Editorial: Even In The Likes of Robots, Robin Williams Never Failed To Amaze

To put it simply, the lats 24 hours have been a never ending stream of emotional turmoil for people all across the world, myself firmly included. The loss of a talent like Robin Williams is one that can't and won't be forgotten easily, as it should be. This is a man who had such talent that it should always be remembered and treasured. No future generation should be deprived the opportunity of witness his brilliant Genie, or really any other of his countless roles.

Like an actor, not every single movie Robin Williams appeared in was a masterpiece. The likes of Old Dogs surely weren't worthy of a guy who was capable of creating comedic and emotional material worthy of much more than a film whose main highlight is Seth Green singing to a gorilla. But that's to be expected. After all, a long career like Williams cannot be without some cinematic duds. And to be frank, it is even in these features that are lacking that golden material from Williams can be found. I mean really, this guy approached every project with some aplomb, it was impossible for him to not come up with some great stuff.

Robots is not a great movie. It's not terrible, and it's got enough inventive animation to keep you interested, but its plot is super routine with no interesting storytelling to back it up. However, the voice cast is stacked with A-listers that really ran the gamut in terms of quality. Ewan McGregor is fine, Halle Berry is generic, Mel Brooks if great and Jim Broadbent hams it up beautifully. But it's Robin Williams as Fender that truly shines in the movie. Fender is the best pal Rodney Coppebottom (Ewan McGregor) befriends in Robot City, an environment completely unfamiliar to him.

Williams however becomes the perfect guiding force for not only Rodney but the audience as well. Few celebrities are really as beloved as Williams. Seeing him in any movie was like seeing a great friend or relative that made any party or event the best one ever. He just had this affable quality that matched perfectly with the gentle presence he emanated in his comedic roles. As Fender, he helps make the world of Robots (one of the few animated features made in modern times not set in our world, and completely free of humans) seem like an inviting one, despite a clunky screenplay saying otherwise. Whatever the scenario, he has a sense of hope that's really infectious, and Williams delivery makes otherwise mundane lines into ones you'll be quoting for days afterward.

Obviously, Williams played tons of better roles in his lifetime. Several of Williams most acclaimed dramatic works (Good Morning Vietnam, World's Greatest Dad) are unseen by me, but I'll certainly take a look at those as soon as possible. But I think its wonderful that perhaps the most sure sign of Robin Williams being an excellent actor is his ability to make a role in a middling movie like Robots (whose non-Fender comedic "highlight" is an extended fart gag that results in the death of a lamppost) and turn it into something so memorable.