Bicentennial Man
Starring:Robin Williams, Embeth Davidtz, Sam Neill, Oliver Platt, Kiersten Warren, Wendy Crewson, Hallie Kate Eisenberg, Lindze Letherman, Angela Landis, John Michael Higgins, Bradley Whitford, Igor Hiller, Joe Bellan, Brett Wagner, Stephen Root, Scott Waugh, Quinn Smith (II), Kristy Connelly, Jay Johnston, George Wallace
Director: Chris Columbus
Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone
Product Type: DVD
Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Bicentennial Man was stung at the 1999 box office, due no doubt in part to poor timing during a backlash against Robin Williams and his treacly performances in two other, then-recent releases, Jakob the Liar and Patch Adams. But this near-approximation of a science fiction epic, based on works by Isaac Asimov and directed, with uncharacteristic seriousness of purpose, by Chris Columbus (Mrs. Doubtfire), is much better than one would have known from the knee-jerk negativity and box-office indifference.
Williams plays Andrew, a robot programmed for domestic chores and sold to an upper-middle-class family, the Martins, in the year 2005. The family patriarch (Sam Neill) recognizes and encourages Andrew's uncommon characteristics, particularly his artistic streak, sensitivity to beauty, humor, and independence of spirit. In so doing, he sets Williams's tin man on a two-century journey to become more human than most human beings.
As adapted by screenwriter Nicholas Kazan, the movie's scale is novelistic, though Columbus isn't the man to embrace with Spielbergian confidence its sweeping possibilities. Instead, the Home Alone director shakes off his familiar tendencies to pander and matures, finally, as a captivating storyteller. But what really makes this film matter is its undercurrent of deep yearning, the passion of Andrew as a convert to the human race and his willingness to sacrifice all to give and take love. Williams rises to an atypical challenge here as a futuristic Everyman, relying, perhaps for the first time, on his considerable iconic value to make the point that becoming human means becoming more like Robin Williams. Nothing wrong with that. --Tom Keogh
Description
From the acclaimed director of MRS. DOUBTFIRE, Academy Award(R)-winner Robin Williams (1997, Best Actor, GOOD WILL HUNTING) stars in a delightfully heartwarming comedy about one extraordinary android who just wants to be an ordinary guy! It doesn't take long for the Martin family to realize Andrew (Williams), who was purchased as a mere "household appliance," is no run-of-the-mill robot! Funny, incredibly lifelike, and possessing an astounding level of creativity, this special machine soon takes on a life of his own -- and eventually begins a centuries-long quest to achieve true humanity! A crowd-pleasing comedy hit -- everyone is sure to love this touchingly entertaining movie treat!
Average customer rating:
- A worthy effort in robot movies
- Biventeenial Man
- more than excellent
- Of course the book was better
- An Android's Search for the meaning of Life
|
Bicentennial Man
Starring: Robin Williams , Embeth Davidtz , Sam Neill , Oliver Platt , and Kiersten Warren
Director: Chris Columbus
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
 General
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Similar Items:
- A.I. - Artificial Intelligence (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
- Patch Adams - Collector's Edition
- What Dreams May Come
- Mission To Mars
- Minority Report (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
ASIN: 630587493X
Release Date: 2000-06-13 |
Amazon.com
Bicentennial Man was stung at the 1999 box office, due no doubt in part to poor timing during a backlash against Robin Williams and his treacly performances in two other, then-recent releases, Jakob the Liar and Patch Adams. But this near-approximation of a science fiction epic, based on works by Isaac Asimov and directed, with uncharacteristic seriousness of purpose, by Chris Columbus (Mrs. Doubtfire), is much better than one would have known from the knee-jerk negativity and box-office indifference.
Williams plays Andrew, a robot programmed for domestic chores and sold to an upper-middle-class family, the Martins, in the year 2005. The family patriarch (Sam Neill) recognizes and encourages Andrew's uncommon characteristics, particularly his artistic streak, sensitivity to beauty, humor, and independence of spirit. In so doing, he sets Williams's tin man on a two-century journey to become more human than most human beings.
As adapted by screenwriter Nicholas Kazan, the movie's scale is novelistic, though Columbus isn't the man to embrace with Spielbergian confidence its sweeping possibilities. Instead, the Home Alone director shakes off his familiar tendencies to pander and matures, finally, as a captivating storyteller. But what really makes this film matter is its undercurrent of deep yearning, the passion of Andrew as a convert to the human race and his willingness to sacrifice all to give and take love. Williams rises to an atypical challenge here as a futuristic Everyman, relying, perhaps for the first time, on his considerable iconic value to make the point that becoming human means becoming more like Robin Williams. Nothing wrong with that. --Tom Keogh
Description
From the acclaimed director of MRS. DOUBTFIRE, Academy Award(R)-winner Robin Williams (1997, Best Actor, GOOD WILL HUNTING) stars in a delightfully heartwarming comedy about one extraordinary android who just wants to be an ordinary guy! It doesn't take long for the Martin family to realize Andrew (Williams), who was purchased as a mere "household appliance," is no run-of-the-mill robot! Funny, incredibly lifelike, and possessing an astounding level of creativity, this special machine soon takes on a life of his own -- and eventually begins a centuries-long quest to achieve true humanity! A crowd-pleasing comedy hit -- everyone is sure to love this touchingly entertaining movie treat!
Customer Reviews:
A worthy effort in robot movies.......2007-07-03
All of you testosterone junkies beware. There is NO action in Bicentennial Man. None whatsoever. My guess is the action buffs would call this movie a chick flick because of the lack of violence and focus on emotional development. I pity you poor slobs for being so narrow minded. Bicentennial Man is like an autobiography. With that in mind the movie makes perfect sense and achieves what it sets out to do.
First lets get to the sci-fi stuff. The movie is supposed to open in the year 2005, which is roughly five years after the movie was made. No idea why they decided on just a short time. Obviously we never developed positronic brains and fully self-capable robots, but that's just nit picking. Add a couple of decades to the movie's timeline and all is well. The android technology was well done and believable. Also the 'upgrades' that Andrew (the android) does during his lifetime tend to be believable as well. Not much other tech stuff in the movie. You'll see a hover car here and some fancy tools there, but for the most part the technology in this movie is focused on the androids.
Because the movie's timeline covers about 200 years (thus the movie title) character development for the humans have been sped up, but not to the point to where you don't see it. There are a few one dimensional or static characters in the movie. The important characters fortunately aren't. Bicentennial Man is about character development by the way. It's about how Andrew becomes more and more human and how the humans around him adjust to how much he evolves.
The acting was well done of course. I have to give notice to child actress Hallie Kate Eisenberg for doing a great job as the youngest of the Martin family children. The movie is full of beautiful scenes both natural and technological. One thing that bugged me was there were some breathtaking futuristic cityscapes in Bicentennial Man, but they don't show any of them until much later in the movie. That tends to make the movie unbalanced as far as imagery is concerned.
If you like dramas then Bicentennial Man will hit the spot. If you like epics then you should be able to get something out of this movie too. It also makes a good date movie since it also involves love and relationships and all that mushy stuff. For the average science fiction fan as long as you're not all freaky about things having to blow up or anything like that then you too will enjoy Bicentennial Man.
Biventeenial Man.......2007-07-03
I bought this as a gift for my daughter who just fell in love with the characters. I really enjoy it too. This saga, quest and journey leads a person through such intensity, happiness and bittersweet sorrow. A true love story that isn't sappy. I recommend it it to anyone.
more than excellent.......2007-06-27
This moviw is fantastic and arrives also early tha I was prepared to, so this is good.
Of course the book was better.......2007-06-25
I've always liked Robin Williams, and I grew up reading Isaac Asimov. That's the problem. I'm sure that if you never read the novella, you really enjoy the movie. But like most people who read the story first, I can't get past the fact that the storyline was butchered for the sake of making the movie. Asimov rarely included romance in his writing, and what little he did wasn't included in Bicentennial Man. Maybe if they just called it something else, or said "loosely based on ideas and characters created by Isaac Asimov."
For those of you who have never read Isaac Asimov's original, enjoy this movie. It has special effects and a storyline you don't already know, and one of Robin Williams's better performances. But if you've read the book, don't disappoint yourself.
An Android's Search for the meaning of Life.......2007-04-28
Williams plays Andrew, a household robot of the future, who, through a melted circuit, developes his own personality, and questions his reason for being. While the movie was touted as a comedy (there are very funny bits with Oliver Platt acting as his adopted mentor and `parts improver'), it is more poignant than this.
This film is a very well done study in humanity. Using a supposed inhuman character as the lead character, we are slapped in the face with a reality that has becaome all too common place in our society - the living in fear with not only the unknown, but living in fear because our government tells us we must. In the future, discrimination between races and beliefs is replaced with humans using androids as their focus of hate and rascism.
Andrew the Android (Williams), having become self-aware, learns to hide his uniqueness, in a simple attempt to survive destruction. Not only does he learn to mask his abilities to the public, he is forced to hide his developed emotions, provided through one of Platt's programs. While this makes for a great story, it is a comment on how humans interact in the real world.
As he searches for legitamacy, he demands Platt replace his robotic parts with more humanistic features in a desire to be nothing more than to be accepted by humans.
Centuries pass in this sad tale. Political stances in our so called modern mores are questioned. And in the end (GOD I HATE to give it away...) Andrew discovers love, how painful it can be, and learns that death is the ultimate definition of life.
I recommend this film for those who can stand introspection. If you are looking for a comedy, stop halfway through. The second half will jerk your heart, and hopefully open your eyes to the search that we all live for...the search for what makes us human.
I gave this 4 stars due to the trailers making this a comedy. I love Robim Williams in his serious roles. He has a gift of drawing us into the characters he plays. One of my favorites is `The Fisher King'.
Rent the movie, and be prepared to come to grips with your own feelings about stereotypes.
Average customer rating:
|
Bicentennial Man/Phenomenon
Starring: John Travolta , Kyra Sedgwick , Forest Whitaker , Robert Duvall , and Jeffrey DeMunn
Director: Jon Turteltaub , and Chris Columbus
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
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| ( G )
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| ( K )
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| ( M )
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O'Bryan, Sean
| ( O )
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ASIN: B00005KAR8
Release Date: 2001-11-06 |
Description
Bicentennial Man - English/French DVD- From the acclaimed director of MRS. DOUBTFIRE, Academy Award(R)-winner Robin Williams (1997, Best Actor, GOOD WILL HUNTING) stars in a delightfully heartwarming comedy about one extraordinary android who just wants to be an ordinary guy! It doesn't take long for the Martin family to realize Andrew (Williams), who was purchased as a mere "household appliance," is no run-of-the-mill robot! Funny, incredibly lifelike, and possessing an astounding level of creativity, this special machine soon takes on a life of his own -- and eventually begins a centuries-long quest to achieve true humanity! A crowd-pleasing comedy hit -- everyone is sure to love this touchingly entertaining movie treat! Phenomenon - English/French DVD- Hollywood favorite John Travolta (SWORDFISH, PULP FICTION) stars in this acclaimed, uplifting story of an ordinary man transformed by extraordinary events! On the night of his 37th birthday, George Malley (Travolta) is knocked to the ground by a mysterious, blinding light and suddenly develops amazing mental abilities! With his newfound knowledge, George astounds everyone in town. But when his incredible powers cause even his oldest friends to turn away, George comes to realize that his wondrous experience has changed him and the lives of everyone around him forever. With an outstanding supporting cast featuring Robert Duvall (SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT), Forest Whitaker (SPECIES), and Kyra Sedgwick (SINGLES) -- don't miss this must-see motion picture event!
![Bicentennial Man [Region 2]](http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/21FQP5ZF66L.jpg)
Average customer rating:
- A worthy effort in robot movies
- Biventeenial Man
- more than excellent
- Of course the book was better
- An Android's Search for the meaning of Life
|
Bicentennial Man [Region 2]
Starring: Robin Williams , Embeth Davidtz , Sam Neill , Oliver Platt , and Kiersten Warren
Director: Chris Columbus
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
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| ( H )
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| ( N )
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| ( P )
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Root, Stephen
| ( R )
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Wallace, George
| ( W )
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Waugh, Scott
| ( W )
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Whitford, Bradley
| ( W )
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Similar Items:
- A.I. - Artificial Intelligence (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
- Patch Adams - Collector's Edition
- What Dreams May Come
- Mission To Mars
- Minority Report (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
ASIN: B00004UF0Y |
Amazon.com
Bicentennial Man was stung at the 1999 box office, due no doubt in part to poor timing during a backlash against Robin Williams and his treacly performances in two other, then-recent releases, Jakob the Liar and Patch Adams. But this near-approximation of a science fiction epic, based on works by Isaac Asimov and directed, with uncharacteristic seriousness of purpose, by Chris Columbus (Mrs. Doubtfire), is much better than one would have known from the knee-jerk negativity and box-office indifference.
Williams plays Andrew, a robot programmed for domestic chores and sold to an upper-middle-class family, the Martins, in the year 2005. The family patriarch (Sam Neill) recognizes and encourages Andrew's uncommon characteristics, particularly his artistic streak, sensitivity to beauty, humor, and independence of spirit. In so doing, he sets Williams's tin man on a two-century journey to become more human than most human beings.
As adapted by screenwriter Nicholas Kazan, the movie's scale is novelistic, though Columbus isn't the man to embrace with Spielbergian confidence its sweeping possibilities. Instead, the Home Alone director shakes off his familiar tendencies to pander and matures, finally, as a captivating storyteller. But what really makes this film matter is its undercurrent of deep yearning, the passion of Andrew as a convert to the human race and his willingness to sacrifice all to give and take love. Williams rises to an atypical challenge here as a futuristic Everyman, relying, perhaps for the first time, on his considerable iconic value to make the point that becoming human means becoming more like Robin Williams. Nothing wrong with that. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews:
A worthy effort in robot movies.......2007-07-03
All of you testosterone junkies beware. There is NO action in Bicentennial Man. None whatsoever. My guess is the action buffs would call this movie a chick flick because of the lack of violence and focus on emotional development. I pity you poor slobs for being so narrow minded. Bicentennial Man is like an autobiography. With that in mind the movie makes perfect sense and achieves what it sets out to do.
First lets get to the sci-fi stuff. The movie is supposed to open in the year 2005, which is roughly five years after the movie was made. No idea why they decided on just a short time. Obviously we never developed positronic brains and fully self-capable robots, but that's just nit picking. Add a couple of decades to the movie's timeline and all is well. The android technology was well done and believable. Also the 'upgrades' that Andrew (the android) does during his lifetime tend to be believable as well. Not much other tech stuff in the movie. You'll see a hover car here and some fancy tools there, but for the most part the technology in this movie is focused on the androids.
Because the movie's timeline covers about 200 years (thus the movie title) character development for the humans have been sped up, but not to the point to where you don't see it. There are a few one dimensional or static characters in the movie. The important characters fortunately aren't. Bicentennial Man is about character development by the way. It's about how Andrew becomes more and more human and how the humans around him adjust to how much he evolves.
The acting was well done of course. I have to give notice to child actress Hallie Kate Eisenberg for doing a great job as the youngest of the Martin family children. The movie is full of beautiful scenes both natural and technological. One thing that bugged me was there were some breathtaking futuristic cityscapes in Bicentennial Man, but they don't show any of them until much later in the movie. That tends to make the movie unbalanced as far as imagery is concerned.
If you like dramas then Bicentennial Man will hit the spot. If you like epics then you should be able to get something out of this movie too. It also makes a good date movie since it also involves love and relationships and all that mushy stuff. For the average science fiction fan as long as you're not all freaky about things having to blow up or anything like that then you too will enjoy Bicentennial Man.
Biventeenial Man.......2007-07-03
I bought this as a gift for my daughter who just fell in love with the characters. I really enjoy it too. This saga, quest and journey leads a person through such intensity, happiness and bittersweet sorrow. A true love story that isn't sappy. I recommend it it to anyone.
more than excellent.......2007-06-27
This moviw is fantastic and arrives also early tha I was prepared to, so this is good.
Of course the book was better.......2007-06-25
I've always liked Robin Williams, and I grew up reading Isaac Asimov. That's the problem. I'm sure that if you never read the novella, you really enjoy the movie. But like most people who read the story first, I can't get past the fact that the storyline was butchered for the sake of making the movie. Asimov rarely included romance in his writing, and what little he did wasn't included in Bicentennial Man. Maybe if they just called it something else, or said "loosely based on ideas and characters created by Isaac Asimov."
For those of you who have never read Isaac Asimov's original, enjoy this movie. It has special effects and a storyline you don't already know, and one of Robin Williams's better performances. But if you've read the book, don't disappoint yourself.
An Android's Search for the meaning of Life.......2007-04-28
Williams plays Andrew, a household robot of the future, who, through a melted circuit, developes his own personality, and questions his reason for being. While the movie was touted as a comedy (there are very funny bits with Oliver Platt acting as his adopted mentor and `parts improver'), it is more poignant than this.
This film is a very well done study in humanity. Using a supposed inhuman character as the lead character, we are slapped in the face with a reality that has becaome all too common place in our society - the living in fear with not only the unknown, but living in fear because our government tells us we must. In the future, discrimination between races and beliefs is replaced with humans using androids as their focus of hate and rascism.
Andrew the Android (Williams), having become self-aware, learns to hide his uniqueness, in a simple attempt to survive destruction. Not only does he learn to mask his abilities to the public, he is forced to hide his developed emotions, provided through one of Platt's programs. While this makes for a great story, it is a comment on how humans interact in the real world.
As he searches for legitamacy, he demands Platt replace his robotic parts with more humanistic features in a desire to be nothing more than to be accepted by humans.
Centuries pass in this sad tale. Political stances in our so called modern mores are questioned. And in the end (GOD I HATE to give it away...) Andrew discovers love, how painful it can be, and learns that death is the ultimate definition of life.
I recommend this film for those who can stand introspection. If you are looking for a comedy, stop halfway through. The second half will jerk your heart, and hopefully open your eyes to the search that we all live for...the search for what makes us human.
I gave this 4 stars due to the trailers making this a comedy. I love Robim Williams in his serious roles. He has a gift of drawing us into the characters he plays. One of my favorites is `The Fisher King'.
Rent the movie, and be prepared to come to grips with your own feelings about stereotypes.
![Bicentennial Man [Region 2]](http://www.germanelectronics88.com/noimage.gif)
Average customer rating:
- A worthy effort in robot movies
- Biventeenial Man
- more than excellent
- Of course the book was better
- An Android's Search for the meaning of Life
|
Bicentennial Man [Region 2]
Starring: Robin Williams , Embeth Davidtz , Sam Neill , Oliver Platt , and Kiersten Warren
Director: Chris Columbus
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Crewson, Wendy
| ( C )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Davidtz, Embeth
| ( D )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Higgins, John Michael
| ( H )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Neill, Sam
| ( N )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Platt, Oliver
| ( P )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Root, Stephen
| ( R )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Wallace, George
| ( W )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Waugh, Scott
| ( W )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Whitford, Bradley
| ( W )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Williams, Robin
| ( W )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Columbus, Chris
| ( C )
| Directors
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
( B )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
| Video
Similar Items:
- A.I. - Artificial Intelligence (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
- Patch Adams - Collector's Edition
- What Dreams May Come
- Mission To Mars
- Minority Report (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
ASIN: B00004TLAO |
Amazon.com
Bicentennial Man was stung at the 1999 box office, due no doubt in part to poor timing during a backlash against Robin Williams and his treacly performances in two other, then-recent releases, Jakob the Liar and Patch Adams. But this near-approximation of a science fiction epic, based on works by Isaac Asimov and directed, with uncharacteristic seriousness of purpose, by Chris Columbus (Mrs. Doubtfire), is much better than one would have known from the knee-jerk negativity and box-office indifference.
Williams plays Andrew, a robot programmed for domestic chores and sold to an upper-middle-class family, the Martins, in the year 2005. The family patriarch (Sam Neill) recognizes and encourages Andrew's uncommon characteristics, particularly his artistic streak, sensitivity to beauty, humor, and independence of spirit. In so doing, he sets Williams's tin man on a two-century journey to become more human than most human beings.
As adapted by screenwriter Nicholas Kazan, the movie's scale is novelistic, though Columbus isn't the man to embrace with Spielbergian confidence its sweeping possibilities. Instead, the Home Alone director shakes off his familiar tendencies to pander and matures, finally, as a captivating storyteller. But what really makes this film matter is its undercurrent of deep yearning, the passion of Andrew as a convert to the human race and his willingness to sacrifice all to give and take love. Williams rises to an atypical challenge here as a futuristic Everyman, relying, perhaps for the first time, on his considerable iconic value to make the point that becoming human means becoming more like Robin Williams. Nothing wrong with that. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews:
A worthy effort in robot movies.......2007-07-03
All of you testosterone junkies beware. There is NO action in Bicentennial Man. None whatsoever. My guess is the action buffs would call this movie a chick flick because of the lack of violence and focus on emotional development. I pity you poor slobs for being so narrow minded. Bicentennial Man is like an autobiography. With that in mind the movie makes perfect sense and achieves what it sets out to do.
First lets get to the sci-fi stuff. The movie is supposed to open in the year 2005, which is roughly five years after the movie was made. No idea why they decided on just a short time. Obviously we never developed positronic brains and fully self-capable robots, but that's just nit picking. Add a couple of decades to the movie's timeline and all is well. The android technology was well done and believable. Also the 'upgrades' that Andrew (the android) does during his lifetime tend to be believable as well. Not much other tech stuff in the movie. You'll see a hover car here and some fancy tools there, but for the most part the technology in this movie is focused on the androids.
Because the movie's timeline covers about 200 years (thus the movie title) character development for the humans have been sped up, but not to the point to where you don't see it. There are a few one dimensional or static characters in the movie. The important characters fortunately aren't. Bicentennial Man is about character development by the way. It's about how Andrew becomes more and more human and how the humans around him adjust to how much he evolves.
The acting was well done of course. I have to give notice to child actress Hallie Kate Eisenberg for doing a great job as the youngest of the Martin family children. The movie is full of beautiful scenes both natural and technological. One thing that bugged me was there were some breathtaking futuristic cityscapes in Bicentennial Man, but they don't show any of them until much later in the movie. That tends to make the movie unbalanced as far as imagery is concerned.
If you like dramas then Bicentennial Man will hit the spot. If you like epics then you should be able to get something out of this movie too. It also makes a good date movie since it also involves love and relationships and all that mushy stuff. For the average science fiction fan as long as you're not all freaky about things having to blow up or anything like that then you too will enjoy Bicentennial Man.
Biventeenial Man.......2007-07-03
I bought this as a gift for my daughter who just fell in love with the characters. I really enjoy it too. This saga, quest and journey leads a person through such intensity, happiness and bittersweet sorrow. A true love story that isn't sappy. I recommend it it to anyone.
more than excellent.......2007-06-27
This moviw is fantastic and arrives also early tha I was prepared to, so this is good.
Of course the book was better.......2007-06-25
I've always liked Robin Williams, and I grew up reading Isaac Asimov. That's the problem. I'm sure that if you never read the novella, you really enjoy the movie. But like most people who read the story first, I can't get past the fact that the storyline was butchered for the sake of making the movie. Asimov rarely included romance in his writing, and what little he did wasn't included in Bicentennial Man. Maybe if they just called it something else, or said "loosely based on ideas and characters created by Isaac Asimov."
For those of you who have never read Isaac Asimov's original, enjoy this movie. It has special effects and a storyline you don't already know, and one of Robin Williams's better performances. But if you've read the book, don't disappoint yourself.
An Android's Search for the meaning of Life.......2007-04-28
Williams plays Andrew, a household robot of the future, who, through a melted circuit, developes his own personality, and questions his reason for being. While the movie was touted as a comedy (there are very funny bits with Oliver Platt acting as his adopted mentor and `parts improver'), it is more poignant than this.
This film is a very well done study in humanity. Using a supposed inhuman character as the lead character, we are slapped in the face with a reality that has becaome all too common place in our society - the living in fear with not only the unknown, but living in fear because our government tells us we must. In the future, discrimination between races and beliefs is replaced with humans using androids as their focus of hate and rascism.
Andrew the Android (Williams), having become self-aware, learns to hide his uniqueness, in a simple attempt to survive destruction. Not only does he learn to mask his abilities to the public, he is forced to hide his developed emotions, provided through one of Platt's programs. While this makes for a great story, it is a comment on how humans interact in the real world.
As he searches for legitamacy, he demands Platt replace his robotic parts with more humanistic features in a desire to be nothing more than to be accepted by humans.
Centuries pass in this sad tale. Political stances in our so called modern mores are questioned. And in the end (GOD I HATE to give it away...) Andrew discovers love, how painful it can be, and learns that death is the ultimate definition of life.
I recommend this film for those who can stand introspection. If you are looking for a comedy, stop halfway through. The second half will jerk your heart, and hopefully open your eyes to the search that we all live for...the search for what makes us human.
I gave this 4 stars due to the trailers making this a comedy. I love Robim Williams in his serious roles. He has a gift of drawing us into the characters he plays. One of my favorites is `The Fisher King'.
Rent the movie, and be prepared to come to grips with your own feelings about stereotypes.
![Bicentennial Man [Region 2]](http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/21H7SY3VX9L.jpg)
Average customer rating:
- A worthy effort in robot movies
- Biventeenial Man
- more than excellent
- Of course the book was better
- An Android's Search for the meaning of Life
|
Bicentennial Man [Region 2]
Starring: Robin Williams , Embeth Davidtz , Sam Neill , Oliver Platt , and Kiersten Warren
Director: Chris Columbus
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Crewson, Wendy
| ( C )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Davidtz, Embeth
| ( D )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Higgins, John Michael
| ( H )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Neill, Sam
| ( N )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Platt, Oliver
| ( P )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Root, Stephen
| ( R )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Wallace, George
| ( W )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Waugh, Scott
| ( W )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Whitford, Bradley
| ( W )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Williams, Robin
| ( W )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Columbus, Chris
| ( C )
| Directors
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
( B )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
| Video
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- Mission To Mars
- Minority Report (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
ASIN: B0000501VK |
Amazon.com
Bicentennial Man was stung at the 1999 box office, due no doubt in part to poor timing during a backlash against Robin Williams and his treacly performances in two other, then-recent releases, Jakob the Liar and Patch Adams. But this near-approximation of a science fiction epic, based on works by Isaac Asimov and directed, with uncharacteristic seriousness of purpose, by Chris Columbus (Mrs. Doubtfire), is much better than one would have known from the knee-jerk negativity and box-office indifference.
Williams plays Andrew, a robot programmed for domestic chores and sold to an upper-middle-class family, the Martins, in the year 2005. The family patriarch (Sam Neill) recognizes and encourages Andrew's uncommon characteristics, particularly his artistic streak, sensitivity to beauty, humor, and independence of spirit. In so doing, he sets Williams's tin man on a two-century journey to become more human than most human beings.
As adapted by screenwriter Nicholas Kazan, the movie's scale is novelistic, though Columbus isn't the man to embrace with Spielbergian confidence its sweeping possibilities. Instead, the Home Alone director shakes off his familiar tendencies to pander and matures, finally, as a captivating storyteller. But what really makes this film matter is its undercurrent of deep yearning, the passion of Andrew as a convert to the human race and his willingness to sacrifice all to give and take love. Williams rises to an atypical challenge here as a futuristic Everyman, relying, perhaps for the first time, on his considerable iconic value to make the point that becoming human means becoming more like Robin Williams. Nothing wrong with that. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews:
A worthy effort in robot movies.......2007-07-03
All of you testosterone junkies beware. There is NO action in Bicentennial Man. None whatsoever. My guess is the action buffs would call this movie a chick flick because of the lack of violence and focus on emotional development. I pity you poor slobs for being so narrow minded. Bicentennial Man is like an autobiography. With that in mind the movie makes perfect sense and achieves what it sets out to do.
First lets get to the sci-fi stuff. The movie is supposed to open in the year 2005, which is roughly five years after the movie was made. No idea why they decided on just a short time. Obviously we never developed positronic brains and fully self-capable robots, but that's just nit picking. Add a couple of decades to the movie's timeline and all is well. The android technology was well done and believable. Also the 'upgrades' that Andrew (the android) does during his lifetime tend to be believable as well. Not much other tech stuff in the movie. You'll see a hover car here and some fancy tools there, but for the most part the technology in this movie is focused on the androids.
Because the movie's timeline covers about 200 years (thus the movie title) character development for the humans have been sped up, but not to the point to where you don't see it. There are a few one dimensional or static characters in the movie. The important characters fortunately aren't. Bicentennial Man is about character development by the way. It's about how Andrew becomes more and more human and how the humans around him adjust to how much he evolves.
The acting was well done of course. I have to give notice to child actress Hallie Kate Eisenberg for doing a great job as the youngest of the Martin family children. The movie is full of beautiful scenes both natural and technological. One thing that bugged me was there were some breathtaking futuristic cityscapes in Bicentennial Man, but they don't show any of them until much later in the movie. That tends to make the movie unbalanced as far as imagery is concerned.
If you like dramas then Bicentennial Man will hit the spot. If you like epics then you should be able to get something out of this movie too. It also makes a good date movie since it also involves love and relationships and all that mushy stuff. For the average science fiction fan as long as you're not all freaky about things having to blow up or anything like that then you too will enjoy Bicentennial Man.
Biventeenial Man.......2007-07-03
I bought this as a gift for my daughter who just fell in love with the characters. I really enjoy it too. This saga, quest and journey leads a person through such intensity, happiness and bittersweet sorrow. A true love story that isn't sappy. I recommend it it to anyone.
more than excellent.......2007-06-27
This moviw is fantastic and arrives also early tha I was prepared to, so this is good.
Of course the book was better.......2007-06-25
I've always liked Robin Williams, and I grew up reading Isaac Asimov. That's the problem. I'm sure that if you never read the novella, you really enjoy the movie. But like most people who read the story first, I can't get past the fact that the storyline was butchered for the sake of making the movie. Asimov rarely included romance in his writing, and what little he did wasn't included in Bicentennial Man. Maybe if they just called it something else, or said "loosely based on ideas and characters created by Isaac Asimov."
For those of you who have never read Isaac Asimov's original, enjoy this movie. It has special effects and a storyline you don't already know, and one of Robin Williams's better performances. But if you've read the book, don't disappoint yourself.
An Android's Search for the meaning of Life.......2007-04-28
Williams plays Andrew, a household robot of the future, who, through a melted circuit, developes his own personality, and questions his reason for being. While the movie was touted as a comedy (there are very funny bits with Oliver Platt acting as his adopted mentor and `parts improver'), it is more poignant than this.
This film is a very well done study in humanity. Using a supposed inhuman character as the lead character, we are slapped in the face with a reality that has becaome all too common place in our society - the living in fear with not only the unknown, but living in fear because our government tells us we must. In the future, discrimination between races and beliefs is replaced with humans using androids as their focus of hate and rascism.
Andrew the Android (Williams), having become self-aware, learns to hide his uniqueness, in a simple attempt to survive destruction. Not only does he learn to mask his abilities to the public, he is forced to hide his developed emotions, provided through one of Platt's programs. While this makes for a great story, it is a comment on how humans interact in the real world.
As he searches for legitamacy, he demands Platt replace his robotic parts with more humanistic features in a desire to be nothing more than to be accepted by humans.
Centuries pass in this sad tale. Political stances in our so called modern mores are questioned. And in the end (GOD I HATE to give it away...) Andrew discovers love, how painful it can be, and learns that death is the ultimate definition of life.
I recommend this film for those who can stand introspection. If you are looking for a comedy, stop halfway through. The second half will jerk your heart, and hopefully open your eyes to the search that we all live for...the search for what makes us human.
I gave this 4 stars due to the trailers making this a comedy. I love Robim Williams in his serious roles. He has a gift of drawing us into the characters he plays. One of my favorites is `The Fisher King'.
Rent the movie, and be prepared to come to grips with your own feelings about stereotypes.
DVD:
- What a Girl Wants (Widescreen Edition)
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- Cheaper by the Dozen
- Beautiful Thing
- Chasing Liberty (Widescreen Edition)
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