Taking technological advancements to the next logical step, I, Robot imagines a future, circa 2035, in which robots are entwined in our lives.

We trust these mechanical servants with our children, our homes and our general wellbeing. They are our friends and confidants.

There are strict laws governing the behaviour of the robots.

As decreed in The Three Laws, all automata must obey orders and may not injure a human being or allow a human to come to harm.

When a robot named Sonny (voiced by Alan Tudyk) is accused of murdering his creator, the legendary Dr Alfred Lanning (Cromwell), maverick detective Spooner (Smith) from the Chicago Police Department is called in to investigate.

Spooner is afflicted with an all-consuming distrust of robots and he fears that Sonny may be the tip of the iceberg: if one robot can apparently breach the Three Laws protocol, who is to say that every robot on the planet couldn't suddenly turn against its human hosts?

Spooner enlists the services of Dr Susan Calvin (Moynahan) to delve into Sonny's psyche and determine his innocence or guilt.

In the process, the gung-ho cop uncovers a terrifying conspiracy, which has nightmarish repercussions for the whole of humankind.

Inspired by a book of short stories written by Isaac Asimov, I, Robot is an involving dystopian fantasy which marries a taut plot with eye-popping special effects.

Like Minority Report, the film conjures a far from idyllic vision of the future, in which complacency and greed sow the seeds of humankind's downfall.

Smith tones down his trademark wisecracks, which is welcome, but still manages some tongue-in-cheek one-liners and grins while solving the murder case. Moynahan offers strong support and Tudyk compels us to care for his accused 'bot.

Director Alex Proyas blitzkriegs the screen with outrageous slow motion camera zooms and high-speed spins to enliven the action scenes. Computer generated special effects are seamlessly integrated, apart from a subterranean car chase which looks too much like a video game.

How ironic that a film which warns about over-reliance on technology should push that very same technology to its limits for slam-bang thrills.

Out rating: 8/10

Film writer Steve Webb reviews I, ROBOT

Starring: Will Smith, Bridget Moynahan

Certificate: 12A, Running time: 114 minutes

Director: Alex Proyas

Showing at: UGC and Cineworld from today