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Amazon.co.uk Review
History will place an asterisk next to A.I. as the film Stanley Kubrick might have directed. But let the record also show that Kubrick--after developing this project for some 15 years--wanted Steven Spielberg to helm this astonishing sci-fi rendition of Pinocchio, claiming (with good reason) that it veered closer to Spielberg's kinder, gentler sensibilities. Spielberg inherited the project (based on the Brain Aldiss short story "Supertoys Last All Summer Long") after Kubrick's death in 1999, and the result is an astounding directorial hybrid. A flawed masterpiece of sorts, in which Spielberg's gift for wondrous enchantment often clashes (and sometimes melds) with Kubrick's harsher vision of humanity, the film spans near and distant futures with the fairy-tale adventures of an artificial boy named David (Haley Joel Osment), a marvel of cybernetic progress who wants only to be a real boy, loved by his mother in that happy place called home.
Echoes of Spielberg's Empire of the Sun are evident as young David, shunned by his trial parents and tossed into an unfriendly world, is joined by fellow "mecha" Gigolo Joe (played with a dancer's agility by Jude Law) in his quest for a mother-and-child reunion. Parallels to Pinocchio intensify as David reaches "the end of the world" (a Manhattan flooded by melted polar ice caps), and a far-future epilogue propels A.I. into even deeper realms of wonder, just as it pulls Spielberg back to his comfort zone of sweetness and soothing sentiment. Some may lament the diffusion of Kubrick's original vision, but this is Spielberg's A.I., a film of astonishing technical wizardry that spans the spectrum of human emotions and offers just enough Kubrick to suggest that humanity's future is anything but guaranteed. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
On the DVD: A perfect movie for the digital age, A.I. finds a natural home on DVD. The purity of the picture, its carefully composed colour schemes and the multifarious sound effects are accorded the pin-point sharpness they deserve with the anamorphic 1.85:1 picture and Dolby 5.1 sound, as is John Williams's thoughtful music score. On the first disc there's a short yet revealing documentary, "Creating A.I.", but the meat of the extras appears on disc two. Here there are good, well-made featurettes on acting, set design, costumes, lighting, sound design, music and various aspects of the special effects: Stan Winston's remarkable robots (including Teddy, of course) and ILM's flawless CGI work. In addition there are storyboards, photographs and trailers. Finally, Steven Spielberg provides some rather sententious closing remarks ("I think that we have to be very careful about how we as a species use our genius"), but no director's commentary. --Mark Walker
Product Description
Dreamworks, Region, 2 2001 145 mins
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This has to be a contender for one of the most disturbing films of all time. This is because it addresses a central question of existence - what is love? Can it be created? Does it have to be earned? Is it it always unquestioning? The answers it comes up with are painful and incredibly sad. Ironically, I don't believe this film is about 'what happens if we make machines too human?' just as pinnochio wasn't about how we would feel if wood could talk. The main subject was that of belonging and identity. How far would one go to be approved of? Would you change yourself completely to be loved? (in the case of David from a robot to a boy - and it wasn't his fault he was a robot). What if the changes and sacrifices you made were not enough? Some have said that the ending to this film was too fairy tale like. I disagree; it also was profoundly sad. It highlighted that despite the lengths to which we might go for love/approval, it is all still impermenant. Tragedy in the extreme, but thought provoking and moving.
15 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A.I. is a futuristic fairy-tale, an enchanting story of a boy mechanoid ("mecha") called David who embarks on a journey because he wants to be loved by the woman he calls his mother. With parallels to the story of Pinocchio, Spielberg takes us on a spellbinding exploration of love, hate, friendship, prejudice and ultimately what it is to be human, and what it is to be without humanity.
Told in three vastly different acts, the story takes us from somewhat familiar home settings, through the grittiness of the Flesh Fair; the glamour, glitz and sleaze of Rouge City; to a final half hour in the most imaginative and dreamlike vision of the distant future.
This film communicates on many levels, and is held together by a gloriously unique concept, a cast of interesting and well-portrayed characters (including excellent cameos by Robin Williams, Ben Kingsley and Meryl Streep), a simple and beautiful musical score by John Williams that - for a change, had me guessing for a while and didn't sound like Williams at all - and excellent visual direction by Spielberg.
While it must be said that I found the first 50 minutes unnecessarily slow-paced, and not entirely successful in conveying the emotions and motives of David's parents, the last two acts more than make up for this imbalance. The character of Teddy, a semi-intelligent robotic soft toy who is essentially playing the part of David's conscience, also has a vital role of stitching together the broken scenes, smoothing out the storyline, and adding moments of much needed comedy.
Every time I watch A.I., I come away with a new message, another meaning in the story I hadn't spotted before, and it never fails to fill my eyes with tears at the end. The finale is pure magic, and can only be appreciated in context with the first two acts.
It is a tragedy that Kubrick, the great film visionary revered by Spielberg and who had wanted to make this movie for over 10 years, died before it could be made - although Spielberg incorporated many of his concepts and worked closely with his production company. For once, Spielberg avoided being over-sentimental, having struck a fine balance between emotion and reason, and I think has succeeded in bringing to life a story that is as accessible and relevant for adults as it is for children. I believe he would have made Kubrick proud, and it is a fitting dedication to his memory.
Told in three vastly different acts, the story takes us from somewhat familiar home settings, through the grittiness of the Flesh Fair; the glamour, glitz and sleaze of Rouge City; to a final half hour in the most imaginative and dreamlike vision of the distant future.
This film communicates on many levels, and is held together by a gloriously unique concept, a cast of interesting and well-portrayed characters (including excellent cameos by Robin Williams, Ben Kingsley and Meryl Streep), a simple and beautiful musical score by John Williams that - for a change, had me guessing for a while and didn't sound like Williams at all - and excellent visual direction by Spielberg.
While it must be said that I found the first 50 minutes unnecessarily slow-paced, and not entirely successful in conveying the emotions and motives of David's parents, the last two acts more than make up for this imbalance. The character of Teddy, a semi-intelligent robotic soft toy who is essentially playing the part of David's conscience, also has a vital role of stitching together the broken scenes, smoothing out the storyline, and adding moments of much needed comedy.
Every time I watch A.I., I come away with a new message, another meaning in the story I hadn't spotted before, and it never fails to fill my eyes with tears at the end. The finale is pure magic, and can only be appreciated in context with the first two acts.
It is a tragedy that Kubrick, the great film visionary revered by Spielberg and who had wanted to make this movie for over 10 years, died before it could be made - although Spielberg incorporated many of his concepts and worked closely with his production company. For once, Spielberg avoided being over-sentimental, having struck a fine balance between emotion and reason, and I think has succeeded in bringing to life a story that is as accessible and relevant for adults as it is for children. I believe he would have made Kubrick proud, and it is a fitting dedication to his memory.
27 of 33 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is without doubt one of the most misunderstood films of recent years. Poor Steven Spielberg. He misjudged the ability of an audience to actually THINK during a film and not just eat popcorn and stare at the pretty lights.
This film is not a serious discussion of the use of Artificial Intelligence. This film is not a standard science fiction story. This film is a fable or fairytale in the same mould as Pinocchio with similar themes and issues. It is MEANT to be fantastical. It is MEANT to be ambivalent. It is MEANT to challenge your preconceptions.
If I see another reviewer use the words 'typical Spielberg schmalz' I think I'll scream. There is a reason Kubrick wanted Spielberg to direct this film. His inate ability to convey emotions on screen made him perfect for this material - Kubrick simply couldn't have done it and he was all too aware of this fact.
So what about that ending? I think it will surprise many to discover that it is actually closer to Kubrick's original plan than any other part of the film. Sentimental? On the surface, perhaps. But look beneath that veneer and you will find an ending that is more disturbing, ambivalent, deep and intriguing than you could possibly imagine. Why does Spielberg use a different film stock for the ending? Why does it coincide with the first moment David closes his eyes? Why does the sun suddenly rise behind David? Is this real? Is David dreaming? Is it truly a happy ending?
When you think of it in this way does the ending remind you more of Spielberg or of Kubrick? For me it is classic Kubrick, similar in style and outcome to 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY - ambiguous, hopeful, different, challenging. Anyone who can't see this has just missed the greatest trick Kubrick ever pulled.
A.I. is a misunderstood masterpiece. You owe it to yourself to find out why.
This film is not a serious discussion of the use of Artificial Intelligence. This film is not a standard science fiction story. This film is a fable or fairytale in the same mould as Pinocchio with similar themes and issues. It is MEANT to be fantastical. It is MEANT to be ambivalent. It is MEANT to challenge your preconceptions.
If I see another reviewer use the words 'typical Spielberg schmalz' I think I'll scream. There is a reason Kubrick wanted Spielberg to direct this film. His inate ability to convey emotions on screen made him perfect for this material - Kubrick simply couldn't have done it and he was all too aware of this fact.
So what about that ending? I think it will surprise many to discover that it is actually closer to Kubrick's original plan than any other part of the film. Sentimental? On the surface, perhaps. But look beneath that veneer and you will find an ending that is more disturbing, ambivalent, deep and intriguing than you could possibly imagine. Why does Spielberg use a different film stock for the ending? Why does it coincide with the first moment David closes his eyes? Why does the sun suddenly rise behind David? Is this real? Is David dreaming? Is it truly a happy ending?
When you think of it in this way does the ending remind you more of Spielberg or of Kubrick? For me it is classic Kubrick, similar in style and outcome to 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY - ambiguous, hopeful, different, challenging. Anyone who can't see this has just missed the greatest trick Kubrick ever pulled.
A.I. is a misunderstood masterpiece. You owe it to yourself to find out why.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
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What we have to ask ourselves is, does this boy have any real exsistance if his pysical,... Read more
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Published 15 months ago by Ms. S. A. Jackson
Good in premise, poor in execution ...
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Published 15 months ago by Gary
Fundametally flawed- a "what could have been" movie.
The movie that Kubrick could have made- and arguably should have!
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Published 22 months ago by J. Styles
film
what can i say about this film ! i love it and is one of my all time fave's :0)))
Published on 22 May 2010 by booty love
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