I Robot thread

[Leovinus]

I have seen the trailers for this movie. It looks really cool. I'm anxious to go see it. What are your thoughts? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[killium]

Two questions about that: Will (or when) we have a sufficiently advanced technology to built that kind of machine ?<br /><br />If yes, is a rebellion possible ? I mean, for a rebellion to take place, the individuals have to "feel" opressed.... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

Yes, I think we will eventually have the technology to build a complete AI. I doubt I'll be around to see it. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[kauboi]

I have only seen the poster but I'm already dissapointed. It looks like a big bad Hollywood action movie with nothing new. It completely lacks the Asimov's feeling. I think it will become a movie to forget for me, if I even dare to go watch it that is.

 

[jcdenton]

Can't say I'm looking forward to it. Whenever I see the trailer with Smith and all those robots, I just keep thinking about MIB or Independence Day, movies which I didn't like. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

I liked both MIB and ID, but I hated WWW. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[rogers_buck]

What's WWW? I read the book with all my spare time when uplink went downlink. Last time I read it was 25+ years ago. It was interesting from the standpoint that it described a future where the robots took care of man because of deeply engrained laws of robotics. Asimov was a man of his time and it was interesting to see what sort of wonders they thought could be accomplished by a few vacuum tubes, cogs, and levers. If he were to be shown the Honda robot I'm sure he would be dissapointed at the true complexity required for the most rudimentary of machines. I know this is ragging on a work well ahead of its time on a niggling technical point, but I think it is significant since in reality there can be no laws of robotics. The machine mind will do with man as it feels justified to do. We, at best, will be pets and at worse will be extinct. Since our information is embodied in the robots and our culture is part of its programming I don't think it will matter that much. Man will simply evolve from an organic form to a synthetic form. This is the way of things after all.<br /><br />

 

[mental_avenger]

I am a avid Isaac Asimov fan and reader. I have over 100 of his books in my personal library. The relevant Asimov books I have read are “The Caves of Steel”, “THE NAKED SUN”, “THE ROBOTS OF DAWN”, “ROBOTS AND EMPIRE”, “I, ROBOT”, “REST OF THE ROBOTS”, “THE BICENTENNIAL MAN”.<br /><br />Frankly, I am appalled at the shameless lack of faithfulness to both the spirit and letter of Asimov’s creations. Elijah Bailey was a timid, naïve white man with debilitating agoraphobia. The character that Will Smith plays is virtually diametrically opposed to the Asimov version. While the movie may be an exceptional work of special effects, integrated animatronics, and editing, it is, in my opinion, blasphemy to the truly talented writer, Isaac Asimov. <br /><br />The only thing it shares with the book (actually a collection of stories that develop the robot concept through the eyes of Susan Calvin (inventor of the positronic brain)) is the title and a the names of a few characters. What they have done is to dishonestly capitalize on the hard won reputation of one of the world’s greatest Science Fiction writers.<br /><br />I urge everyone of conscious to boycott the movie in theaters.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-right:0in" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="2" color="#ff0000"><strong>Our Solar System must be passing through a Non Sequitur area of space.</strong></font></p> </div>

 

[mooware]

<font color="yellow">"We, at best, will be pets and at worse will be extinct"<br /><br />Man will simply evolve from an organic form to a synthetic form. This is the way of things after all</font><br /><br />I've long held the same conclusion as you. We may after all become a race of Borg.. <br /><br />Resistance is Futile<br /><br /><br />

 

[Leovinus]

WWW=Wild Wild West <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[cosmictraveler]

Mental_Avenger.....I too am very upset as to what they have done to his book. He would be turning over in his grave I'd bet when he saw this debacle of a film about what he wrote. I too won't pay to see this abomination of a film. I also would ask that others not pay to see this freak show. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>It does not require many words to speak the truth. Chief Joseph</p> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

On the other hand, folks who go see the movie may want to go read the book. Asimov might get a whole new legion of fans. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[cosmictraveler]

If they see this movie first , they will be very disappointed in the book I'd think. That's why I read the book first and then see the movie, I just wonder why the director, producer and exec's didn't do the same with this pile o' junk movie, by at least trying to keep to the original storyline somewhat. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>It does not require many words to speak the truth. Chief Joseph</p> </div>

 

[wmdragon]

havent read the book - did read <i>Robots of Dawn</i> - but it's pretty obvious the movie wont be very faithful. does look like an entertaining summer movie. I just hope there is some depth in there, behind all the action and robot hordes going crazy. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#993366"><em>The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter.</em> <br /> --- James Clerk Maxwell</font></p> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

"robot hordes"<br /><br />Once CGI happened, that's what you're going to get for a while. Star Wars Episode 1 & 2, Starship Troopers come to mind. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jcdenton]

The only movie I liked with Will Smith was Enemy of the State. Now its not SF I know, however Will seemed to fit that role like a glove. I just don't think SF suits him, or other mainstream comical actors, well. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[igorsboss]

I haven't actually seen the movie yet, but...<br /><br />That movie was terrible! Will Smith is obviously just doing this for his own fame and fourtune! <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />

 

[commander_keen]

I dont think Asimov would necessarily be upset at what they've done to his book. I've read a few essays that he wrote, and to tell you the truth I think I remember him saying he likes going out to watch a stupid, mindless movie once in a while. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <br /><br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>Two questions about that: Will (or when) we have a sufficiently advanced technology to built that kind of machine ?<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />I think the general consencus seems to be within the next 50 years. It will probably be a combination of technologies that each nation has contributed into a combined effort. Japan is farther ahead in the field of robotics movement then anyone else, while America holds a steady lead in AI development. They already had robots with the inteligence equivilent of a cricket in the 80s, and they can already use sight to navigate around their world and keep themselves operable, so who knows how far ahead they are now.

 

[CalliArcale]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>I dont think Asimov would necessarily be upset at what they've done to his book. I've read a few essays that he wrote, and to tell you the truth I think I remember him saying he likes going out to watch a stupid, mindless movie once in a while. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />I think he would be upset, and why? Because I've read that remark from him before, and it was in the foreward to a paperback edition of Harlan Ellison's script for "I, Robot". He loved that script, and he and Ellison (who were close friends) were looking forward to going to the movie and eating popcorn while watching it.<br /><br />Unfortuantely, Ellison made the mistake of insulting the producer (telling him he had the intellect of a cabbage), and the movie was never produced. The rights were held onto with an iron grip for decades, quite probably out of spite. Asimov passed away. The script was published on paperback. And now a completely new script has been used. Asimov would be sad at least, but I suspect Ellison feels a very nasty twinge every time he sees an ad for this movie, though he's probably had enough time to get over the worst of it. (You never know, though; he is the sort of guy who can hold a grudge an amazingly long time, and he's extremely protective of his work and the work of his friends.) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[wmdragon]

full support for that idea: geeks should do scifi & fantasy movies. we are subject matter experts <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#993366"><em>The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter.</em> <br /> --- James Clerk Maxwell</font></p> </div>

 

[canadian_joe]

What? You didn't like Battlefield Earth? Why not. I thought that movie was well though out and....... damn I can't even joke around about that piece of crap! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[davp99]

I-Robot should have stuck to the Original premise...I-Robot 2 should have been what this story is all about... Evil Robots, Murdering us poor Humans... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="4">Dave..</font> </div>

 

[little_star]

I read the Robot series about six or seven weeks ago, when I saw the Will Smith trailer and I had to, embarrassed, admit to myself that I had never read them (which is dispicable for a sci fi fan). So, it did prompt at least someone to read the books!<br /><br />I haven't seen the film, but I am disappointed because it's glaringly obvious that all it takes from the books is the title of the first one, which was actually the title of an earlier short story by another writer. <br /><br />The books were so interesting and- dare I say- logical. I never read anything like them. And the portrayal of future worlds where human contact is shied away from and everyone communicates with each other remotely- well that's just eerie.<br /><br />The major problem I forsee myself having with the movie is being unimpressed. Robots overthrowing humanity and only one man sees it coming- please. It's nothing new or exciting; it seems like it'll be a movie that shouts a lot but says nothing. Hopefully I'll be wrong.

 

[hiro2002]

ASIMO<br />http://world.honda.com/ASIMO/<br /><br />QRIO<br />http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/QRIO/<br /><br />HRP-2 Promet<br />http://www.kawada.co.jp/ams/promet/index_e.html<br /><br />TOYOTA robot<br />http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/special/robot/<br />

 

[avaunt]

I don't know how they can even THINK of trying to produce Sci Fi, without putting an expert at the helm.<br /><br />ONLY a person that has spent his life, reading Sci fi, has the neccesary instinct that says " ARRRGH !, what are you talking about , fool, John Travolta as a dreadlocked Alien?. "<br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />but seriously, they should stick a Cobbler to his Last. Would they have Yahoo Serious Direct " Pride and Prejudice?.<br /><br />Actually, I think only Science Fiction lovers, and maybe actual Scientists themselves, can be considered actually fully formed Human beings. People that look down their noses at Science Fiction, ought not have ANY rights, they are too stupid to trust.<br /><br />just MHO, of course. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />