Like a modern-day Pinocchio, the star of CGI animation Robots (£19.99) – Rodney Copperbottom – succeeds against the odds despite a troublesome birth (he’s cobbled together out of various spare parts). Robot Rodney,voiced by Ewan MacGregor,has a chip on his shoulder about his lowly background and takes off to the great metropolis to champion the cause of robotic rejects and mechanical misfits. Robots is a heartwarming tale but avoids typical American schmaltz by recourse to some occasionally crude but harmless humour – my nephew cackled with glee when Rodney’s creator neglected to add one of his most crucial ‘bits’ when putting him together. The animation is extraordinary and the robot city,where every object is alive and mechanoid, will leave kids goggle-eyed.

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