Robot and Frank (2012) is, despite the robot, a conventional tale of the aging mind, vitiated by a changing focus. Who is Frank? Frank is a retired thief, an expert at lockpicks, especially that of safes.
And Robot? It’s an artificial intelligence paired with a capable body, tasked with helping Frank with the serious infirmities of old age. When Frank indicates that ‘casing the joint’ has enthused him, Robot is willing to help, learning the fine craft of thievery.
Notice I didn’t say Robot was ‘happy to help’, nor ‘reluctant to help.’ Robot is Robot, for what it’s worth, and it’s the escapades Robot enables which function as the cautionary tale considering naive robots.
Until the climax, when the requisite plot twist has nothing to do with Robot, absolutely nothing. This mistaken change of focus leaves the audience dissatisfied, as Robot is reduced from a new societal factor to be considered to merely a prop.
And that makes Robot and Frank disappointing.
