This film is good, in some ways. Sort of alright in others but there are a few glairing problems. It's a high concept science fiction film, far too high for standard hollywood fair. There's no action, no world in peril. It's a slow, methodical movie and if you're not ready for it dull.
Lots of people expected a funny film, or the litteral interpritation of Azimov's work. It's neither. What you get is a thought provoking film on what it means to be human by following a robot as it becomes one of us. The robot has the potential to grow and does. And that's the story, in a nutshell.
Sam Neill is one of my all time favoute actors and while he plays second fiddle to Williams charicter the two of them put in a great performance. It's a shame the other actors don't match up in the end. but you don't want them to.
That is one of the big problems. The other is the length. At more than 2 hours there are times you reach for the fast forward and you won't misss much. You can leave the room brew a cup of tea and be back and it will feel as if you haven't missed anything.
The original Azimov story was short, colected in I Robot, it expected the reader to catch on. The film doesn't and as such drags in places. Never quite capturing your attention as much as it should.
Still I like it and if you want a heart warming film that helps you apreciate the future wind on to the last ten or twenty minuites. It can still bring a tear to the eye.