The Pop Pirate

Mechanical Savior?

Call me crazy, but while watching the first two-thirds of it I thought that Robots could have been a great messianic allegory. Of course the ending did not bear that out, but seriously- hear me out.

So our would-be Christ figure here, Rodney Copperbottom, comes from humble beginnings, as the son of a dishwasher in quaint Rivet Town. But he has big ambitions. He wants to be a great inventor, so he journeys to Robot City in search of the greatest inventor around- Big Weld (he would be our God figure).

When Rodney gets there, however, he finds that Big Weld has gone missing, and a greedy business man named Rachet has taken his place. Rachet, much like the Preists and Pharasees of 30 AD, is ostensibly acting in Big Weld's name, but his greed has made him abandon the principles that made his predecessor so beloved, and has devised a plan to make more money that involves weeding out the older, outmoded robots by making new parts unavailable.

But before long, Rodney discovers that he can repair (heal) these old robots with available supplies, and robots gather from all around to get healed by him. He becomes very popular in the underground, and develops a group of followers. Eventually Rachet starts hearing stories of this and begins to feel threatened.

Okay, here the real story diverges from my allegory, but here's how it could have finished: Rodney, without the knowledge of his followers gives himself up to Rachet, but he has a plan. Rachet predictably sentences Rodney to being melted, and as the sentence is being carried out, Rodney gets free and throws himself in the machenery of Rachet's factory. This destroys Rodney (physically), but his action not only destroys Rachet's operation, it wakes up Big Weld, who has been sleeping deep in the factory.

Upon awakening, Big Weld quickly finds that his facory has been taken over and his philosophies undermined. He, in appreciation for waking him and destroying Rachet's schemes, rebuilds Rodney into his former self (he is the greatest inventor around). Rodney's triumphant return not only makes headlines- it changes the robot world forever!

Okay, so it's a bit thin in places, but I like it.

posted by Jeff @ 10:29 PM