# Robots
Where to watch: Hulu
Type: Movie
Genres: Animation, Comedy, Family, Science Fiction
Rating: PG
Year: 2005
Runtime: 1h 30m
Curator Score: ★ 41%
Rating count: 703,428
Tagline: The biggest comedy ever assembled!
Director: Chris Wedge
Main stars: Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, Greg Kinnear
Curator Watchlist
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com › robots
Robots
A glossy, fast-moving animated sci-fi comedy with real visual imagination and a surprisingly pointed undercurrent about class, obsolescence, and corporate control. It’s uneven in character depth and jokes, but the world-building, production design, and energy make it an easy watch for families and animation fans.
Plot overview:
Rodney Copperbottom is a young robot inventor who dreams of making the world a better place, until the evil Ratchet takes over Bigweld Industries. Now, Rodney's dreams – and those of his friends – are in danger of becoming obsolete.
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, Greg Kinnear, Mel Brooks, Drew Carey, Amanda Bynes, Robin Williams, Jim Broadbent, Stanley Tucci, Dianne Wiest, Harland Williams, Jennifer Coolidge, Paul Giamatti, Natasha Lyonne, Chris Wedge, Dan Hedaya, Marshall Efron, Terry Bradshaw, Al Roker, Lucille Bliss
Production: Blue Sky Studios, 20th Century Fox Animation, 20th Century Fox
Where to watch: Hulu
Curator Review
Verdict: A glossy, fast-moving animated sci-fi comedy with real visual imagination and a surprisingly pointed undercurrent about class, obsolescence, and corporate control. It’s uneven in character depth and jokes, but the world-building, production design, and energy make it an easy watch for families and animation fans.
Best for: kids and families; fans of early-2000s studio animation; viewers who like inventive sci-fi worlds; people who enjoy broad comedy with social satire
Skip if: you want a tightly written story; you dislike loud, hyperactive family comedies; you prefer emotional animation with deeper character work; you’re looking for a truly original voice over studio polish
Overview: Robots is a bright, overdesigned piece of mainstream animation that gets a lot of mileage out of its machine-made world. The film’s best asset is its visual invention: every street, gadget, and character detail feels engineered for playful spectacle, and the movie keeps finding new ways to turn scrap metal into personality.
Worth noting: Under the kid-friendly adventure is a fairly blunt but effective story about labor, replacement, and who gets left behind when profit becomes the only value. That gives the movie a little more bite than its reputation suggests, even if the script sometimes rushes past emotional beats in favor of another gag or chase.
Bottom line: It’s not a top-tier animated classic, but it is a lively one, with enough charm, satire, and design flair to justify revisiting. If you’re in the mood for a family film that’s more interested in gears, gadgets, and corporate villainy than sentimental softness, it still holds up reasonably well.
Top Letterboxd reviews:
- James (Schaffrillas): Fender is canon trans :)
- mia lee vicino: Robots is straight up a sexy political comedy-thriller, that also functions as an explicit commentary on class conflict & capitalism & propaganda & big pharma & MUCH more, disguised as a feel-good animated kids movie
- chloe: this movie made me a gay trans communist
- Karsten: jesus christ
- Claire: I love this movie. I love that aunts fat ass
Recommended similar titles:
- The Iron Giant (1999 · Animation, Drama, Family · 1h 26m · PG · ★ 94% (886K))
A warmer, more emotionally resonant animated sci-fi story about identity, fear, and what society discards.
- Treasure Planet (2002 · Science Fiction, Adventure, Animation · 1h 36m · PG · ★ 67% (524.1K) · Where to watch: Disney Plus)
Shares the same era’s big-studio adventurous energy and a strong sense of mechanical world-building.
- The Incredibles (2004 · Action, Adventure, Animation · 1h 55m · PG · ★ 89% (3.1M) · Where to watch: Disney Plus)
A sleek animated blockbuster with family dynamics, action, and a clear-eyed view of systems and status.
- Monsters, Inc. (2001 · Animation, Comedy, Family · 1h 32m · G · ★ 87% (3.2M) · Where to watch: Disney Plus)
Another polished studio animation with inventive world design and a corporate structure that drives the plot.
- Chicken Run (2000 · Animation, Comedy, Family · 1h 24m · G · ★ 71% (692.9K))
A clever escape story with anti-corporate undercurrents and a strong ensemble of oddball characters.
- The Emperor's New Groove (2000 · Adventure, Animation, Comedy · 1h 18m · G · ★ 76% (1.1M) · Where to watch: Disney Plus)
Fast, irreverent, and highly quotable, with a strong comic rhythm and a playful anti-establishment streak.
- Bolt (2008 · Animation, Family, Adventure · 1h 38m · PG · ★ 37% (859.9K) · Where to watch: Disney Plus)
A later Disney adventure that mixes action, comedy, and sincere character growth in a family-friendly package.
- Big Hero 6 (2014 · Adventure, Family, Animation · 1h 42m · PG · ★ 72% (2.3M) · Where to watch: Disney Plus, fuboTV)
A more emotionally polished robot-centered adventure with invention, friendship, and city-sized spectacle.
- Ratatouille (2007 · Animation, Comedy, Family · 1h 51m · G · ★ 96% (4.2M) · Where to watch: Disney Plus, Hulu)
Another mainstream animated film about ambition, talent, and proving yourself in a system that wants to standardize everything.
- The Lego Movie (2014 · Animation, Family, Adventure · 1h 40m · PG · ★ 79% (1.7M))
A poppy, self-aware animated comedy that turns corporate sameness into a joke and a theme.
- Over the Hedge (2006 · Adventure, Animation, Comedy · 1h 23m · PG · ★ 68% (4.8K) · Where to watch: Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus)
A family comedy with consumer culture satire and a similar mix of slapstick and social commentary.
- Shark Tale (2004 · Animation, Action, Comedy · 1h 30m · PG · ★ 16% (749.2K))
A sibling to this film in style and era: flashy, joke-dense, and built around a stylized animated city.
Themes: class conflict, corporate greed, obsolescence, inventor hero, friendship, self-discovery, satire, family adventure
Topics: animated sci-fi, family comedy, corporate satire, class struggle, inventor adventure, early-2000s animation, bright visual design, feel-good rebellion, robot world, broad humor
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/movie/robots/9928
Robots
Where to watch: Hulu
Movie · Animation · Comedy · PG
2005 · 1h 30m · ★ 41% (703.4K)
The biggest comedy ever assembled!
Director: Chris Wedge
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, Greg Kinnear
Overview Rodney Copperbottom is a young robot inventor who dreams of making the world a better place, until the evil Ratchet takes over Bigweld Industries. Now, Rodney's dreams – and those of his friends – are in danger of becoming obsolete.
Production Blue Sky Studios, 20th Century Fox Animation, 20th Century Fox
Cast Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, Greg Kinnear, Mel Brooks, Drew Carey, Amanda Bynes, Robin Williams, Jim Broadbent, Stanley Tucci, Dianne Wiest, Harland Williams, Jennifer Coolidge, Paul Giamatti, Natasha Lyonne, Chris Wedge, Dan Hedaya, Marshall Efron, Terry Bradshaw, Al Roker, Lucille Bliss
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy, fast-moving animated sci-fi comedy with real visual imagination and a surprisingly pointed undercurrent about class, obsolescence, and corporate control. It’s uneven in character depth and jokes, but the world-building, production design, and energy make it an easy watch for families and animation fans.
Best for
kids and families
fans of early-2000s studio animation
viewers who like inventive sci-fi worlds
people who enjoy broad comedy with social satire
Skip if
you want a tightly written story
you dislike loud, hyperactive family comedies
you prefer emotional animation with deeper character work
you’re looking for a truly original voice over studio polish
Overview
Robots is a bright, overdesigned piece of mainstream animation that gets a lot of mileage out of its machine-made world. The film’s best asset is its visual invention: every street, gadget, and character detail feels engineered for playful spectacle, and the movie keeps finding new ways to turn scrap metal into personality.
Worth noting
Under the kid-friendly adventure is a fairly blunt but effective story about labor, replacement, and who gets left behind when profit becomes the only value. That gives the movie a little more bite than its reputation suggests, even if the script sometimes rushes past emotional beats in favor of another gag or chase.
Bottom line
It’s not a top-tier animated classic, but it is a lively one, with enough charm, satire, and design flair to justify revisiting. If you’re in the mood for a family film that’s more interested in gears, gadgets, and corporate villainy than sentimental softness, it still holds up reasonably well.
Top Letterboxd reviews
James (Schaffrillas) (3★) · 5112 likes
Fender is canon trans :)
mia lee vicino (3★) · 4721 likes
Robots is straight up a sexy political comedy-thriller, that also functions as an explicit commentary on class conflict & capitalism & propaganda & big pharma & MUCH more, disguised as a feel-good animated kids movie
chloe (5★) · 4653 likes
this movie made me a gay trans communist
Karsten · 3146 likes
jesus christ
Claire (4★) · 3112 likes
I love this movie. I love that aunts fat ass
Recommended similar titles
1999 · Animation, Drama, Family · 1h 26m · PG · ★ 94% (886K)
A warmer, more emotionally resonant animated sci-fi story about identity, fear, and what society discards.
2002 · Science Fiction, Adventure, Animation · 1h 36m · PG · ★ 67% (524.1K) · Where to watch: Disney Plus
Shares the same era’s big-studio adventurous energy and a strong sense of mechanical world-building.
2004 · Action, Adventure, Animation · 1h 55m · PG · ★ 89% (3.1M) · Where to watch: Disney Plus
A sleek animated blockbuster with family dynamics, action, and a clear-eyed view of systems and status.
2001 · Animation, Comedy, Family · 1h 32m · G · ★ 87% (3.2M) · Where to watch: Disney Plus
Another polished studio animation with inventive world design and a corporate structure that drives the plot.
2000 · Animation, Comedy, Family · 1h 24m · G · ★ 71% (692.9K)
A clever escape story with anti-corporate undercurrents and a strong ensemble of oddball characters.
2000 · Adventure, Animation, Comedy · 1h 18m · G · ★ 76% (1.1M) · Where to watch: Disney Plus
Fast, irreverent, and highly quotable, with a strong comic rhythm and a playful anti-establishment streak.
2008 · Animation, Family, Adventure · 1h 38m · PG · ★ 37% (859.9K) · Where to watch: Disney Plus
A later Disney adventure that mixes action, comedy, and sincere character growth in a family-friendly package.
2014 · Adventure, Family, Animation · 1h 42m · PG · ★ 72% (2.3M) · Where to watch: Disney Plus, fuboTV
A more emotionally polished robot-centered adventure with invention, friendship, and city-sized spectacle.
2007 · Animation, Comedy, Family · 1h 51m · G · ★ 96% (4.2M) · Where to watch: Disney Plus, Hulu
Another mainstream animated film about ambition, talent, and proving yourself in a system that wants to standardize everything.
2014 · Animation, Family, Adventure · 1h 40m · PG · ★ 79% (1.7M)
A poppy, self-aware animated comedy that turns corporate sameness into a joke and a theme.
2006 · Adventure, Animation, Comedy · 1h 23m · PG · ★ 68% (4.8K) · Where to watch: Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus
A family comedy with consumer culture satire and a similar mix of slapstick and social commentary.
2004 · Animation, Action, Comedy · 1h 30m · PG · ★ 16% (749.2K)
A sibling to this film in style and era: flashy, joke-dense, and built around a stylized animated city.
Themes
class conflict, corporate greed, obsolescence, inventor hero, friendship, self-discovery, satire, family adventure
Topics
animated sci-fi, family comedy, corporate satire, class struggle, inventor adventure, early-2000s animation, bright visual design, feel-good rebellion, robot world, broad humor
Open Robots (2005) on Curator TV