‘I, Robot’ goes for cerebral sci-fi

Lately it seems to be the case that movie trailers are often better than the film itself. What that says about the state of contemporary filmmaking, I can’t be sure.

However, “I, Robot” is the first instance in recent memory where the film is actually better than the trailer, which promises the standard testosterone charged summer blockbuster. The film, suggested by science fiction master Isaac Asimov’s original collection of nine stories titled “I, Robot,” actually attempts a more cerebral examination of the power of technology in — and over — humanity.

In the year 2035 technology has advanced to the point where robots have become indispensable helpmates and menial labor for the human population. Behind this revolution in artificial intelligence is the massive conglomerate U.S. Robotics, which is about to roll out the next generation of robots, envisioned as walking, talking iMac computers. Helpful and benign (mostly like an iMac), the robots are governed by the “Three Laws of Robots”: 1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm; 2) a robot must obey orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law; and 3) a robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

On the eve of this global upgrade, the scientist responsible for the technology, Dr. Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell), falls to his death from his 10th floor laboratory. Detective Del Spooner (Will Smith) arrives to investigate the apparent suicide — invited personally by the dead man through a holographic message. Despite his past history with Lanning, Spooner has a healthy suspicion of the robotic technology his friend created, despite the “3 Laws Safe” controls that are designed into their software.

Spooner soon discovers his worst fear: a robot named Sonny (voiced by Alan Tudyk) may have committed the crime. But the powerful U.S. Robotics CEO Lawrence Robertson (Bruce Greenwood) moves quickly to keep the situation out of the media, whose coverage could prove disastrous for the impending robot upgrade. With the help of Lanning’s colleague Dr. Susan Calvin (Bridget Moynahan), Spooner becomes convinced that Lanning is trying to communicate a more foreboding message to him about the robots.

To its credit, the CGI technology doesn’t often overwhelm the story, which turns out to be a pretty decent murder mystery as well. As Spooner, Smith is surprisingly subdued (and appropriately so), though he does manage to work in a few of his typical wisecracks — but for the most part they fit the darker tone of the movie.

Director Alex Proyas has already built a reputation for brooding, noirish sci-fi films such as “Dark City” and “The Crow,” and his talents are put to good use here. Though not on the provocative level of Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner,” “I, Robot” makes a decent effort to explore the subtleties of Asimov’s original morality tales.