Robots, set in 2032, introduces us to a world where robots have become a part of daily life. Particularly in the context of the United States, the government celebrates its victory in eradicating illegal immigrants. The Mexican border wall has been successfully built, and the immigrant problem has been resolved. The low paying jobs that were once done by immigrants have now been taken over by robots. Needless to say, robots, too, face prejudice. Many blame them for rampant unemployment; they are ridiculed and destroyed when they go rogue, and they are mostly used to fulfill the whims of the privileged class.
Charles, a womanizer, uses his clone robot, C2, to impress women and go on romantic dates with them. Charles prefers being lazy at home instead of memorizing all the likes and dislikes of his dates. He met the dates once they were ready to take the relationship to the next level. He was not looking for an emotional connection, and as long as his physical needs were fulfilled, he was a happy man. The relationship between Charles and C2 was that of a master and slave, but that changed when C2 met a woman just like him.
Spoilers Alert
‘Robots’ Plot Summary: What Is The Film About?
Charles’s victims were usually women who frequented the ice rink, and one evening he met Elaine there. He was blown away by Elaine’s beauty, and he asked C2 to go on dates with her to make a good impression. C2 enjoyed doing the hard work for his master. He never complained (he was programmed not to) and always managed to impress the humans he was forced to mingle with. Charles’s father preferred C2 over his own son. He was a lot more punctual and thoughtful than Charles ever was. Elaine was not quite impressed by C2’s perfectness, but she did not mind the gifts that she received. While most women always rushed to take the next step, Elaine preferred to plan ahead. Elaine also had a cloned robot, E2, and her task was to sleep with the men she dated. Elaine dated men only to get valuable gifts that she could use to pay her rent and afford her luxurious lifestyle. Since men wanted sex in return, she used E2 to get rid of the hurdle.
Charles was excited to finally sleep with the woman he met at the ice rink, but there was a problem at hand. Elaine wanted to meet him at 6.30 p.m., which meant that C2 would not have enough time to return home from work to allow Charles to leave for his date. Since having clone robots for personal use was illegal, they could not be out in public at the same time. Charles decided to make an exception and go to work that day, and after, he would meet Elaine. To make matters worse, his father invited him to a board meeting. Charles hurried back home and asked C2 to attend the meeting while he spent the evening with Elaine. Even though the plan could land Charles in danger, he was ready to take the risk. There were two addresses, and Charles confused the two. He ended up making a provocative appearance at the board meeting, while C2 met E2 and fell in love. The clone robot knew that they were meant to be together after their magical lovemaking. The next morning, both Elaine and Charles could not find their clones. E2 and C2 called their respective owners and stated how Charles was a womanizer using Elaine and Elaine was a gold digger using Charles. The robots planned on crossing the border to be finally free, and they asked their owners not to stop them. While Elaine and Charles were surprised at first that they were both using one another, they ultimately decided to work together to track their robot doubles and kill them if needed.
What Brought Charles And Elaine Closer To Each Other?
While they were far from perfect teammates, Elaine and Charles had no other option but to find their robot doubles together. Their first stop was Zach Newman’s house; he worked at Tesla Robotics and created C2 and E2. Using the GPS he had embedded into the robots, Zach tracked E2 and C2. The only catch was that Charles and Elaine could not have their robots back in their lives. Once robots went rogue, they were impossible to control, and they often chose to seek vengeance. Elaine was ready to destroy E2, but Charles could not imagine his life without C2. He called up his friend Ashley, aka Fat Ninja, to help him kidnap C2 after tracking him down. Zack, Elaine, and Charles found E2 and C2 and temporarily managed to shut them off. While the robots were in the car, Ashley entered the motel room and created confusion, giving E2 and C2 enough time to start back up and escape.
Elaine and Charles tried to blend into their daily lives, but without their robot doubles, life was extremely difficult to navigate for the two. E2 and C2 tricked Elaine and Charles into meeting them in public, and they stole Elaine’s car. They raided a shopping mall with guns in their hands and texted them the video of it. Elaine and Charles knew they were in danger and decided to leave the country before they got arrested by the police. Charles had a secret cabin in the woods where he and Elaine stayed the night to figure out their next move.
Charles and Elaine felt closer to being humans by facing the unpredictable situation they were in. Technology had made their lives so easy and comfortable, and they chose not to explore anything beyond what they already knew about themselves. Charles and Elaine spent the night drinking away their misery, and they developed a connection. The next day, when the two were driving to the Mexican border, they were stopped by the police. Charles assumed that they would be arrested, and he went ahead and blamed it all on himself to protect Elaine. To their surprise, the police only complained about the paint on the car’s back light. They thought that it was strange that the police did not mention the shootout. Elaine revisited the video and realized that it was fake and that their robot doubles had sent it to them to make them leave the country while they lived their best lives as Charles and Elaine.
‘Robots’ Ending Explained: What Happens To Charles, Elaine & Their Robot Doubles?
Charles and Elaine watched C2 and E2 take over their lives, and they announced their wedding as well. According to social media, Charles and Elaine were madly in love, but the only problem was that they were not real. Charles and Elaine crashed the announcement party dressed as robots (the irony!), and they managed to shut down E2 and C2 once again. They threw C2 into the lake, but he managed to survive, so they decided to hold E2 captive. They carried E2 to Zach’s house and decided to call C2 and blackmail him to surrender. While it was impossible to make him believe that E2 was no longer faithful to him, Elaine revealed that she had another clone, E3. Elaine and Zach had an agreement according to which he could create a third clone of Elaine for personal use. They used E3 to make C2 believe that his partner was modified and that she was in danger.
By the time C2 entered Zach’s house to confront them, the police had entered the scene. The inhumane speed at which C2 was driving the electric tricycle caught the attention of the police. They arrested Charles and Elaine, along with their robot clones. Elaine and Charles were informed that they would be stuck in prison for the rest of their lives while their robot doubles would be destroyed. Even though they were about to be killed, E2 and C2 were glad that they found each other and fell in love. They did not know the power of love at first, and once they did, they realized that their humans had been wrong all along. Love was not the reason behind misery; rather, it was the cure. Unlike humans, who always tended to sabotage their own lives, they chose to protect their loved ones even if that resulted in death. C2 and E2’s love for each other impressed Charles and Elaine. They realized that love did exist, and maybe they had been wrong about it all along. Charles called Fat Ninja to rescue them in his one last attempt at freedom. Ashley successfully created a distraction and helped them escape. The four of them traveled to the Mexican border, ready to start a new life. While C2 and E2 were allowed to enter Mexico, Charles, and Elaine were stopped. Their arrest had generated a warning, and as a result, the robots could not allow them to cross the border. Soon the police arrived at the scene. Even though the police managed to stop Charles and Elaine, they did not have any proof to use against them.
Robots ends with Charles and Elaine ultimately being allowed to return home. They got their lives back and did not waste a second to confess their love for one another. The two got married, all thanks to their robot doubles, who made them realize the importance of love and companionship. Meanwhile, E2 and C2 escaped to Mexico, where they were allowed to live freely and not hide their relationship from the world. Robots ends on a happy note, with love bringing people and robots closer to one another. Ironically, the robots reminded humans what it was to have emotions and live a life that was not driven by an ulterior motive.
