(no subject)

[bzarcher]

Oh, yeah. I saw the trailer for the new version of I, Robot. You probably know I'm a big fan of the script Harlan Ellison wrote, and of Asimov in general.

I fully expect that after this one comes out, we'll see a few things:

1) Harlan Ellison firebombing Will Smith, Warner Brothers, and the total miscast of Susan Calvin.

2) Janet Asimov suing Warner Brothers.

3) A new, robot based, rap song by Will Smith.

Comments

[avylin.livejournal.com]

I haven't read I, Robot, but I figured it never involved any of the hip, street-smart, trash-talking undercover cops/MiBs/army dudes/other figures of authority that Will Smith always plays.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

You would, in fact, be correct.

[paradisacorbasi.livejournal.com]

I imagine Janet was already paid off, as she's the one in charge of the estate and whatnot. She likely had to give her permission somewhere along the line for them to even have the right to make this movie.

That said, I do like Will a great deal, but his presence does not bode well for them being true to the book much.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Actually, no, she didn't.

Back when it looked likely that the Harlan Ellison script was going to go ahead, shortly before his death (1988), Isaac renewed the option rights WB had on the book. I believe that the option doesn't expire for another 3 years. :/

In a lot of ways, it looks like they're crossing a couple of the I, Robot short stories with some of the R. Daneel Olivaw stuff, with Will as a Lije Bailey style character.

The problem is, they basically gave away the plot as "OMG, US RObotics is going to take over the world because they can turn off the 3 laws and only Will Smith and Susan Calvin can save us!"

Oh, and Susan went from being a very smart, very homely woman who was socially awkward enough that she only really enjoyed interacting with robots, to a lawyer-esque looking woman who could have been a supermodel, but she's been saving up her sexy points for the right man to melt the ice around her heart.

GAH.

*cough*

*blush*

SOrry. I get passionate about my Asimov.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

To continue a bit more stably:

If they'd kept the basic tenets of Asimov's work alive, and had featured Will as a human uncomfortable around robots, forced to work with robots, etx., I think he'd actually be quite capable of pulling of an accurate Lije Bailey. Or, if they'd kept it focused around USR&MM, a great Michael Donovan or Gregory Powell.

But, we'll see. I suspect I won't insult my childhood by seeing it in the theatre, but I might rent it eventually.

[remotesensing.livejournal.com]

... I was introduced to science fiction by a librarian during a class field trip to the public library. I kept in touch with her until high school, and later was given 'borrowing privileges' from her collection of Asmiov.

She had, with the except of two journal articles, a copy of everything Asimov published. All of it.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

*droool*

[gigerlicious.livejournal.com]

The world can never have enough robot rap songs.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

True in principle, but can the world survive another round of doing the Robot?

[yetanotherbob.livejournal.com]

Only if it increases the chances of a revival of Domo Arigato, Mister Roboto.

[ptika.livejournal.com]

We need this movie no more than we need Will Smith doing yet another wisecracking Will Smith role. He needs to break out of this mould before it's too late.

Oh, and I never figured Alex Proyas for butchering Asimov, either.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

If they'd just gone for a more 'Caves of Steel' approach, I'd be so much happier.

Or shot the damn Ellison Script.

Ah, well.