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We watched Robots, the Movie this week. In fact, 3 times.

And guess what? I actually enjoyed it each time.

We bought the DVD, having not yet seen it. But we had seen an exhibit about the movie at the Phoenix Children’s Museum. And it looked pretty good. The snippets I saw at the museum had reminded me quite a bit of Monsters, Inc., one of the few Disney movies which we feel is actually appropriate for children. So we took a chance.

Our son and I watched it on Friday – the day that we bought it – with some friends. Then we watched it on Sunday night, with my husband, as the conclusion of our Father’s Day (it’s a great father/son movie). Then we watched it again tonight.

Although actually, even this movie has some stuff in there that makes us wonder “just why the heck do they put that stuff in there?”

Robots, the Movie, could have been a perfect kids movie. The bad guys were just the right amount of bad, the good guys triumph over evil, and it’s got some great morals to it. It’s entertaining, charming, funny, and has enough double entendres and zany adult-level humour to entertain the grown-ups.

The animation is superb.

So why the hell do they feel compelled to include robots not only making rude noises under their arms, but to have them articulate both the street term for the under-the-arm noise, and what it sounds like? And to make jokes about the smell? And about Aunt Fanny’s bottom? WHY do they have to use the terms “butt whooping” (twice, for emphasis?) And why does Mr. Bigweld have to ask about the woman “with the big keester”?

These things added nothing to the movie, were completely gratuitous and had nothing to do with the plot (or, really, even the scene in which they appeared), and the movie would have been not only just as good without them, but even better.

So why?

By the way, for those of you who have seen the movie and find it strangely reminiscent of something on which you just can’t quite put your finger….

The executive producer of Robots, the Movie was William Joyce.

William Joyce is the author and illustrator of Roly Poly Olie.

And now you know.

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