Parents' Guide to My Robot Sophia

Robotics revelers will be riveted, but this story of playing God to a new life form stumbles over all-too-human realities. In My Robot Sophia, David Hanson is introduced like a modern-day Dr. Frankenstein, creating a being that looks and shares human attributes, is feared by adults, and sparks awe in children. But before the words "she's ALIVE!" can truly be uttered, Hanson encounters an obstacle more fatal to his creature than pitchforks: the real monster, money. At that point, Hanson transforms into Ahab, driving himself to his physical, mental, and financial limits in the quest to perfect his Moby Dick: Sophia.

Hanson talks a lot about the creative spark, optimistically explaining and frustratingly demonstrating that creativity is at its highest when operating "on the edge of chaos." He's a good guy, an involved and present dad, and an underdog viewers can root for. But the issues that plague Hanson also impact the filmmakers, and, likely as the result of not getting exactly what they'd hoped, they underdeliver on storytelling and an emotional journey. Still, despite these issues, the movie's subject matter—the attempt to create an empathetic, lifelike robot—has the potential to inspire robotics enthusiasts and STEM-passionate youth. Science and invention are based on learning lessons from failure, and the lessons here are the kind that teach more than easy success ever could.