Rating: 
Summary: AI - Intelligence Lost
Review: A Kubrick movie that should have been left untouched by Spielberg. Some things are better left unfinished, so they can acquire the cult status, instead of being turned into a pop culture nonsense. Yeah, the idea was interesting, but it's rendition was extremely cheesy. The characters were not convincing (albeit Jude Law's acted out his part very well), I could not connect emotionally with any of them, especially the little robot boy. The story has been done before with an adult robot - an AI android devoted to his 'family'... sounds familiar? Isaac Asimov's 'Bicentennial Man'. But this time they made the robot into a little boy, so we can let our parental instincts kick in, feel sorry and maybe shed some tears. Only it simply does not work. Most probably Spielberg's intention was to create a 21st century version of Pinocchio, but in that case I don't understand the unnecessary visual brutality of the circus show (I certainly would not want my son to watch that part). And I was very surprised to see that a director who usually plays so much attention to the details, in 'A.I.' asks us to suspend our disbelief ad infinitum. Consider this: the robot boy suffers great damage after 'eating' a few mouthfuls of spinach, yet he remains perfectly intact after falling into the swimming pool and, later in the movie, into the ocean. And when he his search of blue fairy took him to underwater Coney Island I groaned and left the theater (this happened to me only once before in 30 odd years). I only wished I left earlier.
Rating: 
Summary: Makes you think...
Review: The number one reason why I like this movie so muc is because it is thought-provoking. I didn't expect anything, despite the famous director duo, I just watched the movie with as little preconceived notions as possible. Haley Joel Osment does a marvelous job in playing a character that isn't human. He is a machine, and that's it.The movie's theme is interesting, novel and scary. A.I. is Spielberg/Kubrick's view of the future, and nobody has to agree with them. To me it seemed highly plausible, and that's why I liked the movie. Last bot not least I loved the sets and objects, the furniture, cars, clothing - is this how interior design will look? Will we drive cars like that? Go and see for yourself!
Rating:
Summary: A.I. Artificial Intelligence / ONE HELL OF AN EXUBERANT RIDE
Review: Steven Spielberg writes the screenplay of Stanley Kubrick's vision; it is the first time since "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" Spielberg writes one of his films. The first ¾ of the film are absolutely perfect: powerful, entertaining, moody, emotional, insightful...etc. But, the ending fizzles. I loved the divers characters and situations David, a robot boy, goes through, but there are too many unanswered questions underlying the odyssey; he wants us to think about the meaning of love. This is Spielberg's most artistic, mature film he has ever made, and it triumphs because of that! There was a moment in the film, near the middle, where I was completely astonished over the ambiance: the music, the action, acting, photography, the mood... For a few minutes, this film is a masterpiece, then, near the end, the narration becomes unnecessary and the story stretches. I do love the ideas the film projects about the future of the universe. Any way you look at it, it's still one hell of an exuberant ride! And I must see it again; one viewing would NEVER bring it justice... I would like to quote something Lisa Schwarzbaum, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY said about the film: "A.I. is a clash of the titans, a jumble, an oedipal drama, a carny act. I want to see it again." A.I. is a fantastic film. Even the flaws are interesting, and thought-provoking; they may not be falws after all...
Rating: 
Summary: I liked it!
Review: I won't go into all the detail that other reviews will do plenty of. I saw this movie the night it came out, i went in trying not not exspect anything eventhough I read several reviews. I'm still amazed at how so many critics gave so many varied opinions but, all were able to give it overall good reviews. I will go to see this film at least one more time before it comes out on dvd (I hope it does not take years to come out and I hope it comes with tons of extra goodies on, of course, a 2 disc set!)Anyway, I'll leave it simple and say that this film put a powerful emotional effect on me and held it through most of the film and in a way no other film has ever done. The ambient musical score played quite well in evoking the emotions i felt, especially near the end of the film.It is so difficult to watch this film and have to remind youself that the main character is not human and that fact should not limit the viewers feeling about the boy character or the film.I believe that if you have trouble with the idea that we can have feelings for a robot then I ask you to think about exactly what we are - inventions of a creator, who may actually be a robot in another form from another dimension we can not imagine.I hope you enjoy the film and not get too caught up in which director did what and just take the film in. ENJOY!
Rating: 
Summary: A question of intent...
Review: I have just come from seeing this film for the first time, so I must say that my final opinion will not be made until I have seen it again and have been able to think about it. I will make a few thoughts known at this time though. I wish Kubrick could have finished this movie himself. I think he would have done a better job. That isn't to say that Spielberg can't, it is just the mix didn't work for me. I guess my main problem comes from a personal desire for more thought. I wanted to see something that would truely ask some questions. I was looking for a movie that would ask those difficult questions that were hinted at. The final product didn't though. They appeared in the beginning and then were just left hanging. There was no "flesh" on them. I am more than capable of thinking about them on my own, and I do, but I wanted to hear it from the movie. There were also a couple of major flaws in the writing that I found very difficult to get arround. For example the fact that the couple that were given "David" didn't seem to understand anything about him. Even if you have only a basic understanding of how things learn you would be able to see that this is a "boy" that needs to be tought. My stars are given for the films potential, acting, and effects. The missing stars may come later if I can find something that I missed in the first veiwing.
Rating:
Summary: A Visual and emotional Rollercoaster
Review: In a Time when Realistic, self aware, machines walk the Earth in numbers rivaling that of the Humans, an old story is brought to life through the eyes of a Robot Child. Science had made Robots, or "Mechas", to do everything, from workers "mechas" like Miners and Nannys to ones that can provide a plethora of pleasure. To fulfill a certain emptiness though, one mecha was made...A child, one who can give love, genuine unconditional love...David. David is put in a home situation with a family whose child is terminally sick and in stasis. The "Mom" dances around the idea of replacing her son with a mecha until David touches her heart and gives in. To accept the child and personalize it to a particular family, Specific commands have to be read to it. Once this is done, the Mecha is imprinted with the family and the brain is sealed to lock it in. This makes the mechas non-returnable. Because of this non-reprogrammable brain, if it is rejected by some means and can't stay, it has to be destroyed. When Monica imprints David to her, he is loyal as a puppy and a wonderful son........All in all a Good movie on a bizarre rollercoaster of scenery and emotions. Teddy is adorable. Excellent Digital visuals by ILM, with Puppets and animitronics by Stan Winston. Other mentionable names were Dennis Mueren and Skywalker Sound.
Rating:
Summary: Humanity begins to realizes their flaws....
Review: Needless to say, there is a lot more going on in the movie than meets the eye. It is really good and I recommend reading the short story it is based on: Brain Aldiss "Supertoys Last All Summer Long". Its a futuristic spin-off of Pinocchio - but don't let that fool you into thinking its a kid's movie, Disney has no place here. Its very thought provoking, gut-wrenching and tear inducing, never mind the outstanding performances of Haley Joel Osmet and Jude 'Gigolo Joe' Law. Although the ending is a bit controversial, it leaves you wondering, especially as it becomes an excellent topic of conversation as to all the questions it raises. Kudos to Kubrick's and Spielberg's interesting portrayal of (dis)enchanted humanity.
Rating:
Summary: ......let the electric sheep sleep and dream ...........
Review: Wasn't the entire purpose of this project to CREATE a simulated ARTIFICIAL being on screen, so "real" that the audience could not tell the difference between the "starchild" [the 2001 embryo now "born"]and the real FLESH AND BLOOD ACTOR? [Almost like that ploy used in the Olivier/Caine movie "Sleuth", where Caine doubles playing a totally fictitious character, fooling the audience into believing that this is a real actor, etc.] Robotics? There's "Metropolis" [Maria, the robot]; "Blade Runner" [now, are they flesh and blood in this excellent movie?]and the never seen "Demon Seed" where the computer actually births itself into human child form. Kubrick's concept, and correct me if I am wrong, was to move beyond the limited robotics and CGI of "Jurassic Park" , and lightyears ahead of the current "Final Fantasy" [effective though it is]. The title says it all : "ARTIFICIAL Intelligence". Odd, how Spielberg missed this , using a real actor [excellent though he is]; and Mr. S. should have known better - what about "ET"? - that little being was also a composite....... This project unfortunately puts a blot on the creative Kubrick, and limits our vision and expectations of this ever inspiring genius - he deserves a better epitaph.
Rating:
Summary: Mecha in Three Acts
Review: 'A.I.' is a wonderful movie. I say wonderful, as it contains fine acting and a thought-provoking, sometimes emotional plot line, which is carefully and masterfully directed by Steven Spielberg. The director rarely fails to deliver (we won't discuss 'The Lost World' here), and with this opus and semi-tribute to the late Stanley Kubrick, he succeeds in bringing us an epic picture with heart. The film takes place in the future, when the Earth has been mis-used by humans to the point that polar ice caps have melted, and things aren't as good as they could be. The story basically takes us through events as though it were a three act play, and in the first act, we are treated to family life in this futuristic vision (which seems to not be too affected by such a natural disaster as melted polar ice caps). The family in question has a son who is ill with something (we're not quite sure what), and appears to be in a coma. The prognosis is not good. The mom and dad are given the chance to have a "new boy", of sorts, when a company which manufactures mechas (very real-acting humanoid androids) makes one in the form of a little boy named David. What makes David so unique, is that he is the first mecha made who can feel emotions, or at least *simulate* feelings emotions. The family takes him in, and the mom soon becomes attached to David. David professes child-like love for the mother, and they are happy. Things go well for awhile, until the *real* son awakens, recovers, and goes home. He and David clash, and eventually the mom dumps David in the woods, with only a friendly robotic teddy bear (named Teddy, aptly enough) for company. That is the first act, and set-up for 'A.I.' David and Teddy go forth on their journey to discover what the real world is actually like. David believes he can be made a real boy if he finds the blue fairy. His "mother" had read Pinocchio to him before she left him for dust, and the blue fairy worked wonders for *him* - so why shouldn't she be able to do the same for David? The people, other mechas, and intense situations which David and Teddy encounter on their quest are interesting, and many times sad and frightening. The brilliant images and scenery are exciting to watch. Spielberg's deft hand is sharply prominent with the visuals painted before you on the screen, and the story-line is never for a moment dull. Interesting questions are raised about artificial life, and its merits and detriments. Though you feel for many of the mechas, at times you are also creeped out by them. Is this their failing or ours? Whether or not David fulfills his dreams and becomes a real boy or not, I won't reveal here. All I will say is that the ending to the second act is poignant, and could very well have been a suitable, if rather sad, ending to the film. Instead (and I can see where this would have been a tough decision), the movie continues on into a third act, which is a little uneven in its approach. I honestly didn't see some elements of it coming, and felt as though they were a little awkward. Parts of it brought a tear to my eye, but it also left me feeling a tad skeptical. It is a decent ending to the film, but one which raises the most questions. What is it about the unconditional love from a parent that drives us so? We seem to somehow need it, crave it, feel comforted by it, in order to exist somewhat peaceably. Without it, we are not completely happy, estranged, drifting even. This, to me, is the main thrust of 'A.I.' All David wants is to be a real boy so that his human mother will love and accept him. Can any of us really quarrel with that simple wish?
Rating:
Summary: Interesting as a Curiosity
Review: After leaving the theatre of A.I. I found myself in a quandry as to how to react to it. Intellectually I wanted to hate it. In typical Spielberg fashion, the movie is increadibly manipulative, but where this technique is perfectly acceptable in films such as "Raiders of the Lost Ark" it comes across as grossly macabre and self-indulgent in "A.I." which uses the tormet of a young boy to move its audience. However, despite this reaction, I could not deny that I was moved by many of the scenes. In many ways this film is beautiful, the special effects are tremendous and the acting of Haley Joel Osmet is superb. However, this film stops and starts more often than any other movie I have ever seen. It engages a new interesting idea countless times and never fails to make the wrong choice in dealing with it. The end result is that none of the issues the movie cowardly skirts around are ever dealt with and the film ends up being an odd mixture of alternating cynicism and optimism. I think there were many good reasons that Kubrick didn't make this film. The primary being that he couldn't find a way to unite all his interesting visual ideas under a single coherent and intellectual plot. This film is not some grand treatise on what it means to be human, it is essentially a re-hashed version of "Pinnochio" and it fails entirely to make a meaningful point. Enter Steven Spielberg, who obviously couldn't resist the marketing advantages of joining his name with the legendary Kubrick's. But the obvious problem is that these directors are as different as night and day. Can you name two movies that are more opposite than "A Clockwork Orange" and "E.T."? Still, this movie might have been pulled off if Spielberg had maintaned the necessary discipline to adhere to Kubrick's vision rather than interject his own fairytail trademarks. There were obviously gaping holes in whatever script Kubrick had produced that Spielberg saw fit to fill in with his standard touchy-feely nonesense. It is like you watch five minutes of "Clockwork Orange" and then five minutes of "E.T.," the end result is infuriating. Individually, the brief segements that belong to the philosophy of the interchangeably dominant director begin to become interesting. However, they are abandoned right when they most fully start to engage your attention. Plus the sheer contrast between the two styles is enough to completely shock your emotions. Kubrick's contributions give us something disturbing and thought-provoking, Spielberg's fairytale solutions (which he seems to default to out of desperation) are obviously inadequate and absurd. The fact that they are meant to actually stand as some kind of answer is intellectually grotesque, a result you never would have predicted from Spielberg. Spielberg is defniately the one most at fault in the construction of this film, simply because he was the main force in its actual screen realization. The script is quite frankly terrible, and many of the shots are needlessly complicated. As always, the motion of Spielberg's camera hangs heavy in the picture and it is an unwelcome presence (it feels as if Spielberg himself is hanging around behind the curtain and winking at you to acknowledge his cleverness). Increadibly, however, the movie is watchable and this is mainly due to Spielberg's tremendous confidence. He fearlessly takes the viewer through a series of totally inapropriate plot directions and still manages to keep the film afloat through the power of his vision. I'm not going to go into detail about the plot problems, but they are the type of cliched garbage teachers warn you about in any introduction to writing class. Despite great performances and stunning visuals, A.I. is a total mess. However, it is a sort of egotistical tour-de-force as Spielberg holds the film together with a bunch of amateurish tactics that so obviously are intended to manipulate you that you want to be offended. Still, amazingly enough, these devices do work to some extent and you can't help but be somewhat moved. It really is a movie that anybody interested in films should see. Not just for the Kubrick/Spielberg coupling, but for an example of what reputation and confidence can do to a promising story if left unchecked by any honest pursuit of quality.
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