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"ROBOTS"
(2005) (voices of Ewan McGregor, Robin Williams) (PG)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
Minor Minor Heavy *Mild Mild
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Moderate None Moderate None None
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
Mild Minor Mild Moderate Moderate


QUICK TAKE:
Computer-animated Comedy: A young robot sets out for the big city in hopes of showing his latest invention to his inventor idol, but must contend with eclectic characters, corporate greed and other perils once he gets there.
PLOT:
After seeing the most famous robot in the world -- Mr. Bigweld (voice of MEL BROOKS) -- on TV, young Rodney Copperbottom (voice of EWAN MCGREGOR) has always dreamed of being an important inventor just like him. In need of money to pay for the dishes his latest invention broke, Rodney says goodbye to his parents, Herb (voice of STANLEY TUCCI) and Mrs. Copperbottom (voice of DIANNE WIEST), and rest of his hometown of Rivet Town, and sets out for the bright lights of Robot City.

He hopes to meet Bigweld and show him his invention, but Tim the Gate Guard (voice of PAUL GIAMATTI) informs Rodney that those days are long over. That's because Ratchet (voice of GREG KINNEAR) has taken over the corporation, much to the dismay of executives such as Cappy (voice of HALLE BERRY) who aren't happy that he's put greed over customer service as their new corporate mentality.

Accordingly, he's ordered that no more spare parts be made, and that if any out-dated robot can't afford the new upgrades, they'll literally be swept off the street and sent to the recycle bin. Little does anyone know that it's really Ratchet's evil mother, Madame Gasket (voice of JIM BROADBENT), who's running the show from her underground chop shop.

Meanwhile, Rodney is befriended by the loopy Fender (voice of ROBIN WILLIAMS), a scrounger who introduces him to his sister, Piper (voice of AMANDA BYNES), friend Crank (voice of DREW CAREY), and Aunt Fanny (voice of JENNIFER COOLIDGE) who possesses an extremely oversized derrière. Realizing that his new friends and other robots are in danger of being captured and recycled, Rodney sets out to repair them and thus becomes quite popular.

Word of his deeds soon makes its way back to Ratchet and Madame Gasket who orders her son to squash this industrial revolution. From that point on, Rodney must deal with them and their actions, all while trying to find out what they did to Bigweld and hoping to restore Robot City to its former, robot friendly grandeur.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Yes, it's a good bet that many will.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG
For some brief language and suggestive humor.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
It's debatable whether kids view non-human characters as role models, but here's a quick look at their major characteristics.
  • RODNEY COPPERBOTTOM is a young and idealistic robot who wants Bigweld to see his new invention, but becomes dismayed at the unexpected changes in the big city. He then sets out to repair all of the broken-down robots, find out what happened to Bigweld, and defeat Ratchet and Madame Gasket.
  • CAPPY is a corporate executive who is dismayed by the new and greedy direction her company has taken and then sets out to help Rodney change all of that.
  • RATCHET is the new executive who's taken over the corporation and instituted new rules designed to increase their profit at the expense of Robot City's citizens. He tries to have Rodney captured and/or killed.
  • MADAME GASKET is his nefarious mother who's really calling the shots from her underground chop shop.
  • BIGWELD is the most famous robot in the world, an inventor who's been forced into seclusion by Ratchet. He comes out of that to assist Rodney and his goal.
  • FENDER is a loopy scrounger who befriends Rodney, acts wildly, and must contend with his various robot parts always falling off his body.
  • PIPER is Fender's spunky and outspoken sister who helps Rodney defeat the villains.
  • AUNT FANNY is an older and gassy female robot who's always accidentally knocking things over with her large derrière.
  • TIM THE GATE GUARD is the doorman at the corporate headquarters who isn't as nice and inviting as he appears on TV.
  • HERB COPPERBOTTOM is Rodney's father, a dishwasher (literally) who urges his son to follow his dreams.
  • MRS. COPPERBOTTOM is his wife who worries about their son in the big city.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
    Then read OUR TAKE of this film.


    (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).


    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    The following is a brief summary of the content found in this PG-rated comedy. While no "regular" profanity is present, all sorts of imitative phrases are, along with some non-explicit, sexually related innuendo that will likely go over many young kids' heads. Violence consists of all sorts of slapstick style contact and other such material, while some action-oriented fighting occurs at the end. Some of those scenes and other moments of peril may be unsettling or suspenseful to younger viewers, but probably not to older kids.

    Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, while a few robots drink and some have metallic cigars put into their mouths by an expectant father. Several instances of crude humor are present (mainly centered around fart sounds), along with other potentially imitative behavior, while a young character worries about his sick father. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • Various characters drink at a ball, including Ratchet and Cappy, while we hear an order for a "Screwdriver. Shaken, not stirred."
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • While taking quick photos of Rodney upon his arrival in the city, Fender says that inside Rodney is a fashion model waiting to throw up.
  • Piper says that Aunt Fanny is "artsy-fartsy" and that it's okay when she's artsy but adds, "But when she gets fartsy..."
  • We see Crank seated as if on a toilet and stating that something must be wrong since it's "my third oil change today."
  • For fun, Fender makes various fart sounds with his hands and by placing his hands under his armpit (despite being metallic with no flesh to make that sound). One of the resultant sounds he labels sounding like an old man, with Rodney, his tiny robot creation and even Piper making such sounds. We then hear a very loud one from an unseen Aunt Fanny, with Piper complaining, "We were using our arms." A street light outside collapses from the resultant smell (and the next morning there's a chalk outline on the street showing its shape).
  • Rodney's little robot creation "pees" when nervous.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • Herb's boss puts down young Rodney by saying, "You're the hand-me-down son of a dishwasher and that's all you'll ever be."
  • Tim the doorman repeatedly teases Rodney by making him think he can enter Bigweld's headquarters, but then slams the large door shut right in front of him.
  • Ratchet states that the company's goal is to squeeze every last penny out of every knucklehead out there. To do so, he's ordered that no spare or replacement parts will be made from now on. Instead, only expensive upgrades will be available and those robots who can't afford them will become scrap metal. He also tries to have Rodney and his friends captured and/or killed.
  • Madame Gasket orders for Ratchet to crush and destroy whoever's fixing the robots (that being Rodney), and she's the one calling all of the shots.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • Action-based scenes listed under "Violence" may also be unsettling, suspenseful or scary to younger viewers, but probably not to older kids.
  • Some kids may worry when Fender suddenly expresses concern ("We're going to crash") that an enclosed, but open ball he and Rodney are traveling in suddenly falls off a large contraption and plummets downward (but it's just part of their transport routine and Fender say he was just kidding about the worry).
  • Fender's head comes off (played for comedy, but potentially unnerving for younger kids). Later, other parts of his body similarly come off (also played for comedy).
  • We hear that Ratchet's large sweeper machines (some equipped with large blades in their "mouths") capture outdated robots and take them to be chopped up or melted down.
  • Some large, bodyguard type robots surround Rodney.
  • One of Ratchet's large, street sweepers sweeps up Fender. Later, we see him on a disassembly line, headed for blades and fire, with him looking nervous/scared (but he escapes).
  • As a serious of smaller dominoes knock over progressively larger ones, the last, gargantuan one falls and nearly lands on Rodney and Cappy.
  • Various character are caught between two large vehicles that each sport large magnets that equally pull on all of them as the vehicles race down the "road," with Rodney trying to unplug Ratchet's magnet from his. The one with the good characters crashes and slides along the floor, with Bigweld sliding into a smelting area (with the door to it then closing). The rest of the characters then have to save him before he's melted down and/or chopped up, but find themselves massively outnumbered by bad robots.
  • Large sweepers with big chopping blades in the front come after Rodney, but Bigweld knocks down many of them.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Ratchet sends various large, sweeper machines (that have large, sharp blades on the front of them), after Rodney and the others.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "Got screwed" (written on a homeless robot's sign), "Old fat face," "Knucklehead," an incomplete "What the..?" "Jerk," "Get lost freak," "Broke down losers," "Idiot," "Grow some bolts," "Shut up," "Dang," "Moron," "Listen, shiny pants," "Can it," "Artsy-fartsy," "I must be out of my mind," "You crazy nut boy," "Who the heck are you?" "Psycho mama," "Who's the dame with big keister?" "Going inside to kick some booty," "We're headed for a huge butt-whooping," "Did I miss the butt-whooping?" "Say hello to my dimpled friend" (referring to one's large butt), "It's gonna get greasy" and "My big titanium tuckus."
  • Rodney's small robot invention belches.
  • A homeless robot holds a sign that reads "Got screwed."
  • Piper says that her name rhymes with viper and then hisses like a snake.
  • Fender shakes his metallic butt at a sweeper machine to taunt it.
  • Some kids may want to imitate Fender's sayings, actions and antics (as voiced by Robin Williams).
  • For fun, Fender makes various fart sounds with his hands and by placing his hands under his armpit (despite being metallic with no flesh to make that sound). Others then join him and do the same.
  • About having two noses, a character says that "One's for showing...one's for blowing."
  • Fender states that the fusion of jazz and funk is called "junk."
  • JUMP SCENES
  • None.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • A moderate amount of suspenseful and action-oriented music occurs in the film.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
  • PROFANITY
  • None.
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • Herb's wife says that "making a baby's the fun part" and we then see that they've received a "build a baby" box from which they're going to construct their child. As they do so, we see the baby's bare bottom piece (a hunk of plastic or metal shaped like buttocks), the mother comments on 12 hours of labor, and then wonders about a leftover piece on the floor (that we don't see). Herb then asks, "We did want a boy, right?" and then picks up the piece, tells the robotic baby it's not going to hurt and apparently slaps his unseen baby boy part onto the small robot's crotch area.
  • Rodney asks Fender, "When was the last time you really got oiled?" (not meant in a sexual manner), with Fender replying that he can't really say in front of his sister (the joke on the film's part being something of an innuendo).
  • Fender jokingly tells Rodney that he can bunk with him (but not in the same bunk) if Rodney can avoid the gossip (about them "sleeping together").
  • When the repair question "Who wants to get fixed?" is asked of robots, a small robot dog looks nervous and covers his crotch area.
  • Ratchet reacts pleasurably to a sensual massage he's receiving, but those hands are then replaced by his mother's large, gnarly ones.
  • To divert Ratchet's attention away from Rodney, Cappy playfully tells Ratchet that she'll show him her casual, fun-loving side when she returns.
  • Bigweld spots Aunt Fanny and excitedly asks, "Who's the dame with big keister?" He then starts to say that he likes "women with..." before Rodney interrupts him.
  • We see signs for a men's and women's restroom that show symbols for male and female electrical plugs.
  • Aunt Fanny hits a button that causes a circular bed to pop out from a wall with a Barry White song playing (but no bad lyrics are heard).
  • SMOKING
  • Rodney's dad places metal cigars in a few robots mouths over his excitement of becoming a dad.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • We see that Madame Gasket has Ratchet's father strung up by some chains (his permanent place in her life and he seems content there).
  • Rodney worries about his dad who's now quite sick.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • Robots and whether they'll ever become sentient.
  • The notion of following your dream.
  • The notion of individuals taking on large corporations.
  • While growing up, Rodney has to wear the hand-me-down clothes from his female cousin and he isn't happy about that (played for laughs).
  • Crank's life philosophy is "never try, never fail."
  • Bigweld says that he was about making the world better, while Ratchet is only about making money.
  • The comment that a dream you don't fight for can haunt you for the rest of your life.
  • VIOLENCE
  • A little, flying robot that Rodney has built goes out of control and accidentally breaks things as it flits about a room. Later, it does the same thing in the restaurant where Herb works, accidentally breaking dishes and more.
  • A gargantuan hammer (part of a transportation system in the city) flies down and whacks Fender across the city (but he enjoys the ride).
  • Ratchet sends a subordinate falling down through a trap door that he suddenly opens during a meeting.
  • Ratchet kicks Rodney's little flying robot out the window. We then see Rodney being escorted out of the building via some large magnetic device that accidentally bumps his head into something (he's okay).
  • While magnetized and with all sorts of metal objects then attracted to and "chasing" him, Rodney is bumped and bounced around, including smashing into a billboard and having all of that stuff hit him, but he's okay.
  • Fender's body accidentally keeps kicking his head (that's fallen off) while trying to pick it up. Later, his headless body keeps thrashing his head to a table in frustration (played for laughs).
  • Aunt Fanny's large behind accidentally knocks various things down and around.
  • A street light outside collapses from the resultant smell of Fanny passing gas (and the next morning there's a chalk outline on the street showing its shape, suggesting it died from the accidental exposure).
  • Aunt Fanny accidentally knocks down a line of robots like a line of dominoes.
  • A mailbox whacks Fender in the face and states, "That's for my sister."
  • To get into a Ball, Fender acts like Rodney's servant who has Rodney slap him twice. Tim the doorman then wants to be slapped as well and thus he's struck (played for laughs).
  • Bigweld dumps Ratchet from a chair, but Ratchet then hits Bigweld on the head twice with a large handset. Later, he threatens that they're going to melt down Bigweld.
  • Rodney's little robot creation trips several guards, while Rodney ("flying" along while hanging onto his flying creation) knocks over more.
  • Aunt Fanny's large rear knocks many bad robots around, while there's some professional wrestling style moves and violence used by other characters on other bad robots, while Piper and Cappy hit even more during a large scale (but action-oriented) battle.
  • Madame Gasket and Rodney's little robot creation battle each other with poles, with Madame Gasket eventually being swung into a smelting area.
  • Large sweepers with big chopping blades in the front come after Rodney, but Bigweld knocks down many of them.
  • Herb slams his dishwasher unit down around his boss who's then hit by two swinging doors in the restaurant.



  • Reviewed March 5, 2005 / Posted March 11, 2005

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