Robots Review

Having taken us back to the "Ice Age" with his previous movie, director Chris Wedge now introduces us to a world populated by mechanical inhabitants - welcome to "Robots." The film centres on Rodney Copperbottom (voiced by Ewan McGregor), a tatty but ambitious young 'bot who dreams of leaving his small town home and travelling to the bright lights of Robot City where he hopes to follow in the footsteps of his hero, the legendary inventor Big Weld (Mel Brooks). But with Big Weld's company now in the hands of the dastardly Ratchet (Greg Kinnear) - who in turn is just a puppet for his mother's evil machinations - can Rodney prove that he can shine no matter what he's made of and save the city from Ma Rachet's (Jim Broadbent) plans?

Colourful, fast paced and packed full of more gags than you can possibly shake a gear stick at, "Robots" is another animated winner. Everything about it oozes quality, from the intricate details Wedge and his team have put into the design and production, to the voice talents of McGregor and the splendidly over-the-top Robin Williams as Rodney's friend Fender. The plot meanwhile, despite being older than the hills, is approached from a fresh and appealing angle as pop culture references abound - note nods to Britney 'Gears' and 'Axle' Rose - while there's enough going on onscreen to ensure that you could watch the movie several times and still miss things.

Given that Wedge has achieved such success with his first two films, we can only wait with bated breath for the arrival of "Ice Age 2: The Meltdown" next year.