When you take the minds of two completely different people and meld them together sometimes you get a masterpiece and other times you get a disaster. I expected one or the other when I took on the task of seeing the newly-released A.I. Artificial Intelligence.
Stanley Kubrick had been writing and developing the plot for A.I. for more than 15 years when his untimely death left the project somewhere in outer space.
Luckily Steven Spielberg was there to clean it up and finish it up. Kubrick had long envisioned fellow cinematic genius Spielberg directing his masterpiece.
Some still question whether Spielberg would have touched A.I. if Kubrick hadn’t died. Either way, here we are now with one man's story through the eyes of another man's mind.
The story is set in the mid-21st century, a time in which computers and robots have become extremely advanced and developed. So evolved is this technology that a company has just developed a robot so life-like that it can love and learn.
This new robot-boy named David (played by Haley Joel Osment, best known for his role in The Sixth Sense) is adopted by a family who has recently come to terms with the inevitable death of their only son. The depressed mother and eager father will test-drive this new “toy.”
The first 45 minutes of A.I. play out like a creepy morality tale. The audience is left wondering whether this robot/child should be loved or hated.
Many questions arise. For instance: Should David sit at the dinner table every night like a normal child or should he be stored in the closet with the other gadgets?
To keep from giving too much of the plot away, I will refrain from going any more into this part of the film.
I will reveal that Haley Joel Osment does an amazing job as the robot. He is extremely stiff and machine-like while remaining human enough to bring you to tears and send chills down your spine.
This role was his most difficult to date and he continues to impress.
After all, how many pre-teens can say that they were hand chosen by Steven Spielberg to star in one of his movies?
However, even a fine performance from this talented young actor isn’t enough to salvage A.I. from a meltdown.
The movie loses much of its steam during the second half, where many viewers began trekking to the bathroom and the concession stands.
An hour into the film we get our first glimpse at Gigolo Joe, played by Jude Law. His profession, as you may have guessed by his clever name, is to pleasure real-life women. Gigolo Joe ads in some comic relief, and has the funniest lines in the film.
But aside from providing some comedy, Gigolo Joe's main job in A.I. is to help David get back home to his family. I won't go into detail about why he is lost except to say that it is a bit hokey.
In this adventure, the two new friends encounter humans out to destroy all robots, they learn to fly high-tech choppers, and along the way they discover why David is so special.
That is a lot to cram into an hour. So Spielberg decides to stretch it out. This ends up being a mistake and anyone who is not a sci-fi fan will be ready to go long before the 120-minute mark.
From morality tale to fairy tale, from Kubrick to Spielberg, from good to evil, this ride is quite choppy — and ultimately not worth the effort.
As much as I want to give A.I. high marks, I just can’t bring myself to do so.
Most people go to the movie to get away from their own lives and often enjoy seeing characters similar to themselves on screen.
You won’t get this in A.I., which becomes more of a chore to watch than an escape.
So if you are one of those people a little less willing to suspend your disbelief, then beware — this is definitely not the summer flick for you.
On a positive note, A.I.’s special effects are so magnificent that you forget they are special effects. They are amazing, yet remain a secondary character and are not intrusive to the story.
Science fiction fans may well enjoy this one. If you’re like me and are more into aliens than robots, rent Spielberg’s much more significant hit E.T. and skip A.I. all together.
Grade C+
PG-13; 2 hours, 26 minutes
