Robin Williams’ Surprising ‘90s Sci-Fi Movie Is Finally on Free Streaming

Robin Williams starred in more than 70 movies throughout a career that spanned nearly four decades, but only a handful of them were sci-fi films. Among those few genre offerings was a 1990s sci-fi movie that marked a significant and polarizing turn for the Hollywood legend, best known for his roles in films like Dead Poets Society and Jumanji. Williams fans can revisit that movie after it finally returned to free streaming in March.

After establishing his high-energy persona in iconic movies like Good Morning, Vietnam, Aladdin, and Mrs. Doubtfire, Williams delivered a surprisingly subdued performance as Andrew, an NDR-114 robot that develops human emotions and creativity over 200 years, in Bicentennial Man. After a period of unavailability on streaming, the 1999 underrated sci-fi cult favorite started streaming completely free on Tubi on March 1st. Directed by Home Alone’s Chris Columbus, the movie is based on Isaac Asimov’s 1992 novel The Positronic Man and also stars Sam Neill, Embeth Davidtz, Wendy Crewson, and Oliver Platt.

Robin Williams’ Bicentennial Man Is an Underappreciated Sci-Fi Gem

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Williams had a long history of starring in critically acclaimed, high-grossing films, but Bicentennial Man was the furthest thing from that. The movie was a box office failure when it only grossed $87 million against an estimated $90–100 million budget, and its 38% critic score and 45% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes put it in the lower half of Williams’ overall rankings. But for all of its faults, Bicentennial Man is still an underappreciated and surprisingly profound sci-fi gem of the ‘90s that deserves more appreciation and is arguably better than its original consensus.

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Bicentennial Man isn’t the typical 90s sci-fi. The movie traded high-octane action and dystopia for a slow-burn, deeply emotional narrative about mortality, self-determination, and the fight for legal recognition as a person. It’s a tear-jerker with a big payoff in the emotional finale, and Williams delivered an incredible performance as an android seeking humanity, effectively portraying his evolution from a robotic, literal-minded machine to a sentient being. While the movie takes a more profound, sentimental approach to the sci-fi genre, it doesn’t slack when it comes to practical effects. Bicentennial Man features impressive special effects, particularly those around Andrew’s transition from a robot to a more organic, human-like form, that still hold up pretty well today. The movie is also just a generally great watch for fans of Asimov’s books, as it retains the core spirit and plot of the novel.

Other Sci-Fi Movies Now on Tubi

Tubi is a great resource for sci-fi fans with a deep collection of movies streaming completely free. The streamer’s lineup grew with several great additions on March 1st. Now streaming on Tubi alongside Bicentennial Man are other sci-fi films like Ad Astra, The Dark Tower, Ex Machina, Jumper, and all four RoboCop movies.

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