Robots

After watching the trailer I expected to like this movie and it turned out to be pretty much exactly what I expected it to be. It's a straightforward story with plenty of laughs. The jokes mostly landed for me, even the silly ones, but that's going to vary from person to person. People are always so hard on comedies but I would take a bad comedy over a good drama most days. But I don't think this is a bad comedy, at worst it's average.

It's foremost a romance, so anyone not looking for a rom-com is watching the wrong movie. But it's a nice alternative to the Hallmark romances churned out by the dozen. Rom-coms involving a begrudging alliance between two people ill-suited to be together who eventually fall in love is one of my favorite tropes. It reminded me of Addicted to Love.

I had zero expectations for this movie, but it turned out to be surprisingly funny. It takes a satirical approach to our human society, highlighting our excessive dependence on technology.

There aren't any twists and turns; everything is quite predictable. Nevertheless, it provides a comforting experience, like indulging in comfort food.

The jokes were great, and there were some thought-provoking moments. The movie wraps up with a feel-good ending. Not every film needs to be a masterpiece; some are simply meant to be enjoyed. I never felt bored during its 1 hour and 33-minute runtime.

Don't be deceived by its low ratings. It's a fun movie that's even more enjoyable when watched alone or with your loved ones.

It's a mixed package of Sci-Fi, Satire, Comedy, and Romance.

When I saw Robert Sheckley's name in the credits, I knew right away what I was in for. And that's the best thing about Robots: it's the best cinematic rendition so far of Sheckley's unique mix of SF and satire.

To be sure, that mix may not be to everyone's taste. The main reason is likely to be historical. The story The Robot Who Looked Like Me, upon which the movie Robots is based, dates back to 1978, and is bound to show its age a bit. On the other hand, the basic concept remains fresh and amusing: robot stand-ins being used for devious purposes, thereby bringing out the worst in weak personalities.

The execution isn't perfect. Some gags are side-splitting, others barely worth a giggle. The relationship between the two leads follows an obvious but not entirely believable trajectory. And yet, the movie overall achieves what it sets out to do. It's both funny and thought-provoking, suggesting ways of thinking about 'AI' that may not have occurred to us even as the technology is being deployed around us.

The acting is solid. Shailene Woodley and British comedian Jack Whitehall both do a good job in their double roles - triple, in the case of Woodley). Their 'real' personalities are suitably loathsome and venal. The robot personalities are convincingly genteel and obsequious. And Woodley's bit as a sex-toy version of herself is hilarious.

But what I liked most was that old lunatic feel of Sheckley's writing. He's not the best-remembered author of the SF golden age, perhaps because he took a very different approach. I haven't pulled any of his books off my shelf for many years, but certain passages, certain zany situations, still ring in my mind. It's great to see this kind of material rediscovered and respectfully adapted. I wish Hollywood would get busy adapting more SF classics works for 21st-Century audiences.

(FYI: previous Sheckley adaptations have included The Tenth Victim - La Decima VIttima, starring Marcello Mastroianni and Ursula Andress, and Freejack, starring Mick Jagger. Not great films, but stylish fun.)

In silly sci-fi rom-com "Robots", set 10yrs from now in New England, Jack Whitehall (terrific) & Shailene Woodley (surprisingly bright) both use illegal robot (duh) doubles to woo unsuspecting strangers - he to set up for sex, and she to fleece for $$ & gifts (while the double does the sex)... but when their two robots accidentally meet, they fall in love, which wholly threatens their masters' cushy lives (and freedom). With its snappy 'laddish' writing (from Anthony Hines & Casper Christensen (who make their debuts as co-directors here too btw)) and fresh performances (inc Paul Jurewicz in support) it may be daft and undemanding, but is still well done and certainly funny.

Some films you want to cry, some films you want to tell a serious historic story of love, suffering or redemption. This is not one of those films, it's a fun film to relax to which will also keep you entertained.

So, robots that look like humans have replaced illegal immigrants in America. They now do all the chores such that some people even send them out to their jobs well they chill at home, and it even goes so far that this guy uses one to find dates. Of course these robots want a life of their own eventually, and try to escape. It's like a whacky tale of unexpected romance, with some amusing twists. If you like the type of 'house party' genre, you'll love this, bit actually the story is better thought out than these. It's still situational comedy, and yes the story isn't amazing, but it's there and it's well put together. The characters were fun, and I definitely recommend this to any adult (some non explicit sex scenes) who wants to relax and just see a fun (but not childish) movie.