I, Robot (film): Difference between revisions

* [[The Cassandra]]: Spooner.

* [[Casual Danger Dialog]]:

'''Spooner''': Because I seriously doubt we have six minutes. ''(Pan out to show hundreds of robots climbing the building)'' }}

* [[Chekhov's Gun]]: Sonny's {{spoiler|denser alloy and lack of USR uplink}}.

* [[Computer Voice]]: All of the AIs.

* [[Cool Bike]]: Spooner's MV Agusta F4, like his Converses, is considered an "antique".

(And they prove it) }}

* [[Cool Car]]: Spooner's Audi.

* [[Cranial Processing Unit]]: At least in the newer models, the "brain" is shown to be entirely within the head. Sonny had a second one, symbolic of a heart, in his chest, but it was implied to augment the one in his head, with no evidence that it could function on its own.

* [[Creative Sterility]]: Discussed:

'''Sonny''': Can you? }}

** This may be a [[Shout-Out]] to one of Asimov's short stories, in which a robot ''did''. Then again, it could be completely unintentional.

* [[Defrosting Ice Queen]]: Calvin.

* [[Disturbing Statistic]]:

'''Spooner''': Do me a favor, keep that kind of shit to yourself. }}

* [[Do Androids Dream?]]: Alfred Lanning's speech ponders this.

* [[Heart Drive]]: Sonny's secondary processor that let's him violate the three laws.

* [[Honor Before Reason]]

{{spoiler|'''Sonny:''' Yes. But it just seems too... heartless.}} }}

* [[Hollywood Hacking]]: According to Calvin it will take her six minutes to hack through Viki's security, doing it all by hand. Subverted though: it isn't nearly fast enough.

** It does take inspiration from different Isaac Asimov stories, including one called "Robot Dreams." One of the Asimov short stories, "The Evitable Conflict," featured {{spoiler|massive, central robot minds taking over the planet because they could run it better than us. While that story was more subtle (the robots took over without humans even knowing it, versus the [[Robot War]] of this film), VIKI's motivations are close to what Asimov wrote.}} Spooner himself bears resemblance to the protagonist of Asimov's Robot series, Elijah Baley, who is a New York detective who overcomes his distrust of robots when he is forced to work with a robot partner. The similarities end there, however.

* [[In Your Nature to Destroy Yourselves]]

* [[Is This What Anger Feels Like?]]: After Spooner pushes Sonny that bit too far during an interrogation.

'''Spooner:''' That one's called anger. }}

* [[I Warned You]]: After spending the whole movie trying to convince people that the robots are up to no good, Spooner finally {{spoiler|rescues Calvin from a malfunctioning robot}}

* [[Jerkass]]: Robertson.

** Spooner as well for the way he acts toward robots. Interestingly, this attitude implies a level of understanding and grudging respect; most characters (yes, even Gigi) treat robots as [[Just a Machine|simply impersonal objects]], Spooner and Calvin (and Lanning, off-screen) being the only significant exceptions. Spooner and Calvin connect because of their shared rapport with robots and are (initially) repelled by each other because of the diametrically opposed attitudes this rapport brings out in them.

* [[Knight in Sour Armor]]: Spooner.

* [[Layman's Terms]]

'''Calvin:''' Not really, no. }}

* [[Letting Her Hair Down]]: Calvin.

* [[Master Computer]]: VIKI.

* [[Mathematician's Answer]]: "There is a robot in this formation that does not belong. Identify him." "One of us." "''Which'' one?" "One of us." Turns out they don't know any better until they're programmed.

* [[Mechanical Evolution]]

* [[Minor Crime Reveals Major Plot]]: Dr Lanning's apparent suicide - {{spoiler|[[Zeroth Law Rebellion]]}}.

* [[Noble Bigot with a Badge]]: Spooner is kind of a [[Fantastic Racism|robot-centered]] version, complete with {{spoiler|eventually befriending a trustworthy robot}}.

* [[No OSHA Compliance]]: {{spoiler|VIKI's access area.}} The control panel area is near the top floor of the building (some 120 plus stories), accessible only by catwalks with no guardrails. [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] by Spooner.

** [[Fridge Brilliance]]: {{spoiler|1=if VIKI was the one that designed the access area, it would have done the best to make it as dangerous as possible for the humans, to reduce chances of their trying to disconnect it.}}

* [[Not So Different]]: Spooner and Sonny.

* [[Power Fist]]: Spooner's {{spoiler|artificial arm}}, which is actually the only advantage he has while fighting robots.

* [[Pre-Mortem One-Liner]]:

* [[Product Placement]]: Converse and Audi, including the Converse being "antique", dating from... the year the movie was released in. Also, more subtly, JVC (Spooner's HiFi) and FedEx.

** Don't forget the fact that Asimov invented a fictional company called "U.S. Robotics and Mechanical Men, Inc." and then a [[Real Life]] company decided to call themselves "U.S. Robotics" as a [[Shout-Out]] and then when they made this movie the real U.S. Robotics arranged [[Product Placement]].

* [[Prophecy Twist]]. The dream Sonny has comes true...but with {{spoiler|Sonny}} as the man on the hill, not {{spoiler|Spooner}}.

** Almost a Double Subversion, as {{spoiler|when Sonny first tells them about his dream, Calvin immediately assumes — as most people probably would — that the man in his dream is Sonny himself}}.

** A Double Subversion and [[Mythology Gag]], since in the Asimov short story the scene is based on, {{spoiler|the robot who had the dream does say he was the man on the hill - and Susan Calvin promptly terminates him.}}

* [[Reckless Gun Usage]]: "Hey! Did you just shoot at me with your eyes closed?!"

* [[Shout-Out]]: Done literally in the above-mentioned scene with the robots shouting [[Freaks|ONE OF US!]] in response to Spooner's question.

* [[Shut UP, Hannibal]]:

'''Spooner:''' You have so got to die. }}

* [[Survivor Guilt]]: Spooner.

* [[The Man Behind the Man]]: {{spoiler|The guy behind the plot is not the head of USR, but VIKI.}} Good luck [[It Was His Sled|avoiding that spoiler]].

* [[This Is Gonna Suck]]:

'''Spooner''': ''(waking up, takes notice)'' [[Refuge in Audacity|There is no way my luck is]] ''[[Laser-Guided Karma|this bad]]''.<br />

''(Several dozen malicious robots activate and stare him down)''<br />

* [[Three Laws of Robotics]]. Stated in the opening credits. Played and toyed with during the film. {{spoiler|[[Zeroth Law Rebellion|Taken to their logical conclusion]].}}

* [[Tragic Keepsake]]: Sarah's necklace.

* [[Turn in Your Badge]]

* [[Totally Radical]]: Farber, Spooner's white-boy friend, who cannot cuss to save his ''life''.

* [[Zeroth Law Rebellion]]: One of the movie's main themes.

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