Movie Review: Robot and Frank

I'm a sucker for cute, sad movies. Maybe I'm just a sucker in general. Who knows? Robot and Frank was a nice surprise and of course, was cute and sad. I recently received a free month's trial for Netflix's DVD service and this was the first one my queue. Thank goodness for free stuff. I could have checked it out at my local library, which has plenty of movies to choose from as well. (Cheap plug)

Usually when I pop in a movie late on a weekday, I'm snoring within ten minutes. Fortunately for me, I was able rip through my weariness and was able to finish this movie in one sitting.

Robot and Frank is set in the very near future. Robotics have become a part of everyday life. They work at the library shelving, gardening, and even providing therapeutic care to the elderly. Frank is played by Frank Langella, legendary actor known for his roles as Richard Nixon, William Paley, Dracula, John Wilkes Booth and my personal favorite Skeletor. Yes, Frank Langella played Skeletor in the 1987 release of Masters of the Universe and I own it on DVD. In Robot and Frank he plays an ex-con, known in his community as a cat burglar. Frank, now in his 70's, suffers from dementia and according to his son, needs someone around to ensure his safety. Instead of putting Frank in a home, he purchases a helper robot. The robot helps with chores and with some cognitive enhancing activities.

Frank is reluctant at first to accept the robot's help, but quickly builds a relationship with the robot. He figures a way to manipulate the robot and make him do tasks that he wouldn't normally do. This is due to the robot's function to build trust between the two. Frank plans a heist at the local library in hopes to impress the librarian that he is very fond of. After successfully stealing a rare, copy of Don Quixote, he has the intention of one more big heist. With the help of robot, they plan to steal some diamonds from some yuppies down the street. His children get tangled in the plan and complicate the situation.

I loved the relationship between robot and Frank. He didn't want anything to do with robot at first, but then he saw the potential in front of him. Eventually they became great friends. When his daughter came and shut down the robot. He truly missed him. This movie also shows how robotic technology is advancing so quickly, that I can actually see this happening in the near future. Even though the robot is so human like, they make sure that you know that he is still a robot. He can't feel, but has the ability to lie and manipulate just like humans. It's a little creepy in some parts of the movie, but it adds the perfect amount of sympathy for Frank. His best friend is now a robot and he knows it.

Rated: PG-13
Run Time: 89 Minutes

I give Robot and Frank 4.5 out of 5 Burning Lariats.