I, Robot

Will Smith, as year 2035 homicide detective Del Spooner, sleepwalks through this reimagining of 2001: A Space Odyssey for the Men in Black set. But instead of alien mischief, I, Robot takes artificial intelligence to task, painting an Earth (well, Chicago) dominated by badass appliances. Spooner's newest case involves a robot accused of murdering its maker—an impossibility according to the robot rules of this future world—and escalates, along with the detective's "robophobia," to turn suspicion on all nuts and bolts. Spooner knows that the swarming robots have turned bad by their red glowing heart lights, while the audience knows that Smith is bored with this familiar smart-ass role by his retread hamming. Then again, I, Robot manages to throw out some howlingly good one-liners, adequate special effects, and the occasional engaging action sequence—plus, Bridget Moynahan as the not-quite-a-love-interest Dr. Susan Calvin. We'd like to hope that race relations in 2035 would be far enough along that a leading man of one race could actually romance his leading lady of another—the flick has an awkward, 1950s vibe that way. But if the embarrassing advances between the two stars are the biggest complaint about the film, then the admission price buys you a reasonable, if not entirely engrossing, 105-minute summer escape.