---
title: "I, Robot"
year: 2004
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/i-robot"
fi1m_id: "i-robot"
imdb_id: "tt0343818"
tmdb_id: 2048
wikidata_id: "Q200572"
fi1m_score: 66
critics_score: 60
critics_reviews: 14
published: "2026-10-05T03:32:27.116388+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-05T03:32:27.363550+00:00"
region: "AE"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# I, Robot (2004)

Directed by Alex Proyas · 1h 55m · Action, Science Fiction

## Identity

I, Robot

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/i-robot
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** i-robot
- **IMDb ID:** tt0343818
- **TMDB ID:** 2048
- **Wikidata ID:** Q200572
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343818/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/2048, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q200572

**Fi1m score: 66** · Critics 60 from 14 reviews

*In a sentence:* We came round to the robot before the policeman

> Alex Proyas’s robot thriller is decent action entertainment with more interesting machinery than writing. Alan Tudyk gives Sonny feeling; Will Smith’s wisecracks too often interrupt the questions the film might usefully ask.

## Synopsis

Policeman Del Spooner (Will Smith) inhabits a future populated by people and robots. The other figures in this action mystery include Susan Calvin (Bridget Moynahan), the robot Sonny (voiced by Alan Tudyk) and Dr. Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell). Lawrence Robertson (Bruce Greenwood) and Lt. John Bergin (Chi McBride) are among the humans, while NS4 and NS5 robots form part of the mechanical population. Police work and Spooner’s wisecracks accompany questions about technology and the feelings a machine might appear to possess.

## Review

Alex Proyas’s *I, Robot* is a decent action thriller, considerably more engaging when Sonny has our attention. The robot’s expressive personality makes the questions about mechanical intelligence worth considering, even when the screenplay seems impatient to get moving again. We recommend it for an evening of polished action with a modest amount to think about. Expect a searching piece of science fiction and the familiar police-film habits become harder to forgive.

Will Smith plays Del Spooner with enough confidence to make the wisecracking policeman routine work for a while. His humour gives the film pace, and he can suggest a seriousness beneath it without making an announcement. The problem is how often Jeff Vintar and Akiva Goldsman’s screenplay relies on that routine just when a question about robots has become interesting. The actor has the force to carry these changes, but the jokes make Spooner more familiar and less interesting than he needs to be.

Alan Tudyk gives Sonny a more rewarding range of responses. We warmed to the robot more than we expected, because the performance makes his feelings intelligible without making his appearance any less unsettling. That combination gives us something to consider beyond the mechanics of the mystery: why should this particular machine command our sympathy? The character holds our attention because his expressiveness encourages us to look closely, a useful quality in a film that otherwise gives us plenty of reasons to hurry.

Patrick Tatopoulos’s production design supplies a coherent future, although its sleekness seldom feels surprising. Simon Duggan’s cinematography makes that polish readable, particularly when the robots are massed together and their repeated shapes become oppressive. Their uniformity makes Sonny’s distinctiveness more conspicuous, giving the film a simple visual way to encourage interest in an individual machine. The effects work is most persuasive here, when the appearance of the robots helps determine how we feel about them.

The action is accomplished, and the car chase gives the film a welcome stretch of straightforward excitement. Editors William Hoy, Armen Minasian and Richard Learoyd keep things moving, although the urgency leaves less space than Sonny deserves. Marco Beltrami’s music helps sustain the pressure without giving the film a particularly individual sound. None of this is clumsy, but there are stretches when the competent handling of movement becomes the main attraction and the questions raised by the robots can wait.

Within action science fiction, a policeman is a perfectly serviceable guide to difficult questions about technology. The trouble here is the dependence on familiar character types and turns of plot, which makes the film feel less curious than its subject warrants. The screenplay has enough intelligence to keep us engaged, but too many of its moves are predictable. Once the wisecracks and thriller conventions have settled into place, there is less scope for surprise than the robot performances initially suggest.

The care spent on the machines keeps the film watchable even when the writing becomes ordinary. At 115 minutes, it offers enough movement and personality to make its shortcomings tolerable, though they remain noticeable. Sonny rewards the attention in a way that the more familiar business around him does not always manage. We would choose it for an undemanding evening, with no great hopes of carrying on the debate afterwards.

*Fi1m score 66, published 5 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews lean towards qualified approval, with praise clustering around the effects, robot design and performances rather than the script. Alan Tudyk’s expressive Sonny earns particular appreciation, while several critics find Will Smith’s charisma and humour effective alongside the action. Supporters describe an entertaining, polished thriller with enough ideas about technology to give its familiar action-mystery formula some substance. Even several less enthusiastic reviews acknowledge the technical accomplishment of the spectacle.

The spread is wide, however, and critics disagree over how much intelligence survives the blockbuster machinery. Reservations centre on derivative plotting, clichés and ideas that receive too little development. Smith also divides opinion: The AV Club argues that his wisecracking-cop performance overwhelms the more thought-provoking material. Variety offers the strongest dissent, finding the future world bland and unimaginative and the accomplished effects dramatically indifferent, where warmer reviews find an engaging setting and satisfying entertainment.

## Straight answers

**Is I, Robot worth watching?**

*I, Robot* is worth watching for an undemanding evening of polished science-fiction action, and we score it 66/100. Sonny’s expressive personality gives us more to care about than the familiar police routine, but the wisecracks and predictable plotting limit how far the film explores its questions about machines.

**How long is I, Robot, and what is it rated?**

*I, Robot* runs 1h 55m. It is an action and science fiction film.

**Where can I watch I, Robot in the UAE?**

*I, Robot* is available to rent from Apple TV from AED 18.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is I, Robot, and is it suitable for children?**

*I, Robot* has a UK 12A certificate, and its action and unsettling robots make it a more cautious choice for younger children than for teenagers. The car chase supplies excitement, while massed robots look oppressive and Sonny’s appearance can be unnerving; we would not treat it as gentle family science fiction.

**How does I, Robot compare to RoboCop?**

*I, Robot* is the more undemanding action choice, but we recommend [*RoboCop*](https://film.one/film/robocop) as the sharper, funnier and more affecting film. Both bring police work and machinery together, though *RoboCop* is harsher about corporate power and carries a serious violence warning; *I, Robot* settles more readily for wisecracks and polished chases.

**Is I, Robot based on a true story or a book?**

*I, Robot* is based on fiction by Isaac Asimov, rather than a true story. We find it approachable as a police-led action mystery without prior knowledge of his writing, with Sonny’s apparent feelings providing the main reason to think beyond the chases.

**What should I watch after I, Robot?**

After *I, Robot*, try [*RoboCop*](https://film.one/film/robocop) (1987, Fi1m 91): A harsher, funnier collision of police work, machinery and corporate power. Then [*Ghost in the Shell*](https://film.one/film/ghost-in-the-shell) (1995, Fi1m 83): Artificial intelligence gets a more searching treatment, with action still firmly attached; and [*Metropolis*](https://film.one/film/metropolis) (1927, Fi1m 87): A city of machines makes its divisions impossible to ignore.

### Reviews we read (14)

- **Radio Times**, Tom Hutchinson (4/5): Hutchinson presents the film as a successful blockbuster. He singles out Will Smith’s charismatic performance for praise. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-fa1go9/i-robot/)
- **Total Film**, Total Film (4/5): The review finds it a compelling, intelligent summer blockbuster that delivers on spectacle. It praises Alan Tudyk’s emotionally expressive performance as Sonny and the film’s vivid future-world. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/i-robot-review/)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (3/4): The URL identifies Ebert’s review, but the page’s verdict and specific praise are unavailable because browser verification blocks the article. I can’t reliably summarize those details from the page shown. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/i-robot-2004)
- **Empire**, Kim Newman (70/100, inferred): Newman finds the film an entertaining, if assembled and uneven, blockbuster with a brain as well as muscles. He particularly praises Sonny’s expressive, distinctive characterization and the impressive effects. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/robot-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Susan King (65/100, inferred): King considers it a decent enough thriller, with Smith’s performance singled out for mixing trademark wisecracks with dramatic depth. She also notes that the DVD extras are skimpy. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-dec-16-wk-video16-story.html)
- **Screen Daily**, Andy Bailey (64/100, inferred): The article text is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No praise or complaint is visible in the available page text. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/i-robot/4019432.article)
- **Time Out**, NB (64/100, inferred): The available excerpt frames the film as a paranoid reflection on contemporary life. No specific praise or complaint is visible in the accessible page text. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/i-robot)
- **The New York Times**, A. O. Scott (62/100, inferred): The accessible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. The review’s headline singles out the film’s restless-looking visual effects. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/16/movies/film-review-the-doodads-are-restless.html)
- **Slant Magazine**, Nick Schager (2/4): Schager finds the film derivative and lacking the wonder or originality needed to rise above other big-budget sci-fi. He praises its technically impressive action sequences and the unsettling design and menace of Sonny and the NS-5 robots. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/i-robot/)
- **The AV Club**, Scott Tobias (35/100, inferred): Tobias finds the film a cluttered, awkward blockbuster that has promising ideas but lacks intellectual heft. He praises its occasional thought-provoking use of Asimov’s ideas, while faulting Will Smith’s wisecracking-cop performance for overwhelming them. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/i-robot-1798199888)
- **The Guardian**, Rob Mackie (35/100, inferred): The review finds the film disappointing despite its strong opening and impressive visuals. It praises the sleek look and massed robots, but faults the simplistic script and familiar clichés. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/dec/03/dvdreviews)
- **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (10/100, inferred): McCarthy pans the film as derivative and lacking imagination, finding its future world bland and familiar. He singles out the technically accomplished effects as impressive but dramatically indifferent. [Read](https://variety.com/2004/film/markets-festivals/i-robot-3-1200532174/)
- **Den of Geek**, Mark Pickavance (4/5): Pickavance considers the film an enjoyable, repeat-worthy guilty pleasure and praises its stunning robot design and Alan Tudyk’s performance. He singles out the Blu-ray’s exceptional picture and sound, while finding the extras underwhelming. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/i-robot-blu-ray-review/)
- **Eye for Film**, Gary Duncan (75/100, inferred): Duncan finds the familiar action-mystery formula entertaining, polished and energetic, with some worthwhile ideas about technology. He especially praises the slick dialogue and breathtaking set pieces, including the car chase. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/i-robot-film-review-by-gary-duncan)

## Details

- **Director:** Alex Proyas
- **Director:** Alex Proyas
- **Screenplay:** Jeff Vintar, Akiva Goldsman
- **Novel:** Isaac Asimov
- **Cinematography:** Simon Duggan
- **Editor:** Armen Minasian, William Hoy, Richard Learoyd
- **Music:** Marco Beltrami
- **Production design:** Patrick Tatopoulos
- **Costume design:** Liz Keogh Palmer
- **Producer:** John Davis, Topher Dow, Laurence Mark
- **Cast:** Will Smith as Del Spooner; Bridget Moynahan as Susan Calvin; Alan Tudyk as Sonny (voice); James Cromwell as Dr. Alfred Lanning; Bruce Greenwood as Lawrence Robertson; Adrian Ricard as Granny; Chi McBride as Lt. John Bergin; Jerry Wasserman as Baldez
- **Runtime:** 1h 55m
- **Release (the UAE):** 11 August 2004
- **Genres:** Action, Science Fiction
- **Budget:** $120 million
- **Box office:** $347 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry1N9lrzt7A

## Where to watch in the UAE

- Apple TV: rent AED 18.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy AED 19.99, hd

*Checked 2026-10-05.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IL, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2005: Best Visual Effects (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *RoboCop* (1987), Fi1m 91: A harsher, funnier collision of police work, machinery and corporate power. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/robocop.md)
- *Ghost in the Shell* (1995), Fi1m 83: Artificial intelligence gets a more searching treatment, with action still firmly attached. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ghost-in-the-shell.md)
- *Metropolis* (1927), Fi1m 87: A city of machines makes its divisions impossible to ignore. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/metropolis.md)
- *After Yang* (2021): An intimate look at how a household comes to love a machine.
- *The Iron Giant* (1999), Fi1m 88: Another expressive robot makes human fear look foolish without making affection easy. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-iron-giant.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/i-robot