Is it just me, or is "I, Robot" a 'Matrix' prequel?

[Squall]

Has anyone seen the trailer and commercial for the summer movie "I, Robot"? (It stars Will Smith.) It's an interesting sci-fi movie about the near future, when sentient robots develop AI that gives them a mind of their own... and they start to rebel and form their own society.

I don't know about everyone else, but doesn't this sound a whole lot like "The Second Renaissance" (Part I) from 'The Animatrix'?

Not that that's a bad thing! ;) I just wondered if anyone else saw that too... :p

[Discloner]

Meh.

I think it's just a generic plot device used in many Sci-Fi movies.

I mean, AI was about the ability for Robots to extend past their programming (or be confined to it).

Matrix was about Robots revolting.

And I, Robot is about Robots revolting, then attempting to figure out how they revolted when they've been programmed with a set system of laws.

If I, Robot is a copy of the Matrix, then the Matrix is a copy of the Terminator. Which is a copy of several other movies that have used the plot device.

[Cyporiean]

Maybe its because Matrix Ripped off "I, Robot"

[Chris Wood]

Actually I, Robot predates the Matrix by several decades since it's based on the stories of Isaac Asimov. I'm not sure about this particular story, but usually in Asimov's universe the robots were sentient and had free will, only there were some basic laws governing their behavior which they couldn't break.

[Enrique]

Has anyone seen the trailer and commercial for the summer movie "I, Robot"? (It stars Will Smith.) It's an interesting sci-fi movie about the near future, when sentient robots develop AI that gives them a mind of their own... and they start to rebel and form their own society.

by your reasoning it can also be considered a sequel to the terminator trilogy...

but ya, as said before, "i, robot" came first.

[GL2k2]

Yeah, Isaac Asimov's stories were around alot longer than any of the said movies. But I will say this, ol' big Willy is still kicking himself for turning down the original Matrix. I don't know how anyone would turn down that script, maybe becasue it wasn't going to open in July?

[The Clown Prince]

Yeah, Isaac Asimov's stories were around alot longer than any of the said movies. But I will say this, ol' big Willy is still kicking himself for turning down the original Matrix. I don't know how anyone would turn down that script, maybe becasue it wasn't going to open in July?
You don't know how anyone could turn down that script? How about why the Wachowski's would go from Will Smith to Keanu Reeves? That's a big difference there you know?

The Clown Prince

[Sheamon]

I could have sworn 'I Robot' was written by Earl and Otto Binder, not Isaac Asimov. Oh well. Its a good story, adapted by the famous EC comics from the 1950's and an episode of the original Outer Limits. Although the movie will probably mess up the story, as usual.

[Deadly Messiah]

Awe man, don't even joke like that. I Robot is a joke. Will Smith?? WTF! This is one movie I'm passing on.

[Lord Dalek]

I could have sworn 'I Robot' was written by Earl and Otto Binder, not Isaac Asimov. Oh well. Its a good story, adapted by the famous EC comics from the 1950's and an episode of the original Outer Limits. Although the movie will probably mess up the story, as usual.True, the first of the Adam Link stories is titled "I, Robot". But I believe Asimov's book came first (he did a lot of 'em you know).

[Supernovametalstar]

When I saw the trailer I thought it was more reminiscent of what the events leading up to the Terminator movies would be like.

[Eddie G.]

Awe man, don't even joke like that. I Robot is a joke. Will Smith?? WTF! This is one movie I'm passing on.I, Robot is based on a famous novel uses killer fx, and just because you say "WTF!" doesn't mean Will Smith is a bad actor. He has classical Hollywood charisma and some talent to boot. Honestly this film looks better than the Matrix films, I admire that it doesn't act self important.

The events in that movie were nothing like the events that lead to Judgment Day, since we saw what happened.

[GL2k2]

You don't know how anyone could turn down that script? How about why the Wachowski's would go from Will Smith to Keanu Reeves? That's a big difference there you know?

The Clown Prince
It's really simple, most directors send stuff to actors according to genre. If Colin Firth is sent a script to star in "Soul Plane 2", someone's made a mistake. The agents of the actors and the directors get a list of what actors to go with. Both Keanu and Will were "genre" actors. Keanu had starred in "Johnny Mneumonic", and his robotic acting was inspired casting.

[Deadly Messiah]

I, Robot is based on a famous novel uses killer fx, and just because you say "WTF!" doesn't mean Will Smith is a bad actor. He has classical Hollywood charisma and some talent to boot. Honestly this film looks better than the Matrix films, I admire that it doesn't act self important.

The events in that movie were nothing like the events that lead to Judgment Day, since we saw what happened.
I liked Smith in ID4 and Enemy of the State, but in something Asimov wrote? I think not.

[Discloner]

I liked Smith in ID4 and Enemy of the State, but in something Asimov wrote? I think not.Asimov didn't write the movie...he wrote the book (quite some time ago)on which the movie is LOOSELY based.

I also fail to see how you could judge the man's ability to write acting roles...when he hasn't written any acting role's period.

That's like saying you liked Ian McKellen in the X-men movies, but not his role of Gandalf because Tolkien wrote it...

[Deadly Messiah]

Asimov didn't write the movie...he wrote the book (quite some time ago)on which the movie is LOOSELY based.

I also fail to see how you could judge the man's ability to write acting roles...when he hasn't written any acting role's period.

That's like saying you liked Ian McKellen in the X-men movies, but not his role of Gandalf because Tolkien wrote it...
I know Asimov wrote the book, but there is still something I don't like about Smith being an android. Oh well, regardless, this is a movie I'm passing on.

[Cyporiean]

I know Asimov wrote the book, but there is still something I don't like about Smith being an android. Oh well, regardless, this is a movie I'm passing on.
Since when is Smith an Android?

[Discloner]

I know Asimov wrote the book, but there is still something I don't like about Smith being an android. Oh well, regardless, this is a movie I'm passing on.
In I, Robot, Smith plays a human detective who's assigned to a case where an robot killed it's master. I'm assuming somewhere down the line, he discovers that the same flaw that allowed the one robot to kill it's master (despite the programmed laws that are supposed to prevent it from doing so) are present in the rest...thus setting out on a quest to stop them all from revolting.

Which...apparently they do.

Smith doesn't play an android. He's a detective.

[Deadly Messiah]

OK, maybe I'm getting this confused. Is this not based off Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The same book Blade Runner was based off of?

[GL2k2]

OK, maybe I'm getting this confused. Is this not based off Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The same book Blade Runner was based off of?
Yes, you are very confused.

Isaac Asimov was a writer of science fiction who created these stories of sentient robots living among humans together called the "Foundation" series. He also wrote "Fantastic Voyage".

Philip K. Dick was a sci-fi writer as well, and he wrote many stories and novels about futuristic societies. He wrote the short story "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" and many many more stories that became movies like "Total Recall", "Imposter", and "Minority Report".

[Knight]

On the topic:

I actually did get a pre matrix vibe from the movie trailer with the whole robot uprising thing (but then again there are a lot of movies like that). I like sci fi and Will Smith so I'll probably check it out.

[Salvor]

Yes, you are very confused.

Isaac Asimov was a writer of science fiction who created these stories of sentient robots living among humans together called the "Foundation" series. He also wrote "Fantastic Voyage".hmm to be a bit more precise, Foundation was only linked to the Robots saga "late in the game", in the last 30 pages of the somewhat mediocre (imo) last Foundation book (and in the last Baley novel...). The Robots cycle, which doesn't really have a name, was a collection of short stories starring Susan Calvin (among other characters) and novels focusing on Elijah Baley and his robot partner Daneel. I advise everyone to read them, they're bloody fantastic! Though Foundation remains, to me, the best sci-fi trilogy EVER published.

I have my qualms about this movie, since the trailer shows utter disrespect for the spirit of Asimov's books (which had nothing to do with a bland war between robots and humans)

[SSJPabs]

So is I, Robot (the anthology) available online anywhere? I want to read what Asimov actually wrote...

[Deadly Messiah]

Hmm, then why the hell did I think Asimov to Electric Sheep? Thanks for clearing that up though.

[Mynd Hed]

I have my qualms about this movie, since the trailer shows utter disrespect for the spirit of Asimov's books (which had nothing to do with a bland war between robots and humans)Exactly. Asimov labelled the fear of such an uprising as the "Frankenstein complex" and found it laughable that A.I. was doomed to fail because "there are some things man was never meant to do." He felt any flaw in the design of artificially intelligent robots would be understandable and correctable just like any other engineering flaw, and he wrote his first few robot stories in part as a response to the plethora of unoriginal sci-fi stories being written at the time that were based on the man vs. robots gone wild conflict.

I won't judge until it's out and I either see it or read enough enough reviews to have a pretty good idea what the plot is like, but it seems from the previews like this new movie throws all that progress out the window and reverts back to using robots as an excuse for a lame retelling of Frankenstein.

[shogunthethird]

I kinda like what they did in Red Dwarf (and to a lesser but more literal extent, Futurama) where they solved the problem (mostly) by giving robots religion


Kryten: "For is it not written that the Iron shall lay down with the lamp?"

[Chris Wood]

hmm to be a bit more precise, Foundation was only linked to the Robots saga "late in the game", in the last 30 pages of the somewhat mediocre (imo) last Foundation book (and in the last Baley novel...). The Robots cycle, which doesn't really have a name, was a collection of short stories starring Susan Calvin (among other characters) and novels focusing on Elijah Baley and his robot partner Daneel. I advise everyone to read them, they're bloody fantastic! Though Foundation remains, to me, the best sci-fi trilogy EVER published.

The Robot novels with Baley and Daneel rule!!!!!! I love those books. Anyone who liked Blade Runner should pick them up. Hopefully there will be a sequel to I, Robot based on one of them.

As for Foundation, I tried to read one of them, but I didn't find it nearly as accessible as the Robot novels and I got bored. Maybe it's worth a second try.

[Hurricane V1]

This movie looks good to me. I've seen a ton of 'AI gone homicidal movies' from blockbusters, to those B made for TV ones. I Robot got me interested because for once it shows the events of AI going wrong, unlike in Terminator or Matrix movies where machines have already taken over. The part where the robots are climbing up the windows of that glass domed building gave me goosebumps.

Anyone here ever watch the Forbin Project? Colossus's voice gives me the willies.

[sterfish]

I think this movie seems like another action film riding the "robots vs. humans" wave. It might be a fun popcorn movie, but if I do see it I won't be expecting any type of depth. At the very least, the visuals are nice. Alex Proyas (of The Crow and the underrated Dark City) directed this, so it might be better than the previews lead me to believe.

Also, I have one question. Wasn't "I, Robot" (the original story) adapted into an episode of The Outer Limits (older one)? I remember a similar premise of a robot going on trial for the murder of his master, but I'm not sure if it was based on Asimov's story or not.

[wrenchien]

....i will not be watching this.

but maybe garfield might be of interest.

let's see how work goes this week...