Robots (2005 film)

Robots
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Chris Wedge
Produced by	Jerry Davis William Joyce John C. Donkin
Screenplay by	David Lindsay-Abaire Lowell Ganz Babaloo Mandel
Story by	Ron Mita Jim McClain David Lindsay-Abaire
Starring	Ewan McGregor Halle Berry Greg Kinnear Mel Brooks Amanda Bynes Drew Carey Robin Williams
Music by	John Powell
Edited by	John Carnochan
Production company	Blue Sky Studios 20th Century Fox Animation
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release date	March 6, 2005 (2005-03-06) (Westwood, Los Angeles) March 11, 2005 (2005-03-11) (United States)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$75 million
Box office	$260.7 million

Robots is a 2005 American computer-animated science fiction dystopian comedy film, produced by Blue Sky Studios for 20th Century Fox and was released on March 11, 2005. The story was created by Chris Wedge and William Joyce. Originally developing a film version of Joyce's book Santa Calls, Wedge and Joyce then decided to develop an original story about a world of robots. Joyce served as producer and production designer for the film. It features the voices of Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, Greg Kinnear, Mel Brooks, Amanda Bynes, Drew Carey, and Robin Williams. The film grossed $260.7 million on a $75 million budget.

In Rivet Town, Rodney Copperbottom is a young inventor who dreams of making the world a better place. He idolizes Bigweld, a master inventor and owner of Bigweld Industries. During Rodney's adolescence, he invents a gadget called the Wonderbot, intended to help his father Herb clean dishes at a restaurant. When Herb's supervisor confronts them, Wonderbot breaks the dishes, causing Herb to be put in debt and Rodney to be dismissed. Rodney takes his invention to Robot City to see Bigweld and get a job as an inventor at Bigweld Industries, so that he can help Herb pay back his supervisor. Herb encourages him and confides that he has always regretted not pursuing his dream of becoming a musician. Rodney arrives in Robot City and meets outmoded robot Fender Pinwheeler. After a spectacular, but harrowing, ride on the Crosstown Express, Rodney arrives at the gate of Bigweld Industries.

However, he learns that Phineas T. Ratchet has taken over Bigweld Industries and is about to discontinue the manufacture of spare parts. Ratchet believes the company can make a bigger profit if it focuses on selling expensive upgrades; if the robots refuse, they are sent to the underground Chop Shop, where they are shredded and melted down by the owner of the Chop Shop, Madame Gasket, who is Ratchet's mother. Rodney is forced out and shares quarters with Fender at a low-rent boarding house owned by Aunt Fanny, occupied by a group of other outmoded robots threatened with the Chop Shop, called the "Rusties". When news gets out that spare parts have been discontinued by Bigweld Industries, Rodney begins fixing old robots on his own. Upon discovering this, Gasket orders Ratchet to stop Rodney and kill Bigweld.