OMG I hated that kid. I feel guilty about it, but I not only wanted him to die, I wanted to see it happen. When he ran over that hill, I was hoping the next shot would be of his charred body being ground to dust beneath the alien machines. When he showed up alive at the end I was heartbroken. I don't think I've ever felt that way before about a kid in a movie, not even those creepy kids in
Village of the Damned
.

Seeing what a CU Next Tuesday the mother was, I am not surprised the kids were vile brats.
The entire complement of humans in this film deserved to die hideous deaths.

Both kids needed to be killed.

Yes, very annoying and unrealistic character. "If we had any balls, we'd turn the car around and get one of those effers." Okay Rambo! You're not battling neighborhood bullies, or even soldiers from another country. You just saw your neighborhood decimated by something blasting away from the skies. And you're upset at your dad for driving you guys away to find safety? What are you going if your dad does turn the car around? Shoot at the spaceship with rolled up spit-balls?
Yes, I wanted to smack him, and I wanted to smack Dakota's character too. Do screaming brats like that really exist in suburban America?

Yeah, he was annoying and frankly, unnecesary. Shouldn't have been in the film imo.
It was lame that he survived, not because he was annoying, but because it wasn't realistic.
I do think the movie is great though.

It's amazing that people would prefer a dead-beat dad than the children he neglects. I guess as long as he's handsome and charming he gets a pass

I certainly did. In fact, I was reminded of it after just seeing the last half of the flick on TNT. Perhaps it's because of the dozen commercials per break or the slap in the face of the original this ahem, film, that has me so cranky, but I came to this board to start a topic on how happily expendable the character of Robbie was.
"A man in black on a snow white horse, A pointless life has run its course"

Just finished watching this movie and will really have to re-asses my rating to something a lot lower.
The acting by Cruise, Fanning and Chatwin was awful. Two very annoying kids, one a screamer with "issues" ("I have back problems") and the other stupid and out-of-control. Then there was the endless camera work on Cruise, the long close-ups made me want to stop watching the movie.
But the worst part was the ending! First the son shows up in rude good health after apparently being killed in the fireball at the top of the hill. We don't know how the aliens died, bacteria is hinted at but we don't know for sure.
And when Ray met Robbie again at the end, why was the son so dirty? The rest of the household was remarkably clean, but he hadn't even washed his face while sheltering there for however long it was. And also, Boston on the horizon was a smoking ruin, yet their street was leafy and completely without blood.
Worst. Movie. Ever.

Yes. He was an annoying little schitt.
Utah! Get me two.

i could not stand him, i liked it better when that character was off screen

This message has been deleted.

Both kids were easy to hate. Robbie should've definitely been iced by the aliens. His "appearance" at the end only made an already bad film worse

I honestly think he was an unnecessary character.. Totally awkward and didn't really fit in.

The daughter screams all the time, and is far more annoying.
It's not "Sci-Fi", it's SF!
"Calvinism is a very liberal religious ethos." - Truekiwijoker

Robbie, wait! stop!
Where are you going, Robbie?
Robbie, answer me. Will you answer me, dammit!
Come back, Robbie.
We have to stick together, Robbie. Come back!
Robbie! Robbie!
OK, pssoff and die then you floppy-haired, sullen-faced little prck!!
Nl aon scilen mar do scilen fin.

One of the stupidest kids in a disater movie

I couldn't stand that little prick! He needed a good ass-whoopin'!

He was a pain in the ass. Arrogant brat like his mom. The actor who played Robbie, Justin Chatwin, was too old for the part. He was 22 at the time. He didn't have that teenage look anymore. In the scene at the diner, after Ray and the kids have the van taken away from them, someone gets shot. Robbie turns around and he just looks so old. A couple of times I felt he looked older than Ray. I thought why would they hire someone so old looking to play this part. It wasn't a good fit.

Kids died in both Jaws and Schindler's List.
Global Warming, it's a personal decision innit?

Nigel Tufnel

but then again, this is a Speilberg film and heaven forbid something atrocious happen to a child in one of his films.
Well, a boy was eaten by the shark in JAWS.

With all that was happening, Cruise's character probably had justified cause to slap the beep out of him and knock that ungrateful piece of worthless beep senseless. No jury would have convicted him but then again, this is a Speilberg film and heaven forbid something atrocious happen to a child in one of his films.
Hands down, Robbie along with Rachel (Dakota) are the 2 worst, most annoying child characters in screen history. I would much rather endure spending an eternity with the kids from
Children of the Damned
than 2 minutes with these 2 monsters.

My wrath isn't limited to Robbie. Rachel has her fair share of 'hate' directed at her, and any I have left (and I have a lot of hate for this movie) is directed at Ray.
FFS, by the end of the movie I hoped the aliens would win.
SpiltPersonality

Agreed, he had a very punchable face. See now I sound like a budding sociopath child beater just like every other sociopath on this thread

No. He was an entire dump truck load of Derp on the highway to Fail.