Movie Reviews

For a movie about a little robot boy who wants -- more than anything -- to be loved and accepted, Steven Speilberg's A.I. Artificial Intelligence is unnervingly harsh, cold, and distant. That's not a knock against it though, I don't think, because it forces viewers to think objectively about ideas such as love and reality without falling into too much of a subjective emotional attachment to the characters. If I were to guess, I'd bet this is directly the result of the influence of Stanely Kubrick. Kubrick had intended to make this movie for years, but decided to wait until the state of special effects was advanced enough to do justice to the story, only to pass away before he could start it.

Spielberg's version of A.I. Artificial Intelligence is no masterpiece, and there's really no use in wondering what the film would've been like had Kubrick himself actually made it. What the present film is though, is pretty good -- perhaps even 'visionary' -- storytelling. Spielberg employs some really cool direction, and the cinematography and special effects are unlike anything else I've ever seen. Jude Law is great as Gigilo Joe, a robot designed solely for "pleasing the ladies". Haley Joel Osment, as David the boy robot, acts on the same one-note level as he did in Pay It Forward, but that particular note works perfectly for the story told in A.I.

The ending comes as a bit of a surprise, as the film seems to have one more act to play through after what seems to be the "first ending" happens. I don't want to discuss that too much, as it would give away a pretty significant amount amount of important plot details. It is, however, the kind of ending that might seem really bizarre and out-of-place upon first viewing, only to take on a much different light after really thinking about it for a while (and perhaps talking to someone afterwards!). Here's a hint: there are absolutely no aliens in A.I. Artificial Intelligence.

Overall, it's definitely worth seeing.