Robots: At least it wasn't a remake!

Took my boy to see Robots last night. We both liked it but neither of us loved it. If the writing had half the imagination of the virtual sets it could have been great.

Robin Williams had some funny moments as the comic sidekick, but if you're expecting a Genie reprise you'll be disappointed. Ewan MacGregor was just right as the earnest character -----INTERRUPTION----- I was writing this with my 3-year-old cuddling on my lap and out of the blue she started puking! Right down the front of my shirt! Luckily my shirt soaked it right up so none got on the computer. We're all cleaned up now. -----RESUME----- who doubts himself, then believes himself, then rallies the ragtag gang of misfits to believe in themselves too so they can band together against the nasty bad guys.

Did I mention the writing lacked imagination?

At least this film was a first--not a remake and not a sequel. Unfortunately, judging by the previews, that's all we have coming up this summer: memes from my childhood brought to life for my own kids.

First there's the new Herbie the Love Bug movie (but now he's just "Herbie", sans "Love Bug"). It looks as delightfully stupid as the original. Then there's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Tim Burton directing and Johnny Depp playing Willy Wonka. The preview looks surprisingly similar to the original, which was great, but why make it over again when you can just rent the DVD? Then there's the mercifully final edition of the tired Star Wars series. Let's just put that broken-down horse out of its misery. Oh, and I almost forgot: Nicole Kidman in Bewitched.

I thought the nostalgia remakes were a fad that would go away. I thought that after the Brady Bunch movie, the Flintstones (quite possibly the wrost movie ever made), and the Jetsons that enough was enough...then we had Scooby Doo, Fat Albert, and probably a dozen others I've chosen to forget. Will there be no end to this tired (or tiring?) trend?

Doesn't anyone make anything new anymore?