The consensus on Robots is mixed, with praise clustering around its visual invention rather than its storytelling. Critics repeatedly single out the detailed robot world, colourful animation and inventive design, which several find entertaining enough to compensate for a familiar plot. The warmer reviews also welcome the mixture of slapstick and subtler humour, while even some detractors admire the backdrops and production design.
The spread is fairly wide, and critics differ chiefly over how much those pleasures can excuse. Reservations centre on thin characters, weak jokes and a meandering story, with frantic action and crowded cultural references adding to the complaints. Robin Williams’s performance divides opinion particularly clearly: Eye for Film calls his Fender the scene-stealer, while Slant Magazine finds the visual design a welcome alternative to his contribution. For the less persuaded critics, there is too little beneath the busy surface.