Robots is a 2005 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios for 20th Century Fox (the same companies behind the film Ice Age), and was released theatrically (both in normal theaters and in IMAX theaters) on March 11, 2005 (along with a teaser trailer for Ice Age: The Meltdown). The story was created by Chris Wedge and Bill Joyce, a well-known children's book author/illustrator. The two were trying to create a film version of Joyce's book Santa Calls but instead they came up with a movie about robots. Joyce served as producer and production designer for the film. The DVD and VHS of Robots were released on September 27, 2005. Robots is also the last 20th Century Fox animated film to receive a VHS release. The MPAA rated the film PG; in most countries, it is suitable for all ages.
Plot
The story begins with Herb Copperbottom races through the streets because he is elated that he is going to be a father. He and his wife, Lydia Copperbottom, after 12 hours of "labor", finally manage to construct the baby. His name is Rodney Copperbottom, who becomes a young inventor who dreams of making the world a better place for everyone. Rodney idolizes Bigweld, the master inventor and owner of Bigweld Industries. Rodney has invented a gadget that will help his father clean the dishes at the restaurant. Rodney takes his invention to Robot City to see Bigweld and get a job as an inventor at his company. Instead, Rodney gets to see Ratchet, the new head of the company. Ratchet sees to it that Rodney is removed from the premises. Cappy, a beautiful robot-executive of the company takes an interest in Rodney, and wants to help him. In the slums of Robot City, some old robots known as the Rusties, led by a robot named Fender, befriend Rodney. Ratchet believes the company can make a bigger profit if it stops making spare parts for older robots. Non-working robots are picked up and sent to and melted down into upgrades by Ratchet's mother, queen of the Chop Shop. Rodney, who remembers Bigweld's "See a need, fill a need", begins fixing old robots. When Ratchet's mother orders him to stop Rodney, the fireworks begin. Rodney sees a letter (which Fender reads) that Herb lost a foot in a junkyard. Rodney says "We're all out of parts." Wonderbot reminds the Rusties that at 8:00pm, it was the night of the Bigweld Ball. In order to get in, he and Fender go there in disquise. Rodney makes it, but Ratchet told everyone that Bigweld was unable to host the ball. Rodney reveals himself, but the security robots held on him. Rodney siganls Fender by shouting "Caw-Caw! Caw-Caw!" but Fender ignores him while dancing with Loretta Geargrinder. Fender finally responds, leaving a flower for his dance girl. Cappy saves Rodney's life by escaping Bigweld Industries and flying her copter. Rodney says that he wasn't leaving until he finds Bigweld. Meanwhile, Fender walked Loretta home and dances with the tune of "Singing in the rain" unfortunately, a sweeper swallows him and takes him to the Chop Shop. Rodney and Cappy find Bigweld's place from the TV Show Rodney watched as a boy. He accidentally blows on some dominoes and they start falling.When a domino landed on a guliotine, all dominoes started forming an image of Bigweld, then a giant domino crashed the floor, Rodney and Cappy find Bigweld surfing on a domino as a surfboard. After Rodney showed Bigweld Wonderbot, the invention faints, very nervous under pressure. Bigweld tells Rodney to give up, Bigweld used to be a famous inventor, but Ratchet took over Bigweld Industries. Bigweld became old-fasioned, an outmode, so he retired. Rodney and Cappy leave Bigweld alone with his dominoes. At the Chop Shop, Fender found out that Ratchet realized that Rodney was fixing the outmodes, then a truck with sharp blades will start chopping down Rodney and evey outmode in Robot City. Fender loses his legs and finds a new pair, only that they were female robot legs. At the train station, Cappy has the ticket for Rodney to come back to Rivet Town, when Rodney called his dad, who was ill, he told him that Bigweld wasn't like he used to be. Herb tells his son that the dream he had, if he ever let him down, can haunt him forever. The Rusties came to the train station, to flee Robot City because of Ratchet. Fender (dressed as a girl, which Piper thinks he was her new sister) warns everyone that he went to Madame Gasket's Chop-shop, which was Ratchet's mother (Darn it),was going to chop up all the outmodes. Rodney tells the Rusties that they should fight back against Ratchet. Bigweld helps, when Aunt Fanny falls in love with. The employees at Bigweld Industries gasp and shout "Mr. Bigweld, sir!" Bigweld tells Ratchet that he is fired, but the crazy upgrade businessman made Bigweld have memory loss, which knocks him out. Ratchet orders the secruity bots to take Bigweld to the Chop-shop, Rodney, Wonderbot, and Cappy, stop Ratchet (with help from the Rusties for a huge butt-whoppin') Rodney fixes Bigweld, but everyone (Rodney, Bigweld, Fender, Lug, Crank, and Diesel) get stuck on magnet-cars. (Drivers: Cappy, Wonderbot, and Ratchet) Copperbottom releases Ratchet's plug, but Bigweld ends up in the Chop Shop. Rodney needs the Rusties to "upgrade" themselves. Rodney rescues Bigweld from being melted into the summer's upgrades, while Wonderbot battles Madame Gasket. The choppers are destroyed, Wonderbot tosses Madame Gasket into the melter, and Ratchet loses his upgrades, joining his father. Bigweld goes to Rivet Town to tell Herb and Ldyia Copperbottom that Rodney became his right-hand inventor. Herb becomes a musician, a marching band , a drummer, a bass-musician, and the red dancing robot join Herb. Bigweld gives Diesel a voice chip that makes him sing like James Brown. Before the credits, Loretta tries to dance with Fender, but his arms fall off. Wonderbot kicks Tim the Gate Guy out of the screen. The credits were in Bigweld's chalkboard.
Characters
Main
Supporting
Cameos
British voices
Locations
Movie director Chris Wedge says New York City (his hometown), Toronto, London, and a little future-like city inspired him to make the city.
There are three parts of the city:
- High End District (based on a futuristic city): The part of the city where the rich and famous robots live. Buildings and robots are all shiny and nearly everything is futuristic. Everyone here has a metal covering that hides all their inner workings. Bigweld Industries is here.
- Combustion District (based on a hybrid of Toronto and London): Middle-class place. It has a few rust spots, and robots have the internal workings similar to a 1950s car. Aunt Fanny's house is here, and the majority of the movie takes place here.
- Steam District (a parody of New York City ghettos):[citation needed] The lowest part of the city, and therefore the rustiest. Parts of the district resemble the inventions of the Industrial Revolution, and everywhere is filled with broken machines. Sweepers grab old robots and bring them to Madame Gasket's Chop Shop, where mutant robots then break and melt robots, turning them into upgrades.
Another major location of the film is Rivet Town. It is home to the Copperbottom family. Two of the buildings there are Gunk's Greasy Spoon and Flathead Floyd's. Rivet Town is based on Watertown, New York, where movie director Chris Wedge lived during his teens.
Release
The film was the first to feature (in US screenings) the new trailer for Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The movie featured the exclusive trailer for Ice Age: The Meltdown, then called Ice Age 2.
Critical response
The film received generally favorable reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 63% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 172 reviews.[1] Metacritic gives the a score of 64%, based on 33 reviews.[2]
Most critics liked the visual style and gags but panned the predictable story.[citation needed] The film was nominated for many awards in the category of best animated film, as well as awards for character design, best animated character, voice casting, and sound editing. However, it only won one, the MTV (Mexico) Movie Award for best song, "Un Héroe Real".[3]
Box office
The film was released March 11, 2005 in the United States and Canada and grossed $36 million in 3,776 theaters its opening weekend, ranking #1 at the box office.[4] It grossed a total of $260.7 million worldwide – $128.2 million in the United States and Canada and $132.5 million in other territories.[5]
Soundtrack
The Robots soundtrack was released in 2005 by Virgin Records.
- "From Zero To Hero" – Sarah Connor
- "Shine" – Ricky Fanté
- "Right Thurr" – Chingy
- "Tell me What You Already Did" – Fountains of Wayne
- "Wonderful Night" – Fatboy Slim
- "Get Up Offa That Thing" (All Dee Remix) – James Brown
- "(There's Gotta Be) More To Life" – Stacie Orrico
- "Love's Dance" – Earth, Wind and Fire
- "Low Rider" – War
- "I Like That" – Houston featuring Chingy, Nate Dogg and I-20
- "Silence" – Gomez
- "Walkie Talkie Man" – Steriogram
- "Un Héroe Real" – Aleks Syntek
- "Robot City" – John Powell featuring Blue Man Group
Other songs in the film include:
See also
References
External links
