I'm not sure whether it was nausea, anticipation, or just plain dread, but this movie truly disturbed me. It was, to say the least, a thrilling experience. I have never seen special effects as real and fantastic as in this film, and it certainly gave me a lot to think about.
As a morbid and dark story of a futuristic world which we may dream about and fear at the same time; it skillfully weaves together much of what we have enjoyed in the films of both Spielberg and Kubrick. We see bits of "E.T.," "2001," and "Close Encounters." The streets of Rouge City may have been inspired by scenes from another futuristic movie that pits humans against robots: "Blade Runner." This movie is far from perfect, however, but it would have been much closer had the audience been spared its last 30 minutes, in which it metamorphosed from a story of lost hope and unfulfilled dreams to a sappy fairy tale (which it claims to be anyway). This was bound to happen, however, because Spielberg and Kubrick handle fantasy and science fiction in dynamically different ways. Needless to say, "A.I." very skillfully presents us with important questions that we continuously ask ourselves at this time of scientific discovery; questions about morality, humanity, and how far we can go without going too far (this reminds me of the archeologists' discussion in Jurassic Park, as well as the squirm-inducing length of "A.I" itself), though it does not balance its child and adults aspects with as much diligence.
"A.I." succeeds on several levels, however, and is aided by the tremendous talent of one of the most amazing child actors I have ever seen. I watched, awestruck, as Haley Joel Osment convinced me that he was a mecha (short for mechanism), walking as if controlled by gears and springs, talking with a flat metallic twinge, until he is "imprinted," or programmed to love, then conveying a range of emotions to the audience. I feel sure he will be nominated for an Oscar, just as he was for his other memorable performance in "The Sixth Sense." Especially noteworthy is the performance of Jude Law, who makes a lasting impression with a very small role, just as he has in other films. As a "lover mecha," programmed solely to give pleasure to lonely and needy young women, Law is truly too beautiful to be mistaken for a human. He adds charm and even humor to the his scenes, and supplies some of the more thought-provoking dialogue. ("They made us too smart, too quick, and too many. We're paying for their mistakes because when the end comes, all that will be left is us") The humans of "A.I." may have first created robots to work for them, but playing God quickly allowed them to realize that they were mortal. This film may claim to be about the machine that can love, but it is really about the human who will always fear death and loneliness.
As a morbid and dark story of a futuristic world which we may dream about and fear at the same time; it skillfully weaves together much of what we have enjoyed in the films of both Spielberg and Kubrick. We see bits of "E.T.," "2001," and "Close Encounters." The streets of Rouge City may have been inspired by scenes from another futuristic movie that pits humans against robots: "Blade Runner." This movie is far from perfect, however, but it would have been much closer had the audience been spared its last 30 minutes, in which it metamorphosed from a story of lost hope and unfulfilled dreams to a sappy fairy tale (which it claims to be anyway). This was bound to happen, however, because Spielberg and Kubrick handle fantasy and science fiction in dynamically different ways. Needless to say, "A.I." very skillfully presents us with important questions that we continuously ask ourselves at this time of scientific discovery; questions about morality, humanity, and how far we can go without going too far (this reminds me of the archeologists' discussion in Jurassic Park, as well as the squirm-inducing length of "A.I" itself), though it does not balance its child and adults aspects with as much diligence.
"A.I." succeeds on several levels, however, and is aided by the tremendous talent of one of the most amazing child actors I have ever seen. I watched, awestruck, as Haley Joel Osment convinced me that he was a mecha (short for mechanism), walking as if controlled by gears and springs, talking with a flat metallic twinge, until he is "imprinted," or programmed to love, then conveying a range of emotions to the audience. I feel sure he will be nominated for an Oscar, just as he was for his other memorable performance in "The Sixth Sense." Especially noteworthy is the performance of Jude Law, who makes a lasting impression with a very small role, just as he has in other films. As a "lover mecha," programmed solely to give pleasure to lonely and needy young women, Law is truly too beautiful to be mistaken for a human. He adds charm and even humor to the his scenes, and supplies some of the more thought-provoking dialogue. ("They made us too smart, too quick, and too many. We're paying for their mistakes because when the end comes, all that will be left is us") The humans of "A.I." may have first created robots to work for them, but playing God quickly allowed them to realize that they were mortal. This film may claim to be about the machine that can love, but it is really about the human who will always fear death and loneliness.
Tell Your Friends