If a robot spends enough time around humans, can he learn to become one of them? The Martin family purchases a domestic android as a servant and names him Andrew (Robin Williams). Andrew comes to know the man of the house as Sir (Sam Neill), his wife as Ma'am Wendy Crewson, and their daughter as Portia (Embeth Davidtz); before long, the Martins suspect that they do not have an ordinary robot on their hands. Andrew seems capable of expressing emotion and generating original thoughts, and the longer he stays with the Martins, ...
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If a robot spends enough time around humans, can he learn to become one of them? The Martin family purchases a domestic android as a servant and names him Andrew (Robin Williams). Andrew comes to know the man of the house as Sir (Sam Neill), his wife as Ma'am Wendy Crewson, and their daughter as Portia (Embeth Davidtz); before long, the Martins suspect that they do not have an ordinary robot on their hands. Andrew seems capable of expressing emotion and generating original thoughts, and the longer he stays with the Martins, the more strongly these human traits manifest themselves. Over the next 200 years, Andrew becomes less a machine and more a member of the family, until a mechanic (Oliver Platt) tells Andrew that he might be able to turn him into a human being. Based on a short story by renowned science fiction author Isaac Asimov (surprisingly, it's only the second Asimov story to be brought to the screen), Bicentennial Man was directed by Chris Columbus, who previously worked with Robin Williams on Mrs. Doubtfire. Mark Deming, Rovi
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Add this copy of Bicentennial Man to cart. $9.95, new condition, Sold by Skip's-media rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Lewes, DE, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Buena Vista.
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Robin Williams, Sam Neill, Wendy Crewson, Embeth Davidtz, Oliver Platt. New in new packaging. Language: English. Run time: 131 mins. Originally released: 1999. BRAND NEW SEALED
Add this copy of Bicentennial Man: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to cart. $24.99, new condition, Sold by insomniacsonline rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from South Hackensack, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 1999 by SONY MASTERWORKS.
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New. Size: 5x4x0; Buy from insomniacs! We dont sleep until your order is shipped! Professional packaging, same day shipping on most orders. View our feedback and buy with confidence.
_Bicentennial_Man_ is a movie version of Isaac Asimov's novel _The_Positronic_Man_. It is fairly faithful to the plot of the book, and where it diverges, mostly sticks to the tone of the original. There are many loveable characters and Robin Williams gets a couple of chances to be Robin Williams (albeit in a metallic body). The gratuitous romance element would probably bother Asimov, but I found it appropriate. PG-13 (some language) entertainment.
F4pilot
Jun 21, 2012
Intriguing film
This is an interesting SF film with an unusual role for Robin Williams, which he plays very well. It is very well written and well acted. The result is a motion picture which is very entertaining. Recommended.
mehaul
Aug 29, 2010
Asimov At His Prime
The plot is simply a sentient being trying to discover what it means to be a human being and striving with all its will to discover those meanings and applying them to itself. Asimov was skilled at drafting potential issues that we will face down civilization's advencement. Robin Williams, known for facial expressions as a skill, is limited to rigid features through most of the film but still is able to make us feel for him (much of the dialogue and social situations are exactly Asimovian, so maybe that's why) In some future day perhaps we will have a sentient android to play his own part in this tale. Until then, I'm happy with the performance shown to me by this crew.
Oustanding jobs are also turned in by Embeth Davidtz and Kiersten Warren. The former plays two characters at many stages of her life (Kudos to make-up) and the latter is phenomenal as the counter part android to Williams' character. (I'm betting a sequel could be done about Galatea because one of Asimov's early positronic brained androids does live tens of thousands of years, could it be her?) The CGI to blend the robot from in reality a costumed human to this fantasy being is seamless.
The DVD bonus Feature is a quick discussion by the players about how they got into character and tried to express that sense, Not a lot, but thank you.
