Anthony's Film Review - Robots (2005)

An inspiring story in a very breathtaking and imaginative world...

Robots is Blue Sky Studios's second major full-length computer-animated film after Ice Age. CGI films these days take us into unique worlds of fantasy. whether they are inhabited by humans or objects that are given human qualities. The films from Blue Sky, Pixar, and Dreamworks have presented humorous stories with a variety of subjects. As the title directly states, this film presents a world that is 100% mechanical, yet so much like our own world that the robots are no different from us.

The story begins with the assembly (the robotic equivalent of birth) of Rodney Copperbottom, who finds the inspiration to be an inventor after seeing a commercial on TV for Bigweld Industries, a business that takes the ideas of aspiring inventors and attempts to make something out of them. Rodney is reassembled with larger parts (in other words, grows up) and finally invents a miniature robot that could, for one thing, wash dishes with amazing efficiency. He journeys all the way to Robot City in hopes to present it to Bigweld.

But little does he know that Bigweld Industries is now run by Ratchet, who generates profits for the company with a series of upgrades that would give robots a newer and shinier appearance. Allied with Ratchet is his mother, Madame Gasket, who runs a shop that incinerates spare parts and old rusty robots. As Rodney tries to look for Bigweld, he meets Fender, Piper, and some other robots who would rather improve themselves with spare parts instead of upgrades. Together, along with an executive at Bigweld Industries named Cappy, they fight against the evil corporation and protect the rights of all robots.

The film deserves a lot of credit for its stunningly marvelous animation. In terms of meticulous detail, I would put Robots on the same level as Finding Nemo. There is always something to admire from the foreground to the smallest background details. I really like how the world is both a mixture of robotic versions of the world we humans inhabit and some aspects of life unique to the robotic world. For instance, Robot City has a very long and complex transport system involving ramps, pulleys, and other wacky machines. Whatever it is that is on the screen, it looks so real that one can sink into this world the moment the film starts.

Besides that, the film works for both kids and adults alike. The grownups can appreciate the themes and real-life issues that are suggested in the story: individuality versus conformity, discrimination against a lower class, beauty being only skin deep, and happiness coming from within. All of it is exemplified simply with Ratchet's upgrades. The upgrades make robots look shiny, but alike with the same silver color. The older robots may be broken and worn over time, but they come in unique shapes and colors. And that is a nice lesson for everyone: accept others for what they are and everyone will be happy.

I really liked this film because it aims for the standard set by films like Pixar's Monsters, Inc., and Finding Nemo. Animated films these days, which I think will all be in 3D from now on, have really gone a long way. Robots is another entry in the list of what I consider to be outstanding achievements in animation. The characters in this film are memorable, including Ewan McGregor as Rodney and Robin Williams as Fender. There is enough of everything else to make many smile at the end of the film. I know I did. I'm sure you will, too.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Robots, visit the Internet Movie Database.