Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writers (WGA):

Brian Aldiss (short story "Supertoys Last All Summer Long")
Ian Watson (screen story)

Release Date:

29 June 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

David is 11 years old. He weighs 60 pounds. He is 4 feet, 6 inches tall. He has brown hair. His love is real. But he is not.

Plot:

A highly advanced robotic boy longs to become "real" so that he can regain the love of his human mother.

Plot Keywords:

Fairy | Future | Futuristic | Robot | Ice

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 40 nominations

Cast

Haley Joel Osment	...	David
Frances O'Connor	...	Monica Swinton
Sam Robards	...	Henry Swinton
Jake Thomas	...	Martin Swinton
Jude Law	...	Gigolo Joe
William Hurt	...	Prof. Hobby
Ken Leung	...	Syatyoo-Sama
Clark Gregg	...	Supernerd
Kevin Sussman	...	Supernerd
Tom Gallop	...	Supernerd
Eugene Osment	...	Supernerd
April Grace	...	Female Colleague
Matt Winston	...	Executive
Sabrina Grdevich	...	Secretary
Theo Greenly	...	Todd

Also Known As:

A.I. (USA) (working title (promotional title))
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (USA) (poster title)
A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (USA) (alternative spelling)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content and violent images.

Runtime:

146 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS-ES | Dolby Digital EX | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:U | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:Livre | Canada:14A | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIA | Iceland:12 | Ireland:12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Spain:7 | Sweden:11 (re-rated) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Gresham, Oregon, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

One of the reasons for Stanley Kubrick waiting so long to make the film, is that he wanted David (Haley Joel Osment) to be played by an actual robot. After Jurassic Park (1993) was made, Kubrick looked into using digital computer effects to create David.

Goofs:

Continuity: When David approaches Monica's bed to cut off a strand of her hair, she is first lying her face turned away from him. In the next shot, she is lying face towards him.

Quotes:

Gigolo Joe: I know women! They sometimes ask for me by name. I know all about women. About as much as there is to know. No two are ever alike, and after they've met me, no two are ever the same!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001 (2007) (V)

Soundtrack:

Dead Practice

Future classic...?

First of all, once again I think the critics have got it wrong. Like Blade Runner and 2001, this is a film that will be properly judged in 10/20 years or maybe more. Its way ahead of its time, the combination of Kubrick and Spielberg is unique, its unlikely we will ever see anything like this again.

Did I like it? The answer would have to be yes, the mix of styles will put many people off, but I found it to be unlike anything I have ever seen, and all the better for it. The story is by no means original but everything else about the film is so different that this can be forgiven. To get one thing straight, Kubrick decided Spielberg would be the better man for directing it, and I think this was a very wise decision, many of the ideas are pure Kubrick, but Spielberg has the neccassary attributes to direct such a film, and great credit has to go to Kubrick for handing it to him.

Haley Joel Osment is amazing, the robot/human emotion must be amazingly difficult to pull off effectively, but Osment does it with such relative ease to the point where you do believe he is a robot, not that he is just acting as a robot. Jude Law is excellent, and so to is Frances O'Conner.

As for the ending, as brave as an idea it may of been to end on a downbeat note at "the first ending" I think the slightly upbeat ending is much more appropriate.

All in all I would say A.I is a wonderfully unique film that should be judged for what it is, a film. Forget everything about the Spielberg/Kubrick "issue" and just sit back and take in a truely amazing film. You may hate it, you may love it, but no matter what, it will effect your emotions in some way and you will discuss the film afterwards.

This film will be truely judged in 20 years or so, when it can be assessed purely as a film, as with 'Blade Runner', '2001', and even 'The Thing', it will get better with age.