iRobot and X-Men: quick reviews
iRobot: Will Smith stars in Isaac Isamov’s sci fi thriller. Original story develops several interesting themes about cloning, scientific progress, paternalism and anthropomorphism. Also, a prescient warning of the danger of automatic updates (think: Microsoft). The robot “sonny” is surprisingly convincing; Will smith is good but not great.
X-Men: Growing up, I loved the comic book. I liked the movie because I had entirely forgotten all the details of the main storyline of the X-Men. Like iRobot, it raises questions about what it means to be human and about scientific progress. Unlike iRobot, the X-Men aren’t clones but have unique mutations that give them superhuman powers. In addition, the X-Men story intentionally sets up a parallel between teenage angst and the mutant equivalent. My low expectations of the movie were exceeded: although accessible to all sci fi aficionados, I especially recommend this movie to X-Men fans.
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