"It’s alive!" That’s the desired battle cry of any scientist or inventor who’s sought to create life where none existed before. While the reasons are varied but probably stem either from a God complex or perhaps even a jealousy of women being able to create and then deliver new life, certain men have had a preoccupation with creating life of their own.
Whether it be in the labs trying to create A.I. - artificial intelligence - or in the movies with Dr. Frankenstein bringing new meaning to the practice of recycling, everyday people seem to be fascinated with this concept, those involved with it, and their results.
Notwithstanding the chess-playing prowess of Big Blue, such efforts have obviously been far more successful on the big screen than in real life. There, and dating back to the 1926 film, "Metropolis," the cinema has featured any variety of robots, androids and computers - anthropoidal or not - that exhibited varying degrees of sentience.
While some were malevolent - the home computer system of "Demon Seed," the time-traveling android of "The Terminator" and the most nefarious, silicone-based villain of them all, HAL 9000 of "2001: A Space Odyssey" - others have been decidedly more user friendly such as Robot from the "Lost in Space" TV series and R2D2 and C-3PO from, well, you know. Yet for the multitude of such "beings," I don’t recall any who wished to become human - and by that I mean of the true flesh and blood variety with all of the advantages and shortcomings associated with it.
That’s the interesting premise of "Bicentennial Man," an epic look at the life and times of a robot trying to become human over a span of two hundred years. Based on the short story of the same name by Isaac Asimov as well as the novel, "The Positronic Man" by Asimov and Robert Silverberg, the story, adapted by screenwriter Nicholas Kazan ("Fallen," "Reversal of Fortune") and directed by Chris Columbus ("Mrs. Doubtfire," "Home Alone"), poses the interesting question of what it means to be human in terms of biology, romance and the law.
While that might sound quite profound - and at times it is - the film never explores those issues to any deep extent. Instead, and for the most part, the whole thrust gets the glossy sheen treatment. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, it just means that those expecting any sort of great revelations had better leave such expectations out in the parking lot.
Speaking of expectations, upon hearing that the gifted comedian Robin Williams ("Patch Adams," "Good Will Hunting") appears as the robot, one of two thoughts is likely to cross the mind of the average moviegoer.
Some will obviously think that Williams’ presence will insure that the film will be a laugh a minute riot, a sort of post-"Mork and Mindy" showcase where the often zany comic rattles off witty and hilarious observations about humans and being human. Alas, and for better or worse, that’s not the case here. Beyond a few brief moments of Williams letting lose with such material, this is far more of a solemn than hilarious affair.
The other thought, now appearing in the first group’s minds after just hearing that news, is that this is the "touchy-feely" Williams. You know, the type where his characters get that moist, sad-eyed look and something of a quiver in their voice - the type that caused the gag reflex in some after seeing films such as "Patch Adams" and "Jakob the Liar."
Although I’m happy to report that such syrup isn’t too thick here and that the filmmakers’ emotionally manipulative efforts are mostly held in check, viewers may be surprised and/or disappointed in the film’s more sober approach at telling its story.
None of that’s meant to imply that the film is bad or boring. In fact, it’s easy enough to watch despite the slow pace and two hour plus running time, and it unfolds in an intriguing, sci-fi fashion (which shouldn’t come as a surprise considering its pedigree).
Interestingly enough, and despite my fondness for Williams as a performer when he has the right material, the film progressively loses some of its steam the more human his character becomes. While the filmmakers - and especially the studio - were reportedly worried that audiences might not like the notion of the expressive comedian being encased in a relatively stoic robotic casing, the moments where Andrew appears more mechanical are far more satisfying and interesting than when he finally looks just like the "regular old" Robin Williams.
That said, Williams gives a solid, if not spectacular performance. Supporting takes by the likes of Sam Neill (Jurassic "Park") and Oliver Platt ("Simon Birch") as the robot’s two father figures are decent, while Embeth Davidtz ("Schindler’s List") more than competently pulls double duty as the two women - grandmother and granddaughter - who fall for the robot.
While some may complain that the film is too long for what’s essentially a straightforward story of a robot wanting to become human, in its defense it does take place over two hundred years and jamming that into a span of two hours or so is no easy chore. Of course, as in many movies like this, the moments of jumping ahead in time become more frequent later in the film as if the filmmakers realized they wasted time at the beginning and had to cram in material at the end.
They also seemingly realized that telling and portraying films in the future is no easy task. Beyond a few instances of future cityscapes and flying cars, this isn’t "Star Trek" with teleporters and phasers. Instead, Columbus smartly decided to focus more on the human element rather than the technological side of such issues.
The result is a film that’s interesting, fairly entertaining and fortunately avoids much of the schmaltz that could have easily ruined it. While it might not meet the expectations of those who’ve been fooled by the TV ads and trailers suggesting that it’s a nonstop laughfest, the film should please those looking for a somewhat sentimental and clearly different sort of story. We give "Bicentennial Man" a 6.5 out of 10.
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