So, before I get to the movie, a word about some of the negative reviews here. Wow, there are so many! I'm not sure if they saw the same movie as I did, or if they are all just devoid of a sense of wonder and fun, but there are an awful lot of people that really disliked this movie. Of course, when you read their "arguments" (I'll be generous and call them that), you realize that most of their discontent stems from the fact that they thought the movie was going to be something else entirely.
I'm one of the most cynical and jaded moviegoers going and I'm always ready to rip a new celluloid butthole in any film that deserves it, but this film does not warrant some of the comments here. When I see people complaining this movie is too violent, or that it isn't a family movie, or any of the number of bemusing complaints, I wonder if they aren't exactly the kind of people that this movie warns its viewers about. Namely, those so obsessed with negativity, that they can't accept anything that is fun.
This movie surprised me, because I had heard bad things about it and it was, in part, penned by Damon Lindelof, whose work it is fair to say I find by turns amusing (not in a good way) and irritating. I'm not sure how much of the story is down to him, but regardless, this counts as one of his better efforts in my book.
So what will you get when you sit down to watch this movie? You'll get two hours or so of utterly harmless fun, aimed primarily at kids, but with enough more adult themes in it to entertain the adults among us. That said, it isn't at all offensive, or violent, and it isn't boring. It moves along at a decent pace. There are slower moments in it, but the action scenes move along briskly when they appear, and they appear quite often. Any violence on display at all is aimed squarely at robots.
There is only one scene where I exclaimed out loud in surprise, because I wasn't expecting it at all, and that was when the little girl robot gets hit by a pickup truck out of nowhere. It's a bit of a shock, to be honest, but she is quickly shown to be unharmed by the incident. However, it might frighten some younger children for a moment, so be warned.
I think a lot of the negativity this movie has received is down to the fact that at one point, the bad guy of the film (Hugh Laurie) spells out just how horrible people are and that their impending doom is entirely down to their own fault. There is a little speech that essentially blames people for their own lack of foresight and bone-idleness, which has led them to the brink of destruction.
Now, I normally might find this sort of thing preachy and condescending, but it fits well in the context of the movie. However, some people, I think, aren't able to have fun poked at them and seem to have taken an unnecessary amount of offence at this, and taken it out on the movie as a whole.
Despite this darker tone, the movie as a whole paints a hopeful vision, showing us that we can change our future if we really want to. The ending is a little cheesy, but it is a good kind of cheese, with the message that it is never too late to make a change.
Overall, the movie is just a fun flick for kids and their parents. Older teens might be bored a little, but younger kids will love it. It isn't meant to be taken too seriously, but just enjoyed for what it is.
Oh and for the person that suggested the movie was unsuitable for any child under fourteen, your kids have my sympathies. Oh my God! Their lives must be filled with so much cotton wool padding that they are perpetually on the verge of smothering to death. Good job!
SUMMARY: Way more fun than its rating would have you believe. Generally harmless entertainment of a family nature. Don't take the negativity seriously, because the movie never takes itself seriously. Its fun, that's all there is to it.
I'm one of the most cynical and jaded moviegoers going and I'm always ready to rip a new celluloid butthole in any film that deserves it, but this film does not warrant some of the comments here. When I see people complaining this movie is too violent, or that it isn't a family movie, or any of the number of bemusing complaints, I wonder if they aren't exactly the kind of people that this movie warns its viewers about. Namely, those so obsessed with negativity, that they can't accept anything that is fun.
This movie surprised me, because I had heard bad things about it and it was, in part, penned by Damon Lindelof, whose work it is fair to say I find by turns amusing (not in a good way) and irritating. I'm not sure how much of the story is down to him, but regardless, this counts as one of his better efforts in my book.
So what will you get when you sit down to watch this movie? You'll get two hours or so of utterly harmless fun, aimed primarily at kids, but with enough more adult themes in it to entertain the adults among us. That said, it isn't at all offensive, or violent, and it isn't boring. It moves along at a decent pace. There are slower moments in it, but the action scenes move along briskly when they appear, and they appear quite often. Any violence on display at all is aimed squarely at robots.
There is only one scene where I exclaimed out loud in surprise, because I wasn't expecting it at all, and that was when the little girl robot gets hit by a pickup truck out of nowhere. It's a bit of a shock, to be honest, but she is quickly shown to be unharmed by the incident. However, it might frighten some younger children for a moment, so be warned.
I think a lot of the negativity this movie has received is down to the fact that at one point, the bad guy of the film (Hugh Laurie) spells out just how horrible people are and that their impending doom is entirely down to their own fault. There is a little speech that essentially blames people for their own lack of foresight and bone-idleness, which has led them to the brink of destruction.
Now, I normally might find this sort of thing preachy and condescending, but it fits well in the context of the movie. However, some people, I think, aren't able to have fun poked at them and seem to have taken an unnecessary amount of offence at this, and taken it out on the movie as a whole.
Despite this darker tone, the movie as a whole paints a hopeful vision, showing us that we can change our future if we really want to. The ending is a little cheesy, but it is a good kind of cheese, with the message that it is never too late to make a change.
Overall, the movie is just a fun flick for kids and their parents. Older teens might be bored a little, but younger kids will love it. It isn't meant to be taken too seriously, but just enjoyed for what it is.
Oh and for the person that suggested the movie was unsuitable for any child under fourteen, your kids have my sympathies. Oh my God! Their lives must be filled with so much cotton wool padding that they are perpetually on the verge of smothering to death. Good job!
SUMMARY: Way more fun than its rating would have you believe. Generally harmless entertainment of a family nature. Don't take the negativity seriously, because the movie never takes itself seriously. Its fun, that's all there is to it.