Hey folks, Harry here.... well here they come... Most likely we will begin to receive reviews for A.I. fairly consistently from here on out. By all means if you've seen it, please write in... When writing an A.I. review if you will please segment your review into Non-Spoiler and Spoiler areas, so that the readers can enjoy your opinion, without ruining or damaging their innocence that they may wish to preserve in advance of seeing the film, I'd be most appreciative. It sounds like Spielberg did it. OH JOY!
Hey Abe Froman here:
Saw AI last night, ill keep it brief.
If you don't like Kubrick, you will have problems. The final third is so Kubricesque you wonder if the guy is dead or working at dreamworks.
The SFX are insane, NYC's skyline is the best look Ive seen in ... You will not be let down by the aesthetic of this movie for one frame. Kaminski does it one more time. Again, the Kubrick Milieu...
Jude Law, Frances O'Connor and the Haley are all outstanding (frances most of all, well Jude too).
You will conncect with the story if you sympathize with Haley's journey (as its told from his POV except the into of Jude and some scientists)as a robot programmed to believe he is/can be a boy, otherwise you will watch as a participant, like I did, and enjoy the film for its statement and not its heartstrings. Its 2hrs and 25 min, and thats just fine.
The ending, I feel should have continued. A missed note I think. You will know what I mean...
And now from Mr Know is a look at A.I. In the second half of his review he does a plot synopsis which contains spoilers. HOWEVER, until you read SPOILER WARNING in big type... You will be ok!!!
Harry,
Here is the review I promised.
Just got back from Rouge City where I spent the last two and a half hours with David, Teddy, and Gigolo Joe. That's right I just saw the best movie of the summer A.I. So, far this summer has been a lot of big budget crap with all kinds of action, with a few exceptions. But all that will stop on June 29th, the day where I will go back to the theatre to see A.I. again. You know I'd even pay to see this movie, but I don't have to. Anyways, Speilberg again proves why he is one of the greatest directors around with this brilliant movie that comes at you from so many different angels. The performances are top notch, especially Osment, Gleeson, O'Connor, and Law. The special effects and and cinematography are great, and the story is outstanding. It is a perfect blend of Speilberg and Kubrick, I can't wait to see it again.
Now for those who can't wait two weeks, here a rough outline, beware the spoilers.
SPOILER WARNING SPOILER WARNING!!!
The story starts out with a group of scientists talking about the advances of robots, and that should take the next step and make a child robot who has the ability to love. Then they start a search of company employees who could fit the profile, and receive the first child. We then meet a couple who have a child, however their child is very ill and in cryostasis. The mother (O'Connor) is having a hard time accepting the fact that her child may die. In an attempt to console her suffering, her husband comes home with thier new "toy" (Osment). She is very resistant to the idea, and doesn't want to accept the child. However, David will remain a robot and not love until she recites in a specific order a string of seven words. Eventually, she starts to accept him and recites the words, irreversibly activating the love. Then she gives David a toy, Teddy, who acts more or less as a guide to Daivd. Then comes the first twist, Martin. Martin is the real son, who suddenly is cured and comes home. He treats David as a toy more than a brother, and makes David do things so his parents will get rid of him. Eventually, the parents start to see David as a danger to thier REAL son, and the mother unable to bring David back to be destroyed, brings him out to the woods and abandons him. Then we meet the real "Pimp-bot" Gigolo Joe (Law), who only purpose is to satisfy women. He gets into some trouble and takes off. David then encounters some other robots who are running from the "Flesh Fair". Just then the people from the flesh fair spot them and start chasing them, including David and Joe. Eventually they are caught and brought to a carnival type place. At this carnival called the flesh fair, anti-robot people, destroy robots through torturous means (ex. shooting them out of a canon into a spinning propellor blade) David and Joe escape and go insearch of the "blue Fairy" who David thinks has the abilty to turn him into a real boy and then his mother will love him again. They go and see the Doctor, the only one who has all the answers. He points them in the direction of the end of the world, otherwise known as Manhattan. That's first two acts, I'd say more but I can't give away the entire movie.
This is not a game, but it sure is a hell of a lot of fun.
-Dr. Know-
