Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer
The fast-talking Fender (voiced by Robin Williams) displays his latest venture. - CONTRIBUTED
ROBOTS IS a well-oiled feel-good movie. It is a classic coming of age tale, where this time the young boy happens to be a young robot made of tin and screws, instead of flesh and blood.
The show highlights how it easy it is for animation to take classic story lines and make them appear fresh and appealing, especially with the help of a witty script and a cadre of stars to help grease its way.
REFRESHING STORY LINE
Despite all the old tin and scrap metal rattling around in the film, Robots floats light and easy from beginning to end.
It shaves off a couple pop culture references (with wide-ranging spoofs from Britney Spears to Singing in the Rain), mixes in some Jackie Chan and wrestling moves and them rubs it all together with a familiar storyline that is refreshingly told.
Thankfully, however, Robots eases off on the pop culture references which was nearing overkill mode with Sharktale.
Although there are some inferences between the robot world and ours, it is not the main focus of the story. Instead it follows the trail of Rodney Copperbottom (Ewan McGregor) from construction to manhood where he fulfills his dreams and finds the hero inside all with the turn of a few screws.
Copperbottom leaves his small town origins to follow his dreams of being an inventor in the Robot City. When he gets there, he realises that he has to do more than knock on opportunity's door. He may well have to kick it down, which he does with the help of a few of society's misfits and rejects.
JABS AT SOCIETY
The film takes small jabs at image-centred corporate America. It is indeed a fairy tale for the Botox generation.
There are no blatant ad placements, such as those which littered either Shrek 2 or Sharktale, and when one looks at the story line this is not in the least surprising.
The story's villain Ratchet (Greg Kinear) is trying to sell the upgrades. Those who do not upgrade (Outmodes) to look like his spanking new, streamlined, robot with no unnecessary bulges, or scratches in the metal, get sent to the scrap heap.
While the children are giggling away at the hilarious antics of the robots, hopefully, they and their parents (who also have much room for laughter) will realise that the film presents the robotic version of how Botox, plastic surgery and the wide range of nips and tucks and whatever else are being peddled to make people with low self-esteem believe that looking pretty will solve all their ills.
Even more so, it pushes the idea that even people who have healthy self-esteem are being force fed the notion that they are not good enough.
MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD
So, this story is about self-acceptance. It's about following your dreams. It's about fulfilling your potential and believing in yourself. And, of course, it's funny too.
Robin Williams (who voices Fender) is the heart of much of the comedy. Fender is a character who can barely hold himself together, literally.
Williams is hilarious and Fender is fabulous in a fast-talking, witty way that easily endears him to you (especially as he clearly has an identity crisis and does a little gender bending).
Fender is the living embodiment of what people mean when they declare that someone has lost a screw he has lost many.
Of course, this movie, which generally has a good soundtrack, ends with a catchy song that may well have you doing the robot as you make your way out of the theatre.
It certainly does what every feel-good movie should do. It makes you feel good.
