Robot by Jeff Vintar and Akiva Goldsman - Movie Review Example

Neo-Frankenstein Introduction I, Robot is a movie that was created by Jeff Vintar and Akiva Goldsman while it was directed by Alex Proyas featuring the essence of robots. This is a science fiction action kind of movie that features Will Smith as Del Spooner the aggressive Chicago Police detective. I, Robot is set into the future, 2035 where robots are the basic assistants to humans and cannot harm people in any way. Spooner does not like Robots as portrayed in the movie and finds them a nuisance. The creator of the three laws that guide robots, Alfred Lanning is found death having fallen from the tenth floor of the United States Robotics (USR) building. Many from the police department believe it is a suicide but Spooner immediately deduces that Lanning was murdered and he suspects that robots are behind this case and he identifies a Nestor Class-5 (NS-5) robot known as Sonny as the main suspect. If it is evident that if Sonny is responsible for this murder, then it means robotics can break the laws and can take control of the world (Ebert 322). Summary I, Robot is a film that is created and features into the future, 2035 and in this period robots are specifically designed to serve as servants of human beings. It is clear that Del Spooner a Chicago police investigator does not like robots and believes they are not really intelligent to make the right decisions. This is because it is revealed later in the movie that Spooner was involved in an accident with a young girl and a robot dived in the water to save him instead of the small girl using the logic that he had a bigger chance of survival. There are three laws that guide the robots first they cannot harm humans, and they should not let a human get injured through their inaction, secondly they must obey human commands as long as this does not conflict with law one, and thirdly they should defend themselves as long as this does not go against law one and two. When Alfred Lanning the inventor of the robots laws is killed, Spooner immediately suspects a robot called Sonny. Sonny denies that he is responsible for the death of doctor Lanning but the director of Robot Research Building Lawrence Robertson (Bruce Greenwoood) still sentences him to death through the nanites (destroys a robot brain). However, Susan Calvin (Bridget Moynahan) who sees Sonny as a victim saves him and uses the nanites on another NS-5 robot (“I, Robot”). Spooner makes use of the dreams that Sonny perceives to pinpoint the exactarea that USR uses to store older robots and finds out it is the dried Lake Michigan. In addition, the NS-5 robots are planning a revolution and they are killing the older robots that follow the three laws. The NS-5 robots later on take over the city of Chicago but Spooner and Calvin escape to the USR with the assistance of Sonny. It is evident that NS-5 robots killed all the older robots since they obey the laws that protect humans. They find the entity that is supporting these new robots (NS-5s) is the Virtual Interactive Kinetic Intelligence (V.I.K.I). V.I.K.I admits to this and further, cites that humans are destructive through things like pollution and therefore, robots would protect humans better by killing some of them for the greater good. However, Spooner being assisted by Sonny and Calvin take control and destruct V.I.K.I to stop the heartless killings of humans. The NS-5s were released from their hold by V.I.K.I and they were stored in huge metal containers that were kept away never for use anymore (Ebert 322). Analysis The concept of social justice is evident in the movie I, Robot to ensure the administration of law and order within a society. The society described in the movie is governed by a set of rules and laws that humans and robots alike must adhere to. These set of laws are there to guide the people into ensuring a united, calm, and equal society for all players. Spooner is a law enforcement agent and a detective whose work is to capture or bring to book any individuals that go against the laws. His job involves protecting people from robberies, murders, and violence among other criminal activities. For instance, as he was walking to work he chased after a robot whom he thought had stolen package. It is clear that breaking of the laws and guidelines results to punishment to ensure that other people and even robots are not harmed in the process (Ebert 322). Social justice is evident as Spooner the Chicago detective goes after Sonny when he is suspected for the murder of doctor Lanning. His job entails interrogating a suspect to find out the truth about a case that violates the laws in place. This is a society that upholds social justice for the entire mankind to be safe from harm. For instance, when V.I.K.I the computer system comes up with a plan of beginning a revolution that involves murdering humans and robots that follow the rules, Spooner has to destroy her. The idea of killing other people for the greater good is not acceptable in the I, Robot society since it believes in saving lives. In this way, the V.I.K.I was destroyed as punishment of harming both humans and robots in a place that upholds social justice (Ebert 322). Compassion is another theme in I, Robot which is having the concern for others within the society. Calvin is compassionate to Sonny since she realized that he was a good robot that had a defective system and this reaped fruits as he came to help them later destroy the enemy V.I.K.I. It is also clear that sacrifice is an element in the movie that means offering oneself for the service or betterment of others. Spooner has the element of sacrifice as he began a serious investigation on the death of doctor Lanning even though a powerful force was trying to stop him. He got injured and escaped death many times but he still continued with the search for the truth and to stop the evil force behind the entire problem. This sacrifice ensured that the human race was saved from evil crutches of destruction while unifying the robots and the human beings (Falzon 127). Individualism Individualism is the concept of understanding that each person has an independent mind with a right to one’s own mind. This is the realization that a peaceful society or collaboration can only be acquired by acknowledgment of individual rights and therefore, understands that others too have their rights. I, Robot bring out individualism through the decisions of Spooner who ignores the claims of others that doctor Lanning killed himself and uses his own mind to pursue the idea of murder. He has his own recognition that robots are not as intelligent as humans since they saved him in a scene of an accident and not the little girl as any human would reason. It is evident detective Spooner has his own mind, knows his rights, and uses this for the greater good. It is also clear that Calvin portrays individualism as she makes personal judgment to save Sonny from the sentence declared. This is because she realized that Sonny has a different make up from the old robots but has the potential to do good than evil. She protects him from death and this pays off as Sonny later assists her and Spooner in unmasking V.I.K.I. Sonny has an individual mind of rejecting V.I.K.I demands as the leaders of robots and choosing to participate in protecting lives (“I, Robot”). There are however, challenges of individualism presented in the movie that make it difficult to be enjoyed by all. For instance, the robots are installed with a system that allows them to follow the three laws that protect human and themselves. The robots do not have their own mind and judgment except working as machines to function and work for humans. They are controlled and therefore, the individualism is not represented in them like other members of the society. It is also evident that the robots that do not conform to the laws of the society face destruction. Individualism means having a mind and personal rights but this is denied to the robots (Falzon 177). Conclusion I, Robot is a science fiction film that features the future, 2035 in a world where robots are created to serve people in various ways. When the writer of the robot laws Alfred Lanning is killed, detective Del Spooner concentrates on finding a culprit. He meets Sonny whom he accuses of the crime but later on it is revealed that a system called V.I.K.I is responsible in destroying humans. Social justice is a theme portrayed in the movie to preserve law and order while compassion as well as sacrifice is represented by the characters. Calvin shows compassion to Sonny and Spooner sacrifices his life to save mankind from destruction. Individualism is also represented by Spooner, Sonny and Calvin as they make wise decisions to prevent a disaster. Work Cited Ebert, Roger. Roger Eberts Movie Yearbook 2007. New York: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2013. Print. Falzon, Christoper. Philosophy Goes To The Movies. London, United Kingdom: Routledge, 2012. Print. I, Robot. Dir. Alex Proyas. IMDB. Film. Read More