ROBOTS
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2005 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): **
All 3-D animated movies are not created equal. ROBOTS, not from Pixar,
has
some nicely drawn characters using a strangely muted color scheme that
gives
the movie a rather dull look. Its script is similarly uninspired. And,
although a lot of well known actors, including Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry,
Greg
Kinnear, Mel Brooks, Drew Carey and Amanda Bynes, signed up to do the
voices,
they all come across as lifeless. Only Robin Williams, doing his usual
schtick, is the least bit memorable.
The robots live in a zany, wacky world in which their transportation
system is
a cross between a Rube Goldberg device and an amusement park ride.
The plot involves an evil businessman named Phineas T. Ratchet (voiced by
Kinnear) who has taken over the robot works from the benevolent Big Weld
(voiced by Brooks). Scrapping all spare parts in favor of the exclusive
use of
expensive upgrades is how Ratchet expects them to make the big dough.
"Let's
get down to the big business of sucking every last nickel out of Mr. and
Mrs.
Knucklehead," Ratchet tells his docile board of directors. I love it when
Hollywood pokes fun at businesses trying to make a profit, as if that were
ipso
facto evil and as if Hollywood itself weren't trying its best to squeeze
every
last nickel out of viewers with product tie-ins and every manner possible
of
making money off of their films.
After ripping off movies from THE WIZARD OF OZ to STAR WARS, ROBOTS
finally
grinds to a halt after 82 sometimes tedious minutes. Have I mentioned yet
that
this wasn't done by Pixar?
ROBOTS runs a little long even at just 1:23. It is rated PG for "some
brief
language and suggestive humor" and would be acceptable for all ages.
The film is playing in nationwide release now in the United States. In
the
Silicon Valley, it is showing at the AMC theaters, the Century theaters
and the
Camera Cinemas.
Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com
Email: Steve.Rhodes@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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