Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1216 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-09-19
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: PAL, Dolby, Surround Sound
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 86 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The delightful designs of William Joyce (writer/illustrator of such popular children's books as George Shrinks and Bently & Egg) make Robots a joy to behold. The round, bouncy, and ramshackle forms of hero Rodney Copperbottom and his computer-animated friends are part of an ornate and daffy Rube-Goldberg universe of elaborate contraptions and gleaming metallic surfaces. Rodney (voiced with a hint-of-Scottish lilt by Ewan McGregor) is a young inventor who sets off for Robot City to work for Big Weld (Mel Brooks), the supreme inventor of the mechanical world. But upon his arrival, Rodney discovers that Big Weld has disappeared, and the slick, shiny Ratchet (Greg Kinnear) is phasing out the spare parts that lumpen robots need to function and replacing them with "upgrades"--expensive and glistening new exoskeletons. Unfortunately, from this suitable beginning, the story degenerates into a series of action sequences that make very little sense, though some are kinetic and fun (though others are only there to serve the inevitable Robots video game). Most kids will enjoy the sheer visual pleasure of the movie, but compared to the narrative richness of Pixar movies like The Incredibles and Toy Story, that pleasure is pretty short-lived. Also featuring the voices of Robin Williams, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Amanda Bynes, Jennifer Coolidge, and many, many more. --Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com

Synopsis
The pixel-happy production company Blue Sky follows its successful feature ICE AGE with more animated antics in ROBOTS. Rodney Copperbottom (voiced by Ewan McGregor) is a talented inventor who hopes to make his fortune by moving to Robot City and working among the nuts and bolts of the robotics industry. Rodney fantasizes about building robots for his boyhood hero and master inventor Big Weld (Mel Brooks), but when he meets him, Rodney's dream threatens to turn rusty. Big Weld reveals that his company is now being run by the evil Phineas T. Ratchet (Greg Kinnear), a merciless moneymaker who wants to rid the world of the antiquated robots that clutter up the streets of Robot City. This leaves Rodney's aspirations needing a major oil change, and with little chance of finding work, he feels about as useful as a broken spare part. So he takes to the streets, where he finds some unlikely salvation in a group of robots lead by Fender (Robin Williams). Fender urges Rodney to help save them from the scrap heap, while Ratchet and his company create threatening new policies on robot reconstruction. The ensuing action leads to a breathtaking set of adventures in the futuristic city. A fun, dizzying delight, ROBOTS benefits from the many voices of Robin Williams, who is the perfect comic foil to Ewan McGregor's central character. The special effects are masterfully handled, and the rendering of Robot City is a true sight to behold. A film that should find a broad audience among adults and children alike, ROBOTS is fast-paced animated entertainment at its finest.

Customer Reviews

From the amusing creators of Ice Age!
This will never be a Pixar beater, but it is funny in it's own way.

Ewan McGregor voices Rodney Copperbottom, who tavels to the big city to get his invention created, only to find a company that is over-run by greed and wants to stop robot upgrades - meaning that all robots will have to buy their products or become ruined, rusty and abandoned. So Rodney, with his new found city friends, tries to stop them.

First off, the graphics are great. The city is huge and bustling, and vibrant - it could be a real fantasy place! It is here that the humour really takes place, just little things that you might miss out of the corner of the screen are usually the funniest, but there are some true stand out moments.

When Rodney becomes magnetic is hilarious, and easily my favourite part in the film. Other great moments come courtesy of a climactic chase sequence, and a quiet moment ruined by...a fart!

I saw this film with two young children, and they both loved it. They laughed all the way through - the humour is more orientated towards the younger generation,but there are a handful of adult orientated jokes courtesy of Robin William's character.

All the characters are loveable, and it was a easy time to pass 90minutes. If you have a family, I would definately reccommend it.

Great Sound & Vision - plus some jokes!
Great looking & sounding. For some the story might be a bit lacking but others (me too) will find it charming & entertaining.

The colours thru out are lovely - bright, giving a real 3D effect.

The sound is used really well & the James Brown jam at the end of the film is almost worth the cost of the film itself.

Give it a try - its a bit diferrent!

a CopperBottomed HIT!
I have just finished watching one of the best cartoons I have ever seen and that cartoon is ROBOTS! From start to finish it is a visual treat, with enough gags to interest and provide novelty even after repeated viewings. The characters are heartwarming, Robin Williams voices a full blown nutjob as usual, and the films climax will have you cheering as the "little man" triumphs over the forces of greed. Ratchet is a villain in the Macbeth mould; infirm of purpose but motivated by Mommy in the pursuit of profit; mommy in this case being a diabolical robot of darkest motive.
Oh yes in Robots we have the feelgood DVD of late 2005....
get thee hence and buy it now! you'll not regret it.
The extras aren't bad, the previews quite good but with a main feature THIS GOOD it can stand on its own anyway.
Um...did I mention it was good?