"You're as maniacal as a box of kittens." (mini-review)

Two other films that got some of my time this weekend were The Longest Yard (2005) and I, Robot. I, Robot has been in my collection for a while, so it’s probably pretty obvious what I think about that film. I’ll get to that in a minute though. I rented The Longest Yard last night because it looked funny. Turns out it is funny. A little.

The Longest Yard is actually a remake of the original Burt Reynold’s film, released in 1974. I have no idea why this kind of film is worthy of a remake; maybe the original was hilarious. Adam Sandler’s 2005 version of the film isn’t anything spectacular, but then I didn’t really expect anything spectacular.

Sandler plays Paul Crewe, an ex-pro quarterback from the NFL who gets sent to prison after a self-destructive cruise in his girlfriend’s Bentley. A sadistic warden (James Cromwell) has him specifically transferred to his facility to help train his guards who play in a prison league football game. Sandler is eventually recruited to put together a team of prisoners to play the guards in a televised pre-season match-up. The combination of Adam Sandler, Chris Rock (as Crewe’s assistant and friend) and a number of NFL and WWF personalities is designed to ensure that hilarity ensues. And it does. Sort of.

If you’ve seen the trailer for The Longest Yard you already know what this movie is about, and you probably have a pretty good idea of how funny it is. If you thought the trailer was hilarious you’ll find the movie hilarious. If not, then you can safely avoid this one. My motivation for watching it was simply that I wanted something to laugh at. The Longest Yard provides the laughs, but it’s pretty simple fare. Nothing too deep going on here. Though there is a moment or two where the film tries to be deeper than your typical slapstick comedy. I’m not sure it succeeds.

If you’re looking for something simple and fun, and you love football, and you love Adam Sandler, then this is the flick for you. Otherwise go rent Groundhog Day instead. You can never go wrong with Groundhog Day.

When does a perceptual schematic become consciousness? When does a difference engine become the search for truth? When does a personality simulation become the bitter mote... of a soul?

I, Robot is based on Isaac Asimov’s short stories concerning the 3 Robot Laws. For those unfamiliar with either:

I. A robot may not harm a human or, by inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

II. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the first law.

III. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first or second law.

Will Smith stars as a homicide detective in Chicago, year 2035. He investigates a murder which appears to have been carried out by one of the robots that are supposed to be incapable of such an act. His investigation leads him to a much larger conspiracy and the logical reason for the robots’ ability to both adhere to the three laws and seemingly disobey them.

I really liked the philosophy behind this movie. I think I’ll have to read some of Asimov’s books on the subject. For the most part, this film is just an action adventure ride, but the logic behind the 3 laws is what intrigued me. Particular the mystery that explains how these robots can be logically obeying the laws while attacking humans. The eventual reason given is one that not only makes sense logically, but makes a fairly resounding comment on the human condition. You’ll have to watch to find out for yourself.
I have always enjoyed Will Smith’s movies. You can count on his witty delivery of most lines and his ability as an action star. If you like Will Smith you won’t be disappointed. The other performance I thoroughly enjoyed was that of Sonny, the accused robot. Sonny is voiced by Alan Tudyk (Dodgeball, A Knight’s Tale) and created through special effects in much the same way that Gollum was created for Lord of the Rings. Tudyk stood in for each scene and was later replaced with a digital computer image. The effects are as good as Gollum and Sonny himself becomes an intriguing character.

I, Robots looks great, sounds great and is a very entertaining film to watch. There’s amazing special effects, great action and even some logical philosophy. What more could you ask for?

Convicted trivia for ‘The Longest Yard’.
Logical trivia for ‘I, Robot’.