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Robot Stories (2004)
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Reviews Counted:41
Fresh:29
Rotten:12
Average Rating:6.6/10
Consensus: Although its 4 stories vary in quality, Robot Stories is still worth a look for Twilight Zone fans.
Runtime: 85 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Theatrical Release:Feb 13, 2004 Limited
Synopsis: Set in the near future, "Robot Stories" tells stories of human beings struggling to connect with each other in a world of mechanical office workers and robot babies. Featuring film stars Tamlyn... Set in the near future, "Robot Stories" tells stories of human beings struggling to connect with each other in a world of mechanical office workers and robot babies. Featuring film stars Tamlyn Tomita ("The Joy Luck Club," "Picture Bride") and Sab Shimono ("The Big Hit," "Jackie Chan Adventures") in four stories, the film explores love, death, family... and robots. The stories include: "My Robot Baby" Before they can adopt a human child, young professionals Marcia (Tamlyn Tomita) and Roy (James Saito) must prove themselves by taking care of a robot baby. But when Roy leaves on a business emergency and the robot begins to malfunction, Marcia must confront her fears of the machine - and of motherhood itself. "The Robot Fixer" Bernice Chin (Wai Ching Ho) has never really known her estranged son Wilson. Now a car accident has put Wilson into a coma. And the only clue he's left behind is a box of twenty-year-old toy robots. As her daughter Grace (Cindy Cheung) presses her to deal with Wilson's deteriorating condition, Bernice becomes obsessed with Wilson's toys, as if repairing the robots will help her connect with her unreachable son. "Machine Love" The latest component of the digital office, the Sprout G9 iPerson is a walking, talking coding machine programmed to fit seamlessly into its work environment by learning from its human co-workers. But when he finds himself in an oppressive office surrounded by dysfunctional people, a G9 named Archie (Greg Pak) learns just how much he needs love. "Clay" In John Lee's world, technology allows people to scan their memories - and thus their consciousness - into computers. John (Sab Shimono), an old sculptor, struggles to complete his design for a major public square project, but his body is falling apart. His doctor, his son Tommy (Ron Domingo), and his digitized wife Helen (Eisa Davis) all tell him the same thing - it's time to get scanned. Then he'll merge with all human knowledge and experience, achieving perfect love, perfect art. But John resists, fighting for the right to struggle and die. [More]
Starring: Tamlyn Tomita, Sab Shimono
Starring: Tamlyn Tomita, Sab Shimono
Director: Greg Pak
Director: Greg Pak
Screenwriter: Greg Pak
Producer: Kim Ima, Greg Pak
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Reviews for Robot Stories
It's a confident first feature from director-to-watch Greg Pak, one that pulls off sci-fi ideas with a lo-fi budget.
Each story has a unique style and something profound and/or wonderful to say. The players might be artificial, but the human drama is real.
The title encourages us to think of Robot Stories as the cinematic equivalent of a book of short stories, and I'd say a book in which half the stories are excellent is not a bad bet.
Pak sets himself up as a filmmaker to watch, a creator of intelligent, thoughtful stories that refuse to be contained by traditional definition.
The four stories expertly touch on the human side of relationships, even when using robots, toys or uploaded memories to get their points across.
Greg Pak's fantasy anthology piece, which details the ways robots have complicated the lives of humans, has a dexterous sense of wonder that nonetheless leaves the film feeling a bit detached.
Clearly the work of a beginning filmmaker, modestly budgeted and variable in effect, but it shows promise.
This collection of four thinly connected pieces possesses an immediate relevance grounded in the everyday tension between the real and the artificial and ever-narrowing distinction between the two.
The stories, which range in length from 20 to 25 minutes, have an unhurried pace but they never dawdle and never bore.
Offers considerably more insight into the conceptions of real and artificial intelligence and emotion than the immensely overrated debacle that is AI: Artificial Intelligence.
Part of the minimalist allure of Robot Stories is that it's much more than the sum of its parts.
Following in the footsteps of Ray Bradbury, Rod Serling and Philip K. Dick rather than George Lucas, Pak returns to the tradition of intelligent, humanistic sci-fi and reminds us of the value of good genre fiction.
These are simple stories, most with a strong insightful element. All but one really says more about humanity than about robots.
Each vignette is worthy of admiration — not too much admiration, as Pak's ability as a storyteller is more developed than his filmmaking skills.
They're not like the "Twilight Zone" which is an easy comparison; they're more deep, artistic and subtle.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
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