The story involves bots Rodney Copperbottom (Ewan McGregor), a young genius inventor who dreams of helping robots everywhere. At a young age he leaves his family in search of his dream to provide a valuable invention. After an amazing flight to the big city with imaginative shuttles through the city, Bots arrives at the corporate palace. Along the way he meets Capp (Halle Berry), a beautiful, dynamic and savy bot with whom Rodney is attracted. He also locks horns with the corporate tyrant Ratchet (Greg Kinnear). He meets Bigweld (Mel Brooks), a master inventor who has lost his way and a group of misfit 'bots known as the Rusties, led by Fender (Robin Williams) and Piper Pinwheeler (Amanda Byrnes).

The film is very imaginative and you need to see it several times to appreciate the humor. The background is full of things happening and it is hard to catch everything. It is a coming of age film more complex than Ice Age. It is about Rodney believing in himself and taking that giant step from adolescence into adulthood.