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Parents' Guide to

Robo

By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Kid-friendly robot wins a lonely boy's heart; mild peril.

Movie NR 2020 90 minutes
Robo Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 5+

Based on 1 parent review

Anthony Lohan
Anthony Lohan Parent of 6-year-old
June 3, 2023
age 5+

Its fine, but not an amazing movie

Meh, my son liked it but didn't LOVE it. It isn't scary although some kids might be freaked out by the robot. They say stupid and idiot a few times, but not really at people, more like "this thing is stupid". Also FYI this move is over dubbed in English.

This title has:

Great role models
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In this family-friendly tale, ROBO is a "universal rescue robot" designed to save humans during disasters. The engineers who created him, Viktor (Viktor Vdochenkov) and his wife Nadya (Mariya Mironova), demonstrate his rescue skills in mock-catastrophes, but instead of executing a quick rescue, the robot banters with people who need help, making him seem likable but useless to the money man backing the expensive research project. As it turns out, Viktor has unwittingly programmed a heart into Robo and, for an unknown reason, the machine wishes for a family. In his quest, Robo escapes and, using built-in GPS, heads for Viktor's house where he meets Viktor's 12-year-old son, Mitya (Daniil Izotov). Like Robo, Mitya is a disappointment to his harsh father and finds a kinship with the robot. When the authorities come looking for Robo, Mitya does his best to hide him.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

There's a distinct lack of originality with this Russian sci-fi adventure, but younger viewers may not care that this is a story that's been told before and better. It's perhaps unfair to compare Robo to classics such as E.T.: The Extraterrestrial. But the comparisons are inescapable leaving the movie feeling stilted and unoriginal. Both Robo, a robot with a heart, and Mitya, the young boy who befriends the likable robot, are underdogs, with the duo forming a heartwarming kinship.

Izotov does a good job portraying Mitya as a struggling tween who is trying to avoid disappointing his parents while staying true to himself. There's also enough going on that the young target audience will probably nevertheless enjoy the story and may wish for their own delightful robotic friend by the closing credits.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how family is portrayed in Robo. How are both Robo and Mitya treated by Mitya's father, Viktor? How do you think that made them feel? How did Viktor's feeling toward both Robo and Mitya change during the movie?

  • Robo shows a number of character strengths, including courage, compassion, and empathy. Why are these such important traits to have? Can you think of a time when you've shown these traits?

  • Did the movie remind you of any other movies? How did this movie compare?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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