Robot Stories
Pak Film | Release Date: February 13, 2004 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
66
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
16
Mixed:
2
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Hartlaub
This is a science fiction film, but like all excellent movies in the genre, the focus never strays from the human heart. Read full review
90
Village VoiceMark Holcomb
A quietly impassioned, genuinely stirring indie rarity. Read full review
83
Portland OregonianKaren Karbo
The subtext is singular: The presence of potentially dehumanizing technology serves to make the characters seem more human. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
As a complete work, Robot Stories is a solid collection. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Four stories with automatons as important characters...The last is the most touching, but all are skillfully made. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
The stories are sharply written and well composed. Some are high tech on a low-tech budget, but where they find their strength -- in the emotions of their characters -- money is no object. Read full review
75
New York PostV.A. Musetto
If you ever wondered how robots make love, here's your chance to find out. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyScott Brown
The collection can be summed up in four words I never thought I'd see together: science-fiction chamber music. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
In Robot Stories, technology hasn't colonized human life, it's finding ways to make living (and loving) better. Read full review
70
Film ThreatDoug Brunell
I was hoping to be blown away, but was left feeling much like the iPerson in the "Machine Love" segment -- kind of cold. Read full review
70
VarietyRonnie Scheib
Greg Pak understands the short form well, mercifully avoiding blatant O'Henry twists while pulling off neat reversals of expertly set-up genre expectations. Read full review
70
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
Ostensibly about artificial life forms, each of these four short, expertly crafted stories offers a poignant perspective on what it means to be human. Read full review
70
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
The most startling aspect of Robot Stories is not the mix that the director built from spare parts left on the curb but the evolving dramatic acumen of its maker; he's a talent with a future. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterFrank Scheck
Each of the stories, impeccably staged and acted, has just the right length, well befitting the slight aspects of their story lines. Never allowing preciousness or ponderousness to infuse the material, filmmaker Pak demonstrates a real talent for concise storytelling marked by poignancy and humor. Read full review
70
L.A. WeeklyScott Foundas
This is a heartfelt endeavor, given weight by Shimono's extraordinary performance, in which the actor uses the subtlest flicks of his weary brow to call forth torrents of sorrow and minefields of regret. Read full review
70
Dallas ObserverJean Oppenheimer
Pak's writing has a simplicity that belies the film's emotional impact. Read full review
60
Washington PostMark Jenkins
Most of the performances are excellent. The scripts, however, are slight and unsurprising. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
Disappointing. Read full review
10
Los Angeles TimesManohla Dargis
Robot Stories isn't any good. I don't say this lightly. There's no pleasure in giving new directors bad reviews and it's especially unpleasant when what's wrong with their work isn't a clumsy performance or two, a sagging second act or a repugnant worldview, but a near-total absence of filmmaking talent. Read full review
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