Bicentennial Man
1999  PG  SCIENCE FICTION  2h 12min
CAST— Robin Williams, Sam Neill, Embeth Davidtz, Wendy Crewson, Hallie Kate Eisenberg, Stephen Root, Lynne Thigpen, Kiersten Warren, Oliver Platt
MUSIC— James Horner  DIRECTOR— Chris Columbus  BASED ON— The Bicentennial Man (story), by Isaac Asimov, The Positronic Man (novel), by Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg

     Interesting (if a bit long-winded) fable preaching the pros and cons of human emotion. In 2005 an android (played by an ever inquisitive Robin Williams) is activated, its sole purpose to serve humankind. As time goes by the android begins to show signs of a personality, truly an anomaly among robots. Several years and many modifications later the world has changed by degrees; his once understanding master has passed and the oldest member of the family (once the younger of two daughters) has grown grandchildren of her own. It is soon apparent that the robot truly has succeeded in his journey to become a man, not only in appearance, but also in matters of the heart; he finds himself falling in love with his master’s now grown great-granddaughter. The film spans some 200 years but never gets bogged down in futuristic high tech gizmos; it stays pretty close to dramatic territory. It’s no classic of the genre but fans of Williams might take note.
OUR RATING— ** ½