A.I. Artificial Intelligence is a movie that I wanted to like, really I did. Afterall Steven Speilberg taking over for Stanley Kubrick is the type of real life story movie fans dream of. After several viewings of the disc, I can say that this could be a movie I appreciate more as time goes on, which has happened before to me [Cable Guy comes to mind]. However right now the film just doesn't click. From the ticket sales it appears many had this same feeling.
The movie is a from a script heavily researched by Kubrick and completed by Speilberg. The story centers around David, a realistic looking boy that is nothing more than man made machine. The "I see dead people" kid, Haley Joel Osment portrays David in a nice "I see real people and want to be one" kind of way. David is created as man's greatest contribution to a society limited by natural resources and therefore population.
When a couple's child is in a comatose state for several years, the husband who works at the corporation responsible for these "mechas", convinces his wife, played wonderfully by Frances O'Connor, to test run the first AI that can love back. David is the first meant to actually be able to imprint upon a human, therefore showing love. The wife desperate for some form of child to interact with agrees to take David in. The catch is that once she uses the special command to imprint David, it will be irreversible aside from destroying David.
The movie is really a take on three different acts, with the opening exploring our ongoing march to population control with the conflict of love and reproduction. David's imprint works flawlessly until the second act kicks in when David's parent's real life son makes a miracle comeback. Of course to tell the rest of what happens is giving away too much. The best part of the second act is Jude Law's portrayal of a robot gigolo. While the first act explored love between a human and a mecha, the second definitely explores that same relationship between two mechas. Jude Law is the standout in this picture with his Fred Astaire like portrayal of Gigolo Joe. In fact I scratch my head at a lack of an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actor.
The third and final act is where the film really falters. Speilberg has been a master at making things magical seem like they almost could really happen. However he misses wide as he tries to find a good way to resolve David's ongoing wish to become real. Unlike the antics of LT. Commander Data on the Starship Enterprise, David's ultimate resolution is far too unbelievable, especially with two thirds of the movie striving to present a very realistic future for mankind. The ending simply is a scapegoat that resolves David's issue but left me feeling agnostic.
AI for all it's quirks and twists is still a film I found worthy of a viewing. However digestion is undesirable which is a rare thing for me when it comes to Speilberg flicks. Even Jackie Chan has had better endings.
The Disc:
Speilberg continues to avoid the commentary tracks in lieu of featurettes. Dreamworks has really gone to town on the featurette with plenty of explaining of the intricacies of making a film as big as AI. I found it particularly interesting to hear from Chris Baker (aka "Fangorn") who Kubrick handpicked to help come up with the vision of AI's world.
Other interviews explore everything from the sets to the makeup and costumes. The movie has a definite look to it which makes hearing from the people who normally get overlooked a fresh change. The extras included come on a second disc that is packed with the sort of stuff you would expect from a Speilberg film.
Although nowhere to be found on the packaging, A.I. is presented in both Dolby Digital Surround EX and DTS matrixed 6.1 ES. As usual I found the DTS soundtrack to be the superior choice, especially with John Williams solid soundtrack filling up my home theater room. Those using Dolby Digital or the more simple surround sound will still find audio to be crisp and clear enough. AI, with plenty of action sequences, is certainly one movie that a proper home theater setup will take advantage of.
The disc's visual and transfer comes through clean and clear. There are many dark places in the film, such as Rouge City, but the transfer looks really crisp. One of the interviews is with the lighting director and I must say he did an excellent job in the original film as did the team that transferred the flick.
It's easy to become greedy and begin expecting and unappreciating the extras that accompany today's DVD releases. Yes I am disappointed in the lack of commentary but Dreamworks really pulled together a nice compilation of extras that did not go unnoticed.
bottom line:
AI was a dream film that perhaps had too much to live up to. I doubt that Kubrick would have gone the way Spielberg did with the ending but then again it became Speilberg's film. Magic just didn't strike here like it has before but even Speilberg's disappointments match most director's best efforts. Give it a rental view just to see it again or for the first time and perhaps it will grow on you. For me Lt. Commander Data on Star Trek presents a much more hopeful type of AI.
By - Brian "Shroom" Gray
