Steven Spielberg's ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: AI is still, after 18 years from its release, considered by some a mixed bag and by some one of Steven Spielberg's lesser movies. I have to admit that after I saw it I could see the reasons why most people complained about this movie, but I also liked it for what it was. Now I can go to the review.
The movie is set in 2125, after the ocean tides destroyed many of the world's most beautiful cities. Humans created Mechas, robots that are very similar to humans. Professor Hoby (William Hurt) created a Mecha child named David (Haley Joel Osment) with the purpose of being the first Mecha to experience emotions like a human being. David is adopted by Henry and Monica Swinton, a couple that has another child named Martin that is not at home at the moment because of a illness of which he suffers. Unfortunately though, Martin is cured and returns home, and since he never heard of Mechas before he treats David like a tool, with consequental poor figures. During a pool party David drags Martin in the pool. Soon the parents decide to abandon Martin in the woods with his talking teddy bear.
From here the movie unfolds and it's mostly David's journey for trying to returning home; passing first to a carnival in which he escapes death because he looks like a real human, he becomes friends with Gigolo Joe (Jude Law), a male prostitute that is a fugitive after a murder and helps him finding the blue Fairy since David hopes to become a real boy after he thinks that his mother abandoned him because he is a robot. After Joe and David arrive to Manhattan David finally finds his creator and he discovers a shocking truth: the creator (Michael Mantell) created David as a fotocopy of his dead son and he made hundreds of copies of him. After a hopeless research for Monica and Gigolo Joe is captured by the police, David and Teddy end underwater and freezed.
The movie then moves to 4125. Now human race is extinct and David and Teddy are then found and brought back to life by a group of Mechas that also want to know more about humans since they never met them. David finally meets the Blue Mecha. So David asks her to become a human boy, but it's impossible even for her standards. But he has a chance: since Mechas can replicate DNA, they replicate Monica's body with her DNA. After eons of pain David finally reunites for only one day with his mother spending a great day together before turning off forever.
So, is this movie great or bad? I wouldn't say neither but it's good in its own, unique way. In some ways the plot is a bit reminiscent of PINOCCHIO but in a futuristic setting. The performances by the cast are good and heartfelt and especially Osment gives a moving performance, but so moving that after he is abandoned you'll only root for him for the rest of the movie. Steven Spielberg's direction is good as always though the cinematography at times looks a bit dated for 2001 standards.
However, I didn't loved nor hated the movie. Just didn't surprised me well enough but I still found it good and very moving.
The movie is set in 2125, after the ocean tides destroyed many of the world's most beautiful cities. Humans created Mechas, robots that are very similar to humans. Professor Hoby (William Hurt) created a Mecha child named David (Haley Joel Osment) with the purpose of being the first Mecha to experience emotions like a human being. David is adopted by Henry and Monica Swinton, a couple that has another child named Martin that is not at home at the moment because of a illness of which he suffers. Unfortunately though, Martin is cured and returns home, and since he never heard of Mechas before he treats David like a tool, with consequental poor figures. During a pool party David drags Martin in the pool. Soon the parents decide to abandon Martin in the woods with his talking teddy bear.
From here the movie unfolds and it's mostly David's journey for trying to returning home; passing first to a carnival in which he escapes death because he looks like a real human, he becomes friends with Gigolo Joe (Jude Law), a male prostitute that is a fugitive after a murder and helps him finding the blue Fairy since David hopes to become a real boy after he thinks that his mother abandoned him because he is a robot. After Joe and David arrive to Manhattan David finally finds his creator and he discovers a shocking truth: the creator (Michael Mantell) created David as a fotocopy of his dead son and he made hundreds of copies of him. After a hopeless research for Monica and Gigolo Joe is captured by the police, David and Teddy end underwater and freezed.
The movie then moves to 4125. Now human race is extinct and David and Teddy are then found and brought back to life by a group of Mechas that also want to know more about humans since they never met them. David finally meets the Blue Mecha. So David asks her to become a human boy, but it's impossible even for her standards. But he has a chance: since Mechas can replicate DNA, they replicate Monica's body with her DNA. After eons of pain David finally reunites for only one day with his mother spending a great day together before turning off forever.
So, is this movie great or bad? I wouldn't say neither but it's good in its own, unique way. In some ways the plot is a bit reminiscent of PINOCCHIO but in a futuristic setting. The performances by the cast are good and heartfelt and especially Osment gives a moving performance, but so moving that after he is abandoned you'll only root for him for the rest of the movie. Steven Spielberg's direction is good as always though the cinematography at times looks a bit dated for 2001 standards.
However, I didn't loved nor hated the movie. Just didn't surprised me well enough but I still found it good and very moving.