Amy Loves Books

I did not want to see Robots. I did not want to see Ice Age when it came out either, but it was really cold, and my then four and two year old had been sick with the flu for two weeks and it was a chance to get out of the house. I was not impressed. In fact, it seemed a little too adult in places. A little unwholesome. I dislike the post-Shrek trend of making animated films that are full of adult humor.

My husband and I take turns going to see the kids movies that we don't want to see. Robots was his turn. It is on IMAX in Atlanta, so I told him it would not be that bad. Even if it was nothing but poorly executed potty-jokes, the kids would have fun. My kids are at that age where they find fart jokes really, really funny.

On the way home he called me. The movie was wonderful. I had to see it.

Last night, I took the kids and I was completely charmed by the film. It tells the story of a young inventor robot named Rodney who travels to the big city to work for his hero - the legendary Robot, Big Weld. Big Weld created a company that sought to make life better for all robots. He welcomed innovation and inspired young inventor robots like Rodney (the child of working class parents who grew up on "hand-me-down" parts from his cousins) with his motto of "See a need, Fill a need".

Under the leadership of Big Weld, Robot City was a fabulous place - filled with dented, piecework robots and robot-like gadgets that reminded me of all the neat "pre-historic" inventions that made The Flintstones so fun to watch.
But, to Rodney's dismay, when he arrives in Robot City, he finds that Big Weld Industries has been taken over by the evil robot Ratchet. Realizing that the business of selling parts for robots is not as lucrative as manufacturing upgrades, Ratchet changes the slogan of the company from "You Can Shine, Whatever You Are Made Of", to "Why Be You When You Can Be NEW?". He stops producing parts, leaving all the robots who can not afford shiny upgrades to eventually break down and be sent to the chop shop as scrap metal. (Current events anyone?)

Rodney rebells against the idea that robots are worthless without upgrades, and starts to repair the broken robots with makeshift parts. I honestly can not believe the film got made because it has such an anti-consumerism message. After the success of Veggie Tales and The Passion, it seems like studios are willing to green light and market to the "Christian", "good morals" market - but Robots goes beyond a surface homage to values and faith and provides a sharp criticism of consumer mentality, affluenza, and greed. With all the messages in the media that newer is better, expensive is better, and that beauty is defined by the lack of dents, scratches, wrinkles, or weight - watching a film that celebrated growing old gracefully, repairing what is broken, and using your gifts and talents to find needs and fill them was a joy.

Find a need, fill a need. You can shine whatever you are made of.

I think Robots is going to be my favorite film.