I'm a big Will Smith fan. He's a likeable screen presence who effortlessly exudes cool and charisma, but, at the same time, does so with enough earnest self-deprecation as to not make us hate him for it. In Alex Proyas' stylish and splendid adaptation of Isaac Asimov's seminal sci-fi classic "I, Robot", it's the year 2035, and Smith plays Detective Del Spooner, a Chicago cop with a tortured past, and a hatred for the mechanical servants that have become a rapidly growing minority in his city. On the eve of a massive rollout of new and improved robots, Spooner is called in to investigate a suicide by a leading scientist at U.S. Robotics, the company responsible for these new machines.

It seems that Spooner and the late Dr. Alfred Lanning (Cromwell) have a history, and, for that reason, Lanning has left behind a series of clues for Spooner, hinting at a possible conspiracy. Spooner begins to suspect that Lanning's suicide may have, in fact, been a murder, and that the scientist is trying to warn him of a defect in the new machines. When Lanning's personal robot, Sonny (voiced by Tudyk), shows that he's not only a completely sentient being, but also potentially capable of violating the "3 Laws" (a program created by Lanning to assure that robots do not harm humans), he becomes Spooner's chief suspect. That is, of course, until U.S. Robotics president Lawrence Robertson (Greenwood) steps in. He is convinced that a robot would not kill a human, but, even if one did, he is certain that it's a defect he and his team can handle. When Spooner's investigation threatens to expose this potential "bug", Robertson fears that the ramifications of such a leak could destroy his company. However, as U.S. Robotics prepares to unleash their new breed of robots on an unsuspecting public, it becomes obvious that these "improved" servants of man threaten a lot more than that.

I, Robot is a fast-paced and visually stunning piece of popcorn cinema. While it's nowhere near as somber and socio-political as Asimov's novel, it's not trying to be, as it seems quite content to be a hugely entertaining bit of eye candy. That's not to say the film is without substance; there's a solid story here with conflicts both huge and hugely personal, as well as a haunting conclusion that will send shivers down the spines of techies and technophobes alike.

Flicks heavy on CGI seem tailor made for the Hi-Def experience, and I, Robot is no exception. The film’s 1080p Mpeg 4 AVC transfer is, in a word, stunning, with a rich, vivid color palette (this film is the polar opposite of Proyas’ Dark City, as whites, blues, and silvers abound), accurate skin tones, and incredible depth and detail in every frame.

The DTS-HD soundtrack is equally as good, with a cinema quality mix that will certainly give your surround sound system a workout. Sonic imaging is first rate, with truly immersive surround effects - from the distant chatter of crowds on the streets to the ricochet of bullets – that truly put you into the film. This is reference quality stuff all the way.

Supplements are plentiful, and, while sadly presented in standard definition, the way in which they are presented takes full advantage of the Blu-ray format’s interactive capabilities. Pressing various colored buttons on your remote triggers everything from various featurettes to the film’s three commentaries, each being called up for that specific moment in the film. There’s also a great archive feature that allows you to search for actors and characters and play their individual scenes from the film. All of the supplements are viewable in the traditional way, but the intelligence of the interactivity is really quite impressive, here, and pretty well suited to a film about…well…artificial intelligence.

I, Robot is the epitome of the good time, big budget popcorn flick, and is as easy to digest as it is easy on the eyes. This Blu-ray iteration of the film is easily one of the best next-generation releases yet, with a fantastic transfer, reference quality audio, and a great selection of extras made all the better through some very smartly implemented interactivity.