Film Review: Artificial Intelligence

FILM REVIEW: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

2001's "Artificial Intelligence" is blockbuster king Steven Spielberg's attempt at

bringing renowned filmmaker Stanley Kubrick's vision to life. The film is a dramatic

near future tale of finding ones self and the struggle of one boy robot trying to understand

life and his ability to feel unconditional love towards a human mother. Spielberg once

again puts us in awe with some amazing visuals and great character direction but at the

same time lets us down with some stilted dialogue and slow pacing. Dialogue aside,

Spielberg shines as a story teller and he always seems to move us in some way or

another.

The story is set in the near future. A place where man and machine have come to

live side by side. It's almost cold, as if everyone is lacking something emotionally

themselves. A top researcher, Professor Hobby is looking to create something more. The

introduction of "David", the first machine designed to feel unconditional love, rises

many morale questions among humans. And when David's human family can't handle

the consequences of having this "mecha" boy, they abandon him. David is left alone in a

terrifying new world and embarks on his journey to discover the secret to his own

identity.

Haley Joel Osment, this kid really is good. He plays "David" The first child robot

with the ability to feel emotions, to love unconditionally. In the beginning, David is very

innocent in his actions, very robotic and odd. Like a new born, he acts with such

curiosity but as his mother begins to feel hope is lost with her real son (he's in a coma),

she activates or "implants" David with his emotions. This is where Osment really shines

as a young star. If you look closely, you will see the eerie transition in his facial

expressions, he becomes a little more real. It's all in his eyes, and what's more impressive

is that he doesn't blink throughout the entire movie, these little details really make his

character shine. On David's journey in the movie, he is accompanied by a super toy

named "Teddy". Think of him as what Jiminy Cricket was to Pinocchio. He was always

with David, holding his hand, looking out for him. Also worth mentioning is Gigolo Joe,

a pleasure bot (use your imagination) who was superbly played by Jude Law. Law once

again proves why he is one of the most underrated actors today, He brings so much

Charisma and style to his character, a bit of a throwback to the men of the 50's. Both

David and Joe evolve as machines into something a little more human as they are faced

with decisions a "mecha" would normally never have to make.

It's the near future and the ice-caps have melted. Chaotic climate changes have

drowned the cities that we know of today. Humans now live in a world where artificial

intelligence has grown so advanced that machines now carry out most of our daily,

routine jobs. But that's not enough for Professor Hobby, played by a very under used

William Hurt. He wants to build a child mecha that can portray emotions, even love. One

families tragic situation involving their comatose son makes them the ideal candidates for

the prototype mecha "David". Complications arise and David is left abandoned, fending

for himself, he embarks on his epic tale and what he finds will either excite you are leave

you very disappointed.

The antagonist in this story is man himself. The world seems to be on the brink

of civil war. People are torn between living with and accepting these machines and

completely ending their existence. People that are against the mecha's run these