Bicentennial Man

Rating:
Summary: Complex questions negated by 'feel good' approach
Review: Bicentennial Man is based on questions that have long been popular in science fiction. More recently, they has gained attention in science and philosophy. As man creates increasingly sophisticated machines, how far will we go in giving them intelligence? If we reach a point where we can make them rational, will they be able to rationalize? Will they ever develop feelings? If they can do these things, then what exactly will we call them? This movie tries to answer these questions in a gentle, sometimes humorous way. Unfortunately, it has a tendency to use the 'feel good' approach, and the results are disjointed. Many viewers will have a question of their own at the end. That question may be either "Huh?" or "What?"

In the year 2005, a welathy man has a robot or android delivered to his lavish suburban home. The robot, which looks suspiciously like Robin Williams because he/it is played by Williams, is silver and manniquin-like. It is programmed to be the modern version of a servant or, considering it is a machine, a slave. It cooks, cleans, talks and responds to voice commands. The man's wife finds the android, quaintly named Andrew by one of the children, to be distracting. The youngest daughter adores it, at first treating it like a highly intelligent pet, later as a good friend. The elder daughter can't stand it. At one point, she orders it to jump out of a second story window, which causes quite a bit of damage to it. Considering how annoying and too cute it often is, she may have the right idea. It doesn't take Dad long to find out that Andrew has unexpected gifts. He is very artistic and seems to have feelings. The manufacturer insists that the robot is defective, but Dad refuses to trade Andrew in. Instead, he teaches the android many things about life, love and human beings. After several years, Andrew wants to be human. He also wants his freedom and sets off on a long journey around the world to try to find others like himself. When he returns, he has many more experiences. In fact, the movie covers a period of two hundred years.

I don't know what to say about Robin Williams at times. It's as though he is both the best and the worst of actors. Perhaps it's because of his demeanor or because he has such a dominant, recognizable personality. When I watch him in a serious dramatic scene, there is usually something in those dark, dancing eyes that suggests he's about to go into a series of wisecracks at any moment. I suppose I am suggesting that he stick with comedy, because it's impossible for me to take him seriously. Take this role. There may be things which are dark and compelling about a robot who yearns to be human and who almost gets there, but there is also a humorous side to this situation. In the comic scenes, Williams is great. Ultimately, though, this is a drama, and it's unfortunate that another actor wasn't cast in the role. Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Johnny Depp come to mind.

Bicentennial Man spends nearly half its running time on Andrew's first few years with the family. That means the next 180 years are sketchy at best, and this weakens the film. The last half is more of a series of sketches than it is a linear story.

Rating:
Summary: What would you do for a Klondike Bar?
Review: A very interesting plot that really makes you think. The story starts with Andrew, a house android, who was constantly being upgraded, until he became pretty much a human, except for his brain, which would keep him immortal. The story makes you think, "What is a true human being?"

Rating:
Summary: Great family movie
Review: Finding a film that is entertaining for adults AND children is a challenge but Bicentennial Man was a perfect choice for "movie night" with my husband and two children (ages 9 and 6). Previous reviews said the movie was too deep for children, but so what, my kids didn't notice how deep the movie was because they are kids. They were captivated in the movie from start to finish. We laughed, we cried. It was a wonderful film that entertained ALL of us--and it is rare to find a movie that keeps my husband glued to the screen as well as my children. All in all, it is a great film for the entire family.
One small note--I rented the DVD and was disappointed in the bonus material. I was hoping for more of the behind-the-scenes, fun stuff we've come to expect from DVD's. The movie itself, though, is great.

Rating:
Summary: One of the most emotional movies I've ever seen
Review: This isn't going to be a long review. There are plenty of those in this list already and I'll say that most of the positive ones hit the nail right on the head. If you are looking for a movie with:
1. Emotional depth.
2. The ability to provoke deep thinking about what it means to be human.
This is a movie for you. If you are looking for:
1. An over-the-top Robin Williams comedy (like, bizarrely, the trailer seems to indicate). Not that I don't enjoy those too.
2. A fast pace.
3. An everything-turns-out-all-right ending.
4. A movie to show the kids.
Look somewhere else. This movie has/is none of those things.

'nough said. I loved it. Hopefully some of you will too.

Rating:
Summary: Robin Williams is Spellbinding!
Review: When the Martin's buy a robot named Andrew(played by Williams)they never knew that one day he would become more than a robot,but a part of their family. Andrew is not like other robots. He's special because he has one thing that other robots don't have, and that's intelligence. His intelligence leads him on a journey that only humans can experience. When Andrew realizes that he's different from other robots he starts out on a 20 year journey to discover others like him. His journey leads him to Rupert Burns(played by Oliver Platt). A man who has the ability to make him human. When Andrew meets Portia(played by Embeth Davidtz)he discovers that he would do anything, even give up being a robot and immortal to become a man and have a love that most people can only dream about. So stick the tape in your VCR and sit back and let Andrew be your guide for a magical journey into the life of a robot who was destined to become a man.

Rating:
Summary: A Well Done Reading
Review: Robin Williams, who, in his manic comedian days, entertained many, has developed into a fine actor who has brought the charachter to life.

Perhaps success and life events have made him able to capture the essence of the subtle genisis of what it is to be human. I treasure this video as one I watch when the world starts to get me down.

Rating:
Summary: Film Gives a Heart to Asimov's Intellectual Robot Story
Review: Based on the Isaac Asimov short story "The Bicentennial Man" which was later adapted by Robert Silverberg in "The Positronic Man," director Chris Columbus has managed to merge a powerful romantic epic with Asimov's intellectual story.

The story was written to celebrate the 1976 Bicentennial of the USA and Asimov's story told about a robot that strives to be human. While this is a very prevalent idea nowadays, i.e. Data on Star Trek, it was pretty original at that time.

Columbus shows wonderful respect for the source material, which he betters in every way. How often can you say that of a movie? Columbus understands that in the future everything will not be immediately different. The film portray this by slowly adding futuristic elements on top of real settings. In an era of CGI sets that don't look real, this sci-fi movie is all the better for it's matter of fact approach to the future.

The performances are uniformly great with Williams giving such a strong performance beneath the costume that when his face is revealed it is a little startling. He also injects a sense of humor that makes more powerful the romance and pathos of the plot.

This is a film that deserved better than it got. It is an epic, in the sense of Tolstoy and "Gone With the Wind", with a science fiction worldview.

In this film of a robot's search to become more human, we feel more strongly the precious gift of our own humanity. That is all we can ask of any work of art.

Rating:
Summary: What a Piece of Work is Man?
Review: This movie is based upon a novelette of the same name by Isaac Asimov, later expanded to book length as The Positronic Man in collaboration with Robert Silverberg. As a story, it took both the Hugo and Nebula awards. As a movie, perhaps it should have taken at least a few of the Academy awards.

Andrew the robot is first introduced as a household handyman into the Martin family. Stiff, lacking in appreciation of idiomatic English or social graces, and to some extent feared and detested by some members of the family, he is the embodiment of the perfect machine butler. But even in the early stages of this film, intimations of its social and philosophical messages appear, even while you're laughing. The incident where one of the daughters orders Andrew to jump out the window is both hilarious and a pointed bite about the reaction of children to things they think threaten them. It is also a good illustration of the Three Laws of Robotics (which Asimov formulated as far back as 1939) in action, Laws which constrain Andrew in ways both obvious and subtle.

From this early point there is slow, carefully calculated development of Andrew from pure machine into something that has creative desires, that learns to care, and be cared about, for and by the family members, to a useful, money making employee, to a near person with a desire for freedom, and finally to a thinking, articulate, and lovable person whose greatest desire is to experience all it means to be human.

Robin Williams turns in a bravura performance here. Even in the early stages, when he is totally encased in his robot suit and incapable of showing any expression, he manages to make Andrew distinct and understandable. Later, given more free rein, Williams irrepressible talent for the dead-pan one-liner comes to the fore, making devastating satirical points about money, freedom, love, death, prejudice against any who 'look' different, and many other subjects. Science fiction is a very good vehicle for satire, and Williams makes the most of it here. While the supporting actors/actresses are very good, Williams clearly steals the show.

Makeup and special effects are well done, especially the various 'appearances' that Andrew takes on at various stages and the looks at his inner organs. The musical score, however, is only mediocre, though at least it doesn't get in the way of the film.

But more than anything else, this is a movie that explores just what it is to be human. Each stage of Andrew's development tries to capture one more aspect of being human, and his continuous striving towards that ultimate goal will eventually capture the viewer's heart.

Rating:
Summary: Different from Asimov's book but still great!
Review: First of all, I would like to say that I loved Isaac Asmiov's book, "The Positronic Man" from which the movie, "The Bicentennial Man" is based upon. Though both versions are different in ways, both are wonderful. Since this review is about the movie, I will make my review on "The Bicentennial Man."

Robin Williams stars as Andrew Martin, an android who is not the typical "household appliance". The Martin family soon realize this by seeing his extraordinary talent in carving, and that's only the beginning. Andrew is different because he thinks and feels. He has thoughts and ideas which everyone thinks robots are incapable of. The story tells about Andrew's 200-year journey for his purpose in achieving one thing, his one goal... humanity.

As I said already, this movie is different from Isaac Asimov's book, but this is also very entertaining. Robin Williams did an awsome job in his role, though some people don't think so. He was just so right to play the part of Andrew. Everyone else acting in "The Bicentennial Man" did a great job, too, especially Porschia.

A few things though I'll tell you what not to expect. "Bicentennial Man" is said to be for the family. Well, yes, but not for younger than teenager kids. The movie is very deep and some parts might not be appropriate for kids. They might not like it because they won't understand it that well. Also, it is said to be a comedy but actually, in my opinion, it is more like a drama. Yes, there are many funny and humorous places in it where I just laughed so hard! But it is not a comedy, it is a drama. Some parts my mother was crying, even I was feeling a little misty eyed. That's what I think is a good movie. A movie in which you can laugh and cry and feel with the characters in a movie. Watch "Bicentennial Man", I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I did!

Rating:
Summary: This movie moved me as No other!
Review: I will sum up my feelings about this movie quickly - I have never been so moved by a movie in all my life; I never cry, I did here, many times. One of the best I've seen in my 50 years on the planet. Thank you Robin Williams!