Bicentennial Man 1 Star (Out of 4) Reviewed by Mac VerStandig critic@moviereviews.org http://www.moviereviews.org
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Bicentennial Man is an impuissant and confused movie that follows a robot through 200 years neglecting to ever develop another character in depth or share with the audience that the title-referenced bicentennial will mark the end of a journey that seems to be equally as long and laborious for the audience. Director Chris Columbus' film centers around a not-very-entertaining Robin Williams as Andrew, the aforementioned machine, and his trials and tribulations which are as unexplored as the West Indies that other guy named Columbus supposedly discovered.
In "the not too distant future" we meet the Martin family and their newest household appliance: Andrew. Our protagabot ventures from generation to generation of a cliched and overly dull Martin family- mostly women. He also comes across a few other humans and robots, but none interesting enough to warrant any attention in this review. They come and go, Andrew stays, and the movie limps it way through a Jetsons-style future setting.
Now banished to a fate worse than ordinary reruns, TV Land, there was a delightful 1960's Don Adams show (that Fox unsuccessfully tried to bring back a few years ago) called Get Smart. Richard Gautier, a relative unknown that never ventured past G. I. Joe fame, played Hymie the Robot. Much like Andrew, Hymie was a machine that actively sought life and commonly found himself in hilarious situations were his inner-workings were experimented with ineptly. Hymie was friendly and romantic, yet inevitably robotic. Richard Gautier may not be Robin Williams, but the show is just as funny and doesn't cost $7.75 and an otherwise good Friday or Saturday night.
The positive end of this almost-dead battery does have some traits of which to boast. In a time where they are rare, Bicentennial Man is a movie that you needn't be embarrassed to take Grandma and the tots to. Robin Williams is very funny and touching with some traditional Disney tear-jerking scenes. The explanation offered of sex is edited to a level of general appropriateness. But the movie is even confused about its family traits as we learn that being human is the ultimate accomplishment and you needn't mourn the dead (for all those that pass away, only one tear is seen). We are also told that imperfection is the key to life and marriage can be taken lightly.
This film also marks 1999's Christmas time family film that most wants to be the next Miracle on 34th Street or It's a Wonderful Life. Last year, Chris Columbus entered Stepmom into this notorious yet largely unspoken contest, following his slightly more appealing earlier bids which include Home Alone and Mrs. Doubtfire. Mr. Capra, rest assured, we don't need a robot to locate the West Indies.
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