Ahoy, squirts! Quint here. I'll be damned, but that below review turned out to be about as real as WMDs or Harry's womanizing claims... I mean, Elizabeth Taylor? Last summer? C'mon! hehe Anyway, apparently the below review was brought up to Proyas via his website and he responded with these words:
I think that "review" is pretty funny. The guy has obviously not seen the film.
Hey, at least it was a positive review, eh? Hopefully the blow lying liar wasn't wrong about that part. Thanks to "Z" for giving us the heads up! For the original fabricated review, enjoy the below!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with a rather positive early look at the Alex Proyas directed Asimov adaptation, I, ROBOT. According to the below review, the trailers we've been seeing for the film have been painting a sort of summer action/Will Smith cheeseball flick that the film really isn't. I sure hope this reviewer's right because I love me my Alex Proyas flicks and would be very sad to see him fumble a flick like this. Enjoy!
Hi, I've been at your site quite a few times and I really admire your stuff. So I figured I'd send in a review of a film I just recently saw.
I was invited to a test screening of I, Robot yesterday night. Apparently the test screening was for only a few high-ups and a bit of a random crowd (from the studio lot, so office workers, like myself) to come in and see the film.
As you would expect the film was rough as hell and needs a heck of a lot of work. Some of the sequences were basically all blue screen, and at a few points we were actually treated to storyboards. Apparently (according to the producer, who presented the film) they were heavy into the CGI work and didn't have enough time to cut the rough CG in at a few points. The funniest result of this was the fact that sometimes there were guys walking around in tight blue suits on the sets, it sort of made us laugh, so I don't think it was a good idea to show us this cut, but, what can I say, lets move forward.
I've heard the complaints from a few of my friends that this looks too much like a Big Willy Style film, and all I can say is that its nothing of the sort. Will Smith does have a few funny moments, but its a whole different spectrum of funny. The "sugar" line that was reviled so much in the trailer shows up here, but if you get the moments after the line, you realise that Smith is actually quite charming in a way. And all the humor that he has really fits into that sector, rather than the "crazy willy" stuff. I was so surprised by it, that I actually felt warm when I laughed, however strange that may seem.
The story is your basic sci-fi stuff, an emotionally bankrupt cop is sent into a perilous situation which will cause him to deal with his inner demons. This just happens to consist of robots and the detective is Del Spooner, who totally reviles the aforementioned steel beings. This is very much Proyas territory, its basically one man's odyssey to unveil his demons. He did it with The Crow, Dark City and now this. And really he steals the show in this film, at least if your looking for it.
The direction and the cinematography are all matter of fact, there's nothing flashy here and it keeps the style very noir. Also the supporting cast in the film fills the seams quite well, the main girl, whose name escapes me was rather gorgeous. She is quite refined and tight-assed (in numerous ways) at the beginning of the film, but by the end she lets her hair down and I love the results. Luckily she doesn't get a whole "love" sub-plot with Smith, its very business-like between the two, and it fits with the characters.
Really I can't say anything about the CG because most of it wasn't finished at all. They look like they have about a years work left with them, and I hope they do get it all done because it has a lot of potential. The action seems pretty good as is, the score was so temp that it hurt, and the acting was spot on and very much an integral part in the film.
The only unfortunate drawback are a few twists that come at the end, I understand the whole robot deal and how everything is supposed to come into play. And how robots are here to help, blah blah, conspiracy. But when the film starts chucking red herrings like a bird-herderr it gets ridiculous. The film throws you in about eleven directions at the end, and when everything is finally unveiled I really couldn't give a shit.
With a few snips at the end, and some light cutting the film will be just about perfect. I never really could understand why they'd show a film with this much CG so early on, considering that I'm sure thats most of the spectacle, but I guess its more about getting the story straight etc. Everything was pretty clear and I felt very much (if not a little weary) satisfied by the end of the film. They do open up for a sequel, which is a little promising (considering some of the films "losses") and I certainly hope they can have more caring characters. Because the robot character, the main robot, was definitely a bit of a let-down. It felt very wooden and i think we're supposed to care for it, though I didn't really care at all. I dunno, maybe thats just a nitpick, but I didn't like it much.
Anyway, overall I think its going to be quite different than what the trailers have seemed to lead into. And I think that this will unleash Alex Proyas onto the world with a vengeance, and maybe now he can get some great movies out there. I just hope this one does well, because with the CG and cuts in place, it should be a rather good B-Action movie. Which is hard to come by.
Just call me Vericium, thanks.
