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Movies / On DVD / Robot Stories
Robot Stories

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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

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Nov 16, 2004

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Reviews for Robot Stories

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z)
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As a complete work, Robot Stories is a solid collection.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
05/09/04
Marjorie Baumgarten
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle

While Pak shows promise, especially with the final segment, a meditation on the existence of the soul, his reach ultimately exceeds his grasp.

Full Review Source: Las Vegas Weekly | comment Comment
08/05/04
Josh Bell
Josh Bell
Las Vegas Weekly

The collection can be summed up in four words I never thought I'd see together: science-fiction chamber music.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
02/19/04
Scott Brown
Scott Brown
Entertainment Weekly
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The four stories expertly touch on the human side of relationships, even when using robots, toys or uploaded memories to get their points across.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
01/10/04
Doug Brunell
Doug Brunell
Film Threat

Mr. Pak accomplishes the rare feat of making the viewer think and wonder as he sheds light on little corners of the heart.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
05/13/04
Nancy Churnin
Nancy Churnin
Dallas Morning News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Pak relies on the basics of writing and acting to express his ideas, but only "The Robot Fixer" fully makes up for cinematic shortcomings

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
02/20/04
Laura Clifford
Laura Clifford
Reeling Reviews

Pak sets himself up as a filmmaker to watch, a creator of intelligent, thoughtful stories that refuse to be contained by traditional definition.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
02/10/05
David Cornelius
David Cornelius
eFilmCritic.com

Robot Stories doesn't advance the boundaries of imaginative fiction. It's The Twilight Zone reimagined by Lifetime TV.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
01/06/05
Colin Covert
Colin Covert
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There's no pleasure in giving new directors bad reviews and it's especially unpleasant when what's wrong with their work isn't a clumsy performance or two, a sagging second act or a repugnant worldview, but a near-total absence of filmmaking talent.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
03/12/04
Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
02/13/04
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com

This is a heartfelt endeavor, given weight by Shimono's extraordinary performance.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
03/11/04
Scott Foundas
Scott Foundas
L.A. Weekly

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.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
02/13/04
Ken Fox
Ken Fox
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Robot Stories is a both a throwback and, hopefully, a sign of things to come.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
04/16/04
Peter Hartlaub
Peter Hartlaub
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It’s a mechanical man with a soul, but no armor.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
02/27/04
Jesse Hassenger
Jesse Hassenger
Filmcritic.com

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.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
01/06/05
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

A quietly impassioned, genuinely stirring indie rarity.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
02/10/04
Mark Holcomb
Mark Holcomb
Village Voice
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Suffers a bit too much from Twilight Zone-itis

Full Review Source: Cinemania | comment Comment
02/09/04
Dan Jardine
Dan Jardine
Cinemania

Slight and unsurprising.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
02/20/04
Mark Jenkins
Mark Jenkins
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Part of the minimalist allure of Robot Stories is that it's much more than the sum of its parts.

Full Review Source: Oregonian | comment Comment
04/26/04
Karen Karbo
Karen Karbo
Oregonian

Each vignette is worthy of admiration — not too much admiration, as Pak's ability as a storyteller is more developed than his filmmaking skills.

Full Review Source: Las Vegas CityLife | comment Comment
09/03/04
Matt Kelemen
Matt Kelemen
Las Vegas CityLife
 
 
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