Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
Richard Martin buys a gift, a new NDR-114 robot. The product is named Andrew by the youngest of the family's children. "Bicentennial Man" follows the life and times of Andrew, a robot purchased as a household appliance programmed to perform menial tasks. As Andrew begins to experience emotions and creative thought, the Martin family soon discovers they don't have an ordinary robot.
Bicentennial Man is a heartfelt adaptation of Asimov's work that explores themes of identity, humanity, and freedom with sincerity. Robin Williams brings warmth and nuance to Andrew, and the supporting cast is solid if unremarkable. The cinematography is competent but unremarkable for a late-90s sci-fi drama. The film's central concept — a robot becoming human — is compelling Asimov territory, though the execution is fairly straightforward and the film stretches its runtime considerably. The ending, while emotionally intended, feels somewhat maudlin and drawn out, undermining the pathos it strives for with a conclusion that feels both predictable and overly sentimental rather than genuinely moving.