In the 21st Century, the polar ice caps have melted, causing the
oceans to rise and submerging many of the world's great cities, such as New York.
Due to the decreased amount of living space, the human population has been
restricted, and robots-who do not consume valuable resources-are depended upon
in an increased capacity. Humans have a love/hate relationship with the robots,
which are called mechas. When A.I. first begins, Professor Allen Hobby (superbly
played by veteran actor William Hurt), director of Cybertronics of New Jersey,
challenges his staff to create a mecha child that is capable of feeling true
love. Created for childless couples, this mecha will be able to imprint on
whomever initiates a special procedure that consists of specially selected
words. The prototype mecha child-a boy-is given to Henry (Sam Robards) and
Monica Swinton (Frances O'Connor, in a brilliant performance), a couple whose
terminally ill young son, Martin, has been placed in cryo-storage, pending a cure.
At first Monica is repulsed at the thought of her beloved son being replaced by
this…this…thing. Yet she soon comes around and begins to bond with the little
mecha known as David. She finally decides to imprint with David, and the mecha
truly comes alive; he attaches himself to Monica, and she even gives him one of
Martin's old toys, a walking, talking teddy bear named, simply enough, Teddy.
David calls Monica mommy, and all appears right with the world--until one day a
cure is discovered, and Martin, their real son, is awakened from his cryo-sleep
and returned to his family. The friction that results between the boys causes
David to unintentionally almost bring harm to both Martin and Monica. Not
willing to keep a potentially dangerous robot around his home, Henry wants to
bring David back to Cybertronics, but to do so would mean David would be
destroyed. Once a mecha is imprinted, they cannot be reprogrammed and are thus
considered having no resale value. Monica offers to take him back herself.
However, still feeling an intense attachment for the robotic boy, Monica sets
him free in the woods instead with Teddy. And so begins a strange, sometimes
enchanting, and often times surreal, journey through the harsh and bizarre
landscape of human society for David and Teddy.
The legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick (2001, A Clockwork Orange) first began
work on A.I., which was based on the short story "Super Toys Last All Summer
Long" by author Brian Aldiss, as a project that he intended for Stephen Spielberg
(E.T., Raiders Of The Lost Ark) to direct. When Kubrick died in 1999, Spielberg
took over the project himself, using Kurbick's notes as a guide. A.I., which
stands for Artificial Intelligence, is a magnificent science fiction epic that
is truly thought provoking as it deftly explores the rights of sentient machines
in a society that is plagued with a throwaway mentality. Haley Joel Osment, who
is best known for his role in The Sixth Sense, is perfectly cast as David, the
little mechanical boy who is on a mythic quest to become a real boy so that his
mother would love him again (shades of Pinocchio, and that classic story is
referenced throughout A.I.). Jude Law is great as Gigolo Joe, a male escort
mecha for lonely women who becomes an unlikely mentor/big brother figure to
David. The film is visually stunning, with spectacular special effects from
Industrial Light & Magic that create a wondrous and sometimes frightening view
of the future. The DVD comes in a two-disc set, with the second set chock-full
of special features. Although Spielberg does not give a commentary, there are
plenty of making of featurettes that offer a detailed view of the creation of the
film. And Spielberg, as well as the other major contributors, is interviewed at
length. Unfortunately, the DVD is presently no longer available. Yet this movie is
worth tracking down. From its intriguing opening to its stunning coda, A.I. is science
fiction at its most stimulating and is highly recommended. Here's hoping it gets
re-released soon.
--SF
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