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A.I. Artificial Intelligence (Full Screen Special Edition)

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (Full Screen Special Edition)

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Intellegence Artificial
Review: Although I would not say this film was bad, I cannot say it is one of the best I have ever seen. Kubricks vision and Spielbergs directing did not seem to merge as well as I had hoped giving 2 different visions of the same story, which basically lead to sections of the film that didn't fit with what had gone before. The saving grace of this muddled yet moving film was the central performance by Osment, who was absolutely amazing as David, showing love, comfusion and pain so easily for such a young actor it was scary. Even though this film was uneven, I recommend it to anyone who has ever had trouble being accepted.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A sad movie, but was it?
Review: All too often are there so many stories that when made into movies with the right names behind them-- Kubrick and Speilberg-- are we willing to accept them as genius, because "how could they be anything but?" A.I. is one of those cases. This movie has some themes in it that have never been addressed in this way before, "this way" primarily being through the eyes of an artificial child. But I give you "Blade Runner" as evidence that we've been here before. This movie is haunting, creepy, and sad. It is meant to be, but by the end of it, you feel as though it is too contrived. There are limits event to a context which is based all in fantasy. I am curious to speak to people who "loved" this movie-- who can also defend it without menitoning either its recently deceased idea man nor its "visionary," market-engineering director. For me and my friends, we weren't too impressed. Oh, and by the way, this one is NOT FOR CHILDREN!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: I just didn't like it
Review: And I like some strange movies. On the surface it looked good...D.A.R.Y.L. meets Close Encounters with a little Pinnocchio thrown in...it sounds good, right? I thought so. And it was, until the last thirty minutes or so, then it just died. The acting was great (especially Jude Law-I think this might be the first thing I've ever seen him in, and he was fabulous.) And the settings were very real and futuristic like they were supposed to be, I reall believed the future could look like that, but the story really left some open questions that I won't ask here because somebody reading this review might actually go out and watch the movie, and I would hate to ruin it for them. Especially since I know I'm taking an unpopular road saying I don't like it. I saw so many people leaving the movie crying, and though I was moved during the movie, the absurdity of the ending made me leave with one eyebrow raised in a questioning stance. And it wasn't just me. The friends I went with also disliked it, and several of the people around us nodded their agreement and we all walked out together shaking our heads and laughing about our desire to see it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best movie of the year
Review: This is simply one of the best movies of the year combining both the efforts of the two most esteemed directors of our time, Kubrick and Spielberg. I won't be belaboring the greatness of the movie, but I will say that the storyline's very gripping, not only because of its portrayal of the future, but because it showed hope and perseverance in a level only conceival by an android robot who strives for that one happy moment. If you enjoy the works of Kurt Vonnegut Jr. like me, than you'll love this movie. Like Vonnegut, Spielberg tries to show that one moment of your life, when everything was at peace and heavenly, and show that we should strive for that one moment. (Or at least that was my interpretation of the plot) [....] j/k

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good and bad
Review: Steven Spielberg is a genius. The directing is some of his best work...

Acting was absolutely top notch, especially Jude Law as Gigolo Joe. He was just mechnical enough to convince you he was a robot, but just human enough to be someone's work of art. Without Law, the movie would have been 1/2 of what it was. I'm quickly becoming a big fan of Jude Law, who is getting better role by role.

The same goes for Haley Joel Osment - top notch acting. It's hard to believe he's just a kid, he's great at adding layers to his characters, and subtle facial expressions which were an absolute must for his character David. I can't imagine any other child actor pulling off that role, certainly not with as much power as Osment did.

Kudos to the makeup people too - a little bit of shinyness to the skin, a little highlight here and there, just a subtle way of letting you know that the robots aren't human, but you can never quite put your finger on why. The lighting is the same way, making the robots look like robots, but the humans in the same scene continue to look human - I don't know how they pulled it off.

Then there's the story - it is by far the weakest part of the film and actually quite dissapointing. I'm sitting here in the wake of what was a visual coup, a masterpiece of directing and acting saying "that should have been much better."

Usually a movie as sophisticated as this has some subtlety, but at no time was the movie subtle. The ideas of prejudice against the robots beats you over the head again and again. Not only has it been done before, but it's been done better, although never as masterfully.

I'm dissapointed, but at the same time, I have to say it was so worth my time to see. It's a movie that you can see and talk about later, and analyse for a long time. It wasn't a simple or shallow movie. Go see the movie to see for yourself, don't judge based on what I say or what any critic says, this movie is worth your time.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A Fair mishmash (ideally 3.5 stars)
Review: Beware: No endings are given away but references are made to distinct details in the film.

This was a movie one certainly could not call bad. Kubrick (and, yes, I'll concede, Spielberg) are two of the best directors to have graced Hollywood, ever. They are also the two of the most different directors ever. As I read in USA Today the film is to cute for Kubrick, to chilly for Spielberg.

Haley Joel Osment has already established himself to be the best under 15 actor of our day. Good. In this film he proved himself once again to be a great actor. Jude Law was also incredible (I would say again, this is par with the course). Still, the movie was lost somewhere between child's fairytale, Spielberg's "Close Encounters" and a Holocaust movie - you know, like Schindlers list.

Basically the film can (really easily) be broken up into three distinct sections, each of which feel like a previously viewed Spielberg movie infused with just enough Kubrick to create a slight difference. We see Spielberg in all of his glories - ethereal child actors, ethereal fighting scenes, ethereal robots... And, of course, Kubrik is present in "Rouge city" or the city of sin (such an un-Spielbergian convention) and in Jude Law's appearance (which harkens back, immediately, to "A Clockwork Orange").

This film is beautiful, because Spielberg is immensely talented, and the script is thought-provoking, but it is too much. The three sections could each be there own film, and the movie has four endings which would be appropriate (even in its current state). And, of course, I ended with the feeling that there are too many messages. The script was both hopeful for humanity (Spielberg - there ya are!) and a death sentance (ahh - Kubrick). Do robots have emotions? Are they kinder trhan humans? Are robots valuable?... And more. As I said, good, but not great.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Spielberg's Tribute To Stanley Kubrick
Review: Steven Spielberg pays homage to the late Stanley Kubrick with the film "A.I. Artifical Intelligence". He goes in a completely new direction from anything he has done previously. I have seen the film in the theatre once, and twice more since on DVD. With each viewing, the impact it had on me seems to grow. It is a premonition, a warning.

"A.I" takes us to (our?) future where the human obsession with technology as the solution to all problems has gone to the point of no return. The full range of human emotion is intermixed with a world dependent on intelligent machines. We are already headed in exactly this direction-just how far are we willing to go?Greed, lust, materialism, love, even the afterlife and the final destiny of mankind are touched upon.

Haley Joel Osment (as the robot boy "David") and Jude Law ("Gigolo Joe", a pleasure robot) are simply marvelous, as beings restricted by their purpose-specific creation. There are many questions in this film, and few answers. Can a machine think, even love? If it can, can we love it in return? If insist on making them in our own image, won't they want the same things we do?

The film has spectacular effects, but these are an enhancement to the story, not a distraction. From the opening sequence, when a female robot's face opens up, revealing the most realistic humanoid machine yet seen in movies, the film is full of CGI and animatronic marvels. The little bear, Teddy, is a wonder to himself, created by the genius of Stan Winston studios and ILM. Spielberg's musical collaberator, John Williams, has created a spare, atmospheric soundtrack unique to this film - and perhaps his best work.

The DVD only makes the experience of watching this film even more enjoyable than in the theatre. The extra disc gives insight into Spielberg's desire to make a film that the enigmatic, secretive Kubrick would have been proud of. One can feel his presence throughout the production process, from the artwork, to the effects, to the final product.

Some have criticized the film for being too long, too sentimental, etc. My own belief is that many American moviegoers think that plotless action is what film is all about...; this movie is for those who are able to fill in the blanks-thought is involved. Just take real look around you! What is happening to the world we live in? This is what Kubrick and Spielberg are asking us to do.

I can only touch on the ways this movie affected me; I will attempt to relate the experience by saying that this is an extraordinary film, like nothing I've seen before. It does feel like a Kubrick creation in many ways-I believe that, as the world catches up to the vision of the film, appreciation for it will grow. "2001" had mixed reviews upon it's release in 1968; some thought it made no sense, and was too long...sound familiar?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Very Dark and Depressing Prophecy.
Review: A.I. (The movie that late Stanley Kubrick mothered and was waiting to direct) is a very dark and depressing story about a robot who wanted to become a boy. The movie isn't just a modern retelling of the story Pinocchio, (Some joke its Pinocchio 2001) it's beyond that. Its Features issues of discrimination and it has a disturbing look into the future like the growing Prostitution and Death.

Most critics argue that A.I. is not Kubrick enough and has too much "Heart" coming from Spielberg. But they forget that Spielberg was a dear friend of Kubrick and that Kubrick was leaning towards joining forces with Spielberg. So it was likely to have the heart it already has in the movie. But, then again no people really knows with Kubrick.

The Plot, Acting, Characters and Visuals are all spectacular. Haley Joel Osment did a better then I excepted as David the robotic boy. I think he surprised everyone in how well he played the role, as well Jude Law as the robotic gigolo, Gigolo Joe. The movie also features voice actor Jack Angel as the brilliant heart-warming voice of Teddy the robot toy bear and Frances O'Connor as the first skeptical then loving mother Monica. In the movie she must decide if the family should keep or destroy David after he caused a near fatal accident. All the actors made the characters come to life. Especially the four I mentioned, who literally steal your heart and make you believe that their real. But, you must thank the brilliant John Williams as well for creating somewhat of a theme song to fit each character's mood in his musical segments.

In the end, A.I. seemed more like the joint Kubrick and Spielberg Production that some say Kubrick was aiming towards. The movie itself was an emotional ride between happiness and depression. At one point movie got so depressing I didn't cry...I wept. Overall I would have to say that A.I. is One of the Best Films of 2001 and is definitely worth seeing more than once.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: You *are* a real boy, David.
Review: I was originally afraid that this movie would either be cold and heartless, like so many of Kubrick's films seem to be, or verge on sickly sweet, like not a few of Spielberg's. However, I feel the result is best explained by comparing my feelings coming out of it to my feelings about it to Spielberg's most serious work before now.

When I saw "Schindler's List," it was so powerful that at the end, everyone left the theater without making a sound. While the tone of the audience was less reverent at the end of "A.I.," (some people were downright rude and noisy) I consider the movie to be no less powerful. Here's some broad strokes of the brush, to show you why, without ruining for you if you haven't seen it yet:

- Jude Law's flawless performance as a robotic "Gigolo Joe," was humorous but affecting - near the end of the movie, we get an idea as to what might be in the thoughts of a robot programmed to be sensual, but without regard to the added emotion or feeling he might develop towards those he serves.

- I had very mixed emotions about William Hurt's character, "Dr. Hobby." I so much wanted to believe that he was acting out of pure motives, but eventually I came to realize that he couldn't see the life at the heart of his creation - the very "thing" he was celebrating. To say more would spoil the movie, but I can't resist pointing to his early answer that God created Adam to love him, in response to a certain moral question... and then pointing to his actions and treatment as his unfortunately real answer. Get past all the imagery and references to Pinocchio in the plot; this is the deeper, darker story we must consider.

- Haley Joel Osment: his David was stiff and un-boylike in the beginning - but you'd expect that from a robot, wouldn't you? And he never fully carries off the feeling of being a real boy until the end - but you'd expect that from a robot trying to become a boy, wouldn't you? If you threw out the rest of the movie, (and perhaps certain parts could and should have been thrown out) his performance would still stand on its own.

I remember being very displeased when Ben Kingsley was not nominated for a supporting Oscar for his role in Schindler's List. It would be no less than sheer insanity for Haley Joel Osment to not win the Oscar, now, for Best Actor. I can't think of any movie that could displace this one for the Best Picture slot, either. And while I felt like crying a few times during Schindler's List, I was dry-eyed at the end. I only remember snippets now because it hurt too much for me to want to see it again. If my sister hadn't been there with me during the screening of A.I., on the other hand, I would have bawled my eyes out. Painful though it is, I plan to see this movie several more times in theaters, to etch it even more deeply in my mind.

Finally, personal experience may have quite a bit to do with how affecting this story of a boy just wanting to know he is loved was, for me. But everyone must deal with the questions presented by the movie. When you walk out of the movie, maybe you, too, will find new answers when you ask: "Am I loved? How can I know this? How far will I go to be sure?"

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Boring
Review: Too long, too boring, too much of a stretch for the imagination. A couple of scenes to make you cry if you're into that, not worth it.


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