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Robots (also known as Robots: The Movie) is the second feature-length computer animated movie by 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios released in 2005 same year behind Ice Age. The story is about a robot called Rodney Copperbottom who travels to Robot City in seek of his dream job as an inventor at Bigweld's company. The DVD features a short called Aunt Fanny's Tour of Booty. It stars Ewan McGregor, Robin Williams, Halle BerryMel Brooks and Jim Broadbent as the film's five main characters. Greg KinnearDan HedayaPaul Giamatti, Amanda BynesDrew Carey, Jennifer Coolidge and Harland Williams play supporting roles. Robots was a success, earning $260,718,330 at the box office worldwide, making it the third highest-grossing animated film of 2005.

Plot[]

The film opens in a world of anthropomorphic robots, with Herb Copperbottom (Stanley Tucci), a dishwasher at Gunk's Greasy Spoon diner, racing through the streets of Rivet Town, elated that he is going to be a father. He and his wife, Lydia (Dianne Wiest), after 12 hours of "labor," finally manage to construct the baby. He is named Rodney (Ewan McGregor), and he becomes a young inventor who dreams of making the world a better place for everyone. Rodney idolizes Bigweld (Mel Brooks), a master inventor and owner of Bigweld Industries. During Rodney's adolescence, he invents a gadget, "Wonderbot" (Chris Wedge), intended to help his father clean the dishes at the restaurant. Unfortunately this went down the drain When Herb's grumpy boss, Mr. Gunk (Dan Hedaya), unexpectedly confronts them, Wonderbot breaks dishes, causing Herb and Rodney to go into debt and to be fired. Rodney decides to take his invention to Robot City to see Bigweld and get a job as an inventor so that he can help his family. He is encouraged by his father, who confides that he has always regretted not becoming a musician. Rodney arrives in Robot City and meets Fender (Robin Williams), an old ramshackle robot scraping by through taking souvenir photos and selling maps to the stars' homes. After a harrowing ride on the crosstown express, Rodney arrives at the gate of Bigweld Industries.

There he learns that Phineas T. Ratchet (Greg Kinnear) has taken over Bigweld Industries and is about to discontinue the manufacture of spare parts. Ratchet believes the company can make more profit if it stops making spare parts for older robots and focuses on selling more expensive upgrades. If any older robots protest they are sent to the underground Chop Shop, where they are shredded and melted down to upgrades by Ratchet's imposing mother, Madame Gasket (Jim Broadbent). Rodney is thrown out and finds a place to stay, with Fender, at Aunt Fanny's (Jennifer Coolidge) boarding house, along with an assortment of other "Rusties", older robots threatened with the Chop Shop. When the news gets out that spare parts have been discontinued by Bigweld industries, Rodney remembers Bigweld's slogan, "See a need, fill a need", and begins fixing old robots on his own. Upon learning of this financial threat, Gasket orders Ratchet to stop Rodney's work and kill Bigweld.

Rodney finds that Herb has fallen ill, and can not find replacement parts. Rodney decides to try to contact Bigweld directly, so he can beg him to make spare parts again. Wonderbot reminds him that the annual Bigweld Ball takes place that night. Rodney and Fender go to the ball in disguise, only to hear Ratchet announce that Bigweld was unable to attend. Rodney tries to confront Ratchet, by telling him that he spend days fixing outmoded. but is stopped by security robots. He is saved by Cappy (Halle Berry), a beautiful robot-executive of the company who dislikes Ratchet's scheme, and together with Fender and his new girlfriend, Loretta Geargrinder (Natasha Lyonne), they escape from the ball.

Fender walks Loretta home, but he is kidnapped and taken to the Chop Shop. He struggles to escape, losing his lower half in the process. Fender eventually escapes by reluctantly attaching a new pair of female legs. Meanwhile, Rodney and Cappy fly to Bigweld's home. When Rodney inadvertently knocks over a domino, Bigweld appears. Rodney tries to convince Bigweld to return to the helm of his company and once again make spare parts available, but Bigweld refuses he convinced Rodney to give up he explained that the world has moved on and that ratchet had took over Bigweld Industries. Feeling depressed Rodney calls his parents, intending to give up his ambition of becoming an inventor and return to Rivet Town, but his father once again encourages Rodney to pursue his dreams. Rodney rallies the Rusties into fighting back against Ratchet. Fender reveals that Gasket has built a fleet of super-sweepers with the intention of rounding up and destroying all older robots. Bigweld eventually decides to come with the group, having realized what he meant to Rodney.

The group heads for Bigweld Industries, where Bigweld fires Ratchet. Ratchet manages to beat Bigweld senseless, but Rodney and Bigweld flee. Bigweld is repaired just as they enter the Chop Shop, but is captured. A desperate battle ensues between Ratchet's employees and Rodney's repaired robots. During the chaos, Bigweld is rescued by Rodney, the choppers and sweepers are destroyed, and Wonderbot kills Gasket by tapping her and Rannell into a door and tossing them into the furnace, while Ratchet loses his upgrades, gets stuck on the ceiling with his father and being arrested by the CDA. Bigweld goes to Rivet Town to tell Rodney's parents that their son is now his right-hand inventor and eventual successor. Rodney makes his father's dream come true by giving him a three-bell trumpet, playing by sheer improvisation that prompts the others to help add other musical tunes; Fender finds the new music to be a mix of Jazz and Funk - "Junk". The audience dances to James Brown's "Get Up Offa That Thing" as a victory celebration.

Voice cast[]

Release[]

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • Robots was the last animated film by from 20th Century Fox to be released on VHS, Ice Age: The Meltdown and other movies were only released on DVD and Blu-ray.
  • This is the first Blue Sky Studios film to begin with opening credits.
  • This is the first Blue Sky Studios' non-sequel/prequel film.
  • This is the first (so far), and only Blue Sky Studios film to not be based on a book or become a franchise until Spies in Disguise came out 14 years later.
  • Robots is the first Blue Sky Studios film to have a non-human cast, followed by Horton Hears a Who!.
  • This is the first Blue Sky Studios film to be released in IMAX.
  • This is the first Blue Sky Studios film to end with a blooper reel, followed by Ice Age: The Meltdown.
  • This is the first Blue Sky Studios film to have music by John Powell.
  • This is The first Blue Sky Studios film to have the "Twentieth Century Fox Animation Presents" credit.
  • This is Blue Sky Studios' second feature film.
  • This is also the first Blue Sky Studios film to use the 2005-2013 logo. However, on the DVD and VHS cover on the back, it has the 1987-2005 logo.
  • This is the first Blue Sky studios Movie to be released for free on YouTube with the second being Epic (2013)

Cultural references[]

Music used[]

  • Gomez - Silence
  • Ricky Fante - Shine
  • Chingy - Right Thurr
  • Survivor - Eye of The Tiger
  • Tom Waits - Underground
  • Steriogram - Walkie Talkie Man
  • Houston, Chingy, Nate Dogg, and I-20 - I Like That
  • Stacie Orrico - (There's Gotta Be) More to Life
  • Fountains of Wayne - Tell Me What You Already Did
  • The Hit Crew - Gonna Make You Sweat
  • Earth, Wind & Fire - Love's Dance
  • War - Low Rider
  • Barry White - Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe
  • Britney Spears - ...Baby One More Time
  • James Brown - Get Up Offa That Thing

External Links[]

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