God, this movie sucked.

Do critics just feel obligated to like computer-animated movies for some reason? They've been pretty weak lately, and this is probably the worst one yet. It was nothing but a dull string of cliches.

I've wondered that myself. It seems like critics love every animated major studio film. They were talking about Finding Nemo like it was the best movie ever, and when I saw it, I said what I say after most of these movies: "It was ok for a kids movie."

My review:

'Follows Formula Like a 'Robot''

It seems to me that lately the critics just feel, for one reason or another, obligated to give computer-animated films good reviews. Why?

Yes, when the genre first emerged there were a lot of good ones. Both Toy Story films are classics, A Bug's Life and Monsters Inc. are great, Antz and the Shrek films are all excellent as well, but lately the entries into this category have been very weak, especially those from 20th Century Fox.

Some examples:
-Finding Nemo: Pixar's first real disappointment. It was boring, unfunny, and really not all that interesting to look at. Yet it still recieved critical and audience praise as an "instant classic."
-The Incredibles: This was the one that pretty much signified the end of Pixar's good films to me. While it is much better than Finding Nemo, it is still boring, unfunny, and dull. Yet, once again, it still got all the praise that Finding Nemo did.

Now, as I said, 20th Century Fox's computer-animated films have been the weakest.
First, Ice Age: This film was absolutely terrible. It wasn't funny, it wasn't "cute", it had awful animation, and it was eerily familiar (ahem, animals with a human child? Monsters Inc., anyone?). Yet it still got praise...
Actually, while I'm on the topic of copying, it seems a lot of computer-animated films have done this. Take A Bug's Life and Antz for example. But the difference with those two is while A Bug's Life came first, Antz was the superior film by far. Dreamworks/PDI seems to have mastered the genre (see Shrek and Shrek 2).
But I digress.

Anyway, Robots was 20th Century Fox's chance to redeem itself from the horrid Ice Age.
Wow, did they ever blow that chance.
Robots was one of the most dull, tired, predictable, cliched, and painfully unfunny films I've ever seen. It almost represents everything wrong with modern children's entertainment. It is unbelievably hyperactive to the point where it just becomes irritating and you somehow want to inject the screen with ritalin. It also follows every cliche in the book, fart jokes and all. And have I mentioned how visually uninteresting this movie is?

Yet, of course, critics and audiences are hailing this as the next "great computer-animated classic".

What am I missing here? Am I even seeing the same movie?

Outside of Dreamworks/PDI, I think I've pretty much given up on computer-animated films.
Dreamworks/PDI, PLEASE do not follow the same path as Pixar and 20th Century Fox. PLEASE.

Grade: C-



God, it felt good to say all that.

I think if you're going to review a movie you should spend more than a paragraph on the movie instead of ranting about how bad a million other movies are.

I don't groove that way, baby.

I don't know, I'd just rather know why you hated this movie and not Finding Nemo. As in, examples of how the movie failed, etc.

It was there.
Cliched, hyperactive, etc.

well, yes, but I mean more like what was cliched, how was it hyperactive. Evidence as opposed to having people take your word for it.

Okay, I can see what you're saying.
I guess I was more just using this movie as a vehicle for conveying my general disappointment for computer-animated movies lately.

Interesting. For the most part, I agree with you on "Robots." I definitely could have done without the fart jokes, butt jokes, and penis jokes. But I completely disagree with your assessment of Pixar and Dreamworks. I love Finding Nemo and The Incredibles, but I think Shrek and Shark Tale suck.

i dont recall anyone liking Ice Age- or anything more than lukewarm reviews

I liked Ice Age and The Incredibles. Finding Nemo was Ok.

I thought that the animation in this movie was great. Now the story was just alright and there were a few times that I laughed but not as much as I expected to.


Finding Nemo was just alright, I didn't find it to be that funny actually.

Finding Nemo owns your assholes.

I might see it when it comes out on dvd

you know what? i really fucking liked finding nemo and the incredibles.

word.

I haven't seen Robots yet, so I can't comment. As for Incredibles, it owns. Story, characters, visuals... it was old school James Bond crossed with a family of X-Men hiding out in suburbia. There'a more to that flick than meets the eye.

is it true there's a tom waits int he soundtrack?

Yeah, that was the only cool part. "Underground" is in the movie.

no shit. mr. incredible really is an everyman. i sensed a little arthur miller influence in this one.