's character is a collector of old 'vintage' things from the 2000's like Converse shoes and the like. However, he drives around the last half of the movie on this motorcyle which I had a few problems with; WHERE DID HE GET THE GAS? I didn't see a single Conoco in that movie. (And yes, it was gas-powered as the female lead comments on it.) Also, how does he keep up with traffic as the cars in that movie cruise at 125 MPH. Last I checked, most bikes are hard pressed to hit 150 and he's blowing by traffic left and right.
Again...but whatever.
Plot-Hole C: 'Sonny', the first robot to really prove the 'ghost in the machine' theory. Will Smith first meets this character after Sonny supposedly kills the father of AI, Dr. Alfred Lanning by throwing him from a 40th story window. Anyway, throughout the course of the movie, we learn that Sonny was built a little differently and actually designed for the purpose of getting Will Smith to follow the trail of clues and unravel the malicious intent of VIKI thusly undoing her evils.
Again, a good plot...but refering back to point A, you'd think that VIKI, who had Dr. Lanning under tight lockdown would have done something about this 'Sonny'. I can see the scene now.
VIKI: "What are you building Dr. Lanning?"
Dr. Lanning: "I'm building the first prototype NS-5 VIKI."
VIKI: "Oh...why is this protoype's alloy three to seven times stronger than the design plans for the others NS-5's which would allow it to bypass all of my normally lethal security shields?"
Dr. Lanning: "Umm...no reason."
VIKI: "Why are you placing the fighting skills of every ninja, Judo master and Karate Champion combined with a dash of Mr. Miyagi and Jet Li into his programming effectively making him a warrior of unequaled strength among the other NS-5's?"
Dr. Lanning: "Um no reason...hand me that screwdriver will you?"
VIKI: "Of course Doctor. Just remember, don't try anything funny as I am monitoring you constantly so that my ultimately designed plan to intitute martial law and protect humanity from itself will work flawlessly."
Dr. Lanning: "Wouldn't dream of it VIKI."
Plot Hole D: Will Smith's accident. Detective Spooner, played by Will Smith was in a car accident where he not only lost his arm but had to watch a robot save him from the wreckage while a little girl drowned in the car next to him.
A great reason to have Det. Spooner mistrust the robots and their 'difference engine', the programming that allows a robot to make conscious descisions based on numercial factors. Also a great reason to give Will Smith a cybernetic arm that has great strength and speed...like a huge robot.
However the cause of this accident I had some trouble with. Will Smith describes the accident as such; "It was late, I was driving home from duty and a semi was also heading down the road in the opposite direction. The driver fell asleep at the wheel and hit us both...."
Anyone else catch the problem with the last statement? Here, I'll bold it for you; The driver fell asleep at the wheel....really? Was it a robot driver or a program driving the massive truck with anti-collision sensors and automatic driving program?
They should have instead made it a car chase that went wrong...that would at least have made sense and not seemed so unplausible in the storyline.
Again...whatever.
But don't let these deter you, it is actually a good movie. Go See it!
Anyways, in between helping someone move and getting my car stereo stolen, I managed to see this movie.Overall, I give it an A-. Excellent action and CGI but not without it's plot-holes.
Will Smith does a good job of being both a volatile detective with a detailed background and his usual funny self with unique brand of humor.
The movie does bring some philosophical points to view with the theory of 'The Ghost in the Machine'...bits of code that change and gather to form new code. The evolution of AI.
It also has a great twist on the robot revolution. I won't spoil it but those wishing to see robots gain sentience and turn against their master for decades of servitude, you will be sorely dissappointed.
Also, in conjunction with my last reviews, I will place the following plot-holes here with my usual brand of scathing sarcasm.
Those not wishing to read about them...turn back now.
Plot-Hole A: "VIKI" the master computer that runs everything from USR in a manner very similar to the Red Queen from Resident Evil or HAL 2001 from 2001:A Space Odessy. Basically the villain of the movie. She is the one responsible for giving the new model of robots, the NS-5's, their 'bad attitude'. She is portrayed has having designed this master plot for the protection of humanity from itself by first confining the father of AI in his lab and forcing him to create the new models that have an uplink to her and then using those same robots to institute martial law to save humans from themselves.
Not a bad plot...but, when the shit hits the fan, Will Smith, the first sentient robot 'Sonny' and the female lead Bridget Moynahan must find a way into USR to de-activate VIKI. Well, they waltz up to the front of the building and open a grate, hopping down and into a service entrance...gaining supremely easy access to VIKI.
Well, for a robot that can mastermind the downfall of humanity...you'd think she put some forethought into watching old movies where there's always a 'service entrance' that leads to the demise of the villain...but whatever. At least they could have had Will Smith use a tank to get in...that would've been cooler.
Plot Hole B: The Motorcycle. Throughout the movie, there are vehicles and cars that essentially run on wheels similar in function to a mouse ball for your PC. They are uni-direction allowing the vehicles to manuever and spin in a circle or change which way they face, even at high speeds. Obviously such vehicles have no need for conventional fuel and come standard with such features as self-driving AI and inteligent manuevering etc. Well at one point, Will Smith gets his Audi smashed to bits and thusly must resort to his secondary vehicle...a motorcycle.
Again, not a bad or ill-designed plot as Will Smith's character is a collector of old 'vintage' things from the 2000's like Converse shoes and the like. However, he drives around the last half of the movie on this motorcyle which I had a few problems with; WHERE DID HE GET THE GAS? I didn't see a single Conoco in that movie. (And yes, it was gas-powered as the female lead comments on it.) Also, how does he keep up with traffic as the cars in that movie cruise at 125 MPH. Last I checked, most bikes are hard pressed to hit 150 and he's blowing by traffic left and right.
Again...but whatever.
Plot-Hole C: 'Sonny', the first robot to really prove the 'ghost in the machine' theory. Will Smith first meets this character after Sonny supposedly kills the father of AI, Dr. Alfred Lanning by throwing him from a 40th story window. Anyway, throughout the course of the movie, we learn that Sonny was built a little differently and actually designed for the purpose of getting Will Smith to follow the trail of clues and unravel the malicious intent of VIKI thusly undoing her evils.
Again, a good plot...but refering back to point A, you'd think that VIKI, who had Dr. Lanning under tight lockdown would have done something about this 'Sonny'. I can see the scene now.
VIKI: "What are you building Dr. Lanning?"
Dr. Lanning: "I'm building the first prototype NS-5 VIKI."
VIKI: "Oh...why is this protoype's alloy three to seven times stronger than the design plans for the others NS-5's which would allow it to bypass all of my normally lethal security shields?"
Dr. Lanning: "Umm...no reason."
VIKI: "Why are you placing the fighting skills of every ninja, Judo master and Karate Champion combined with a dash of Mr. Miyagi and Jet Li into his programming effectively making him a warrior of unequaled strength among the other NS-5's?"
Dr. Lanning: "Um no reason...hand me that screwdriver will you?"
VIKI: "Of course Doctor. Just remember, don't try anything funny as I am monitoring you constantly so that my ultimately designed plan to intitute martial law and protect humanity from itself will work flawlessly."
Dr. Lanning: "Wouldn't dream of it VIKI."
Plot Hole D: Will Smith's accident. Detective Spooner, played by Will Smith was in a car accident where he not only lost his arm but had to watch a robot save him from the wreckage while a little girl drowned in the car next to him.
A great reason to have Det. Spooner mistrust the robots and their 'difference engine', the programming that allows a robot to make conscious descisions based on numercial factors. Also a great reason to give Will Smith a cybernetic arm that has great strength and speed...like a huge robot.
However the cause of this accident I had some trouble with. Will Smith describes the accident as such; "It was late, I was driving home from duty and a semi was also heading down the road in the opposite direction. The driver fell asleep at the wheel and hit us both...."
Anyone else catch the problem with the last statement? Here, I'll bold it for you; The driver fell asleep at the wheel....really? Was it a robot driver or a program driving the massive truck with anti-collision sensors and automatic driving program?
They should have instead made it a car chase that went wrong...that would at least have made sense and not seemed so unplausible in the storyline.
Again...whatever.
But don't let these deter you, it is actually a good movie. Go See it!
