Artificial Intelligence

Surprised myself here—once again, nobody’s even mentioning the other, older fairy tale:

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Is it too much to say the movie hit me harder than the story of Pinocchio, or even the search for lost (if I ever had them) intelligence?
Look, I don't have kids, never adopted anyone, but I totally identified with that kid—that anti-macho replicant—and his awkward friend, the sex-machine player, Jude Law. Role of the century? Or maybe like that wizard from Oz who answers the coin...

How did you guys experience A.I.?

Is the topic already played out, given this year's Oscar contenders filled with Kill Bill clones, samurai swords, and blood, or was the whole thing just lost in translation?

"Something old"... sweet zombie Jesus, this movie came out in 2001! That isn't old. We're talking about "old" when we discuss silent films or Casablanca.

Personally, I thought the film was alright, but unfortunately, it didn't leave me with the feeling that I’d want to watch it multiple times. Perhaps it felt a bit too... Spielbergian to me. It’s all emotions right on the surface; the lead is this charming, sweet little boy whom everyone treats like a mere piece of hardware (which, to be fair, he is 😁), followed by that whole "Look how terrible this is. Do you see? Do you see?" vibe. And I wasn't a fan of the ending. Or rather, the endev. I got the impression, much like with return of the king, that Spielberg wasn't entirely sure how he wanted to wrap things up: every individual ending works well enough on its own, yet he seemed unable to choose, so he just threw them all in there.

Don't get me wrong, folks, the movie is fine, but it wasn't as earth-shatteringly good as it ought to have been. As I mentioned: it felt a little too Spielbergian for my taste. If Kubrick had been called to direct this, it probably would have been better. Much more depressing and painful to watch, certainly, but better.

casualotter21 said:"Don't get me wrong, guys, the movie's alright, but it wasn't quite the earthshattering masterpiece it should've been. Like I said: it felt a little too Spielbergian. If Kubrick had been called in to direct, it probably would've been better. Way more depressing and painful to watch, sure, but better."

Come on, I can see you get the difference between an E.T. fairy tale—which isn't just for kids, but for adults who need them—and some bitter Kubrick allegory or whatever...

What kind of ending are you looking for, or what do you think that hellish Kubrick would have done with it? Personally, I think those open doors leading to multiple endings are a good thing—anyone can have a bitter, sweet, or whatever kind of ending they want.

And that Pinocchio allegory, featuring a nice villa from a sunken Coney Island amusement park—with tons of wreckage (and even twins) submerged—isn't that the best possible cataclysmic image of a (maybe not even that distant) future?

I actually went to see it in the theater. And honestly, the fact that I went out and bought the Blu-ray immediately afterward speaks volumes—it’s one of those films I just had to own...

I really don't have the energy to dive into a deep philosophical breakdown of the film right now.
But I can see you're fully leaning into that whole 😛
vibe.

boldeagle3 said:I went to the theater. And the fact that I bought the VHS right after says enough—I want to own this thing.

Not really in the mood to get all philosophical about the movie right now.
But I see you're fully embracing that 😛 vibe.

good for you, linda boldeagle3! My little collection has a copy too, and I swear I find something new every single time I watch it.:
top: for having good taste in movies + actual common sense!

Kubrick wouldn't have even touched this movie if he hadn't been asked. Back in the early nineties, he and Spielberg actually started collaborating on the project, with Kubrick acting as writer and producer while Spielberg took the director's chair. Sounds weird, right? But Kubrick's whole reasoning was that Spielberg had this warmth in emotional scenes that was vital for AI. Basically, he was worried his film would feel too cold. Now that Kubrick's gone, maybe Steven went a bit overboard with the sentimentality and the mushiness, but he’s still more than capable, especially working with such a killer idea. Spielberg's version of the script is pretty much identical to Kubrick's original anyway. That's why that final scene—that whole ending—is so massive... it wraps up the entire arc, completes the evolution...

ahem.😁

Yeah, that old flick 😂

I honestly can't say what my expectations were going in, but everyone kept telling me how incredible it was, so I went in with high hopes. In the end, though? It just felt incredibly mediocre to me. It failed to pull me in—it didn't spark any sympathy or empathy whatsoever.
And that ending—good grief, it felt like the movie just refused to wrap things up.😁
I’d be watching a scene and think, "Okay, that's the payoff." But no, there's more. Then I'd think, "Alright, that's the climax." Nope, still going. "Is that it?" No, it's still dragging on... It was like that for thirty minutes, maybe an hour.

I don't know, maybe I just wasn't in the right headspace for it...

steelstag4 said:Yeah, an old classic... 😂

I honestly can't say exactly what my expectations were going into this one—I just remember everyone telling me how incredible it was, so I went in with pretty high hopes. In the end, though... the whole thing felt somewhat hollow to me. It just didn't land. I couldn't find any real sympathy or empathy for the characters, no matter how hard I tried...
And that ending—honestly, it feels like the movie just refuses to actually wrap things up...😁
I’ll be sitting there watching a scene, thinking to myself—yeah, that’s it, that’s the moment. But then, no, it isn't... there’s more. Then, ah, okay, so that's how it ends. No, wait, it’s not even over yet... and I’ll just stay stuck like that for another thirty minutes or an hour...

I don't know, maybe I just wasn't in the mood...

There are two fundamental mistakes...

Expectations from a film... Honestly, having expectations usually just leads to disappointment—though, let’s be real, that applies to life in general, not just the movies—so... 😁

Waiting for the end... when will it finally happen, really... *glances at watch*...
🙂 😁

Let’s be honest—you really need to be in a specific state of mind for a film like this to actually land... It isn't exactly easy viewing.

I have to tread carefully here since I’ve only seen the film once, so my memory of the final act isn't exactly razor-sharp. As far as I recall, the kid ends up in that submarine-helicopter-whatever thing in the underwater theme park, praying to a statue. Then he's rescued by the Eliens, and later on, they let him spend just one single day with his mother, right? Feel free to correct me if I’ve missed anything.

Emily Torres2 said:What kind of ending would you prefer, or how do you think that hellish Kubrick would have handled it? Personally, I think those open doors leading to multiple endings are a great touch—it allows everyone to have their own bitter, sweet, or whatever kind of conclusion they want.

The issue is that I don't really have a choice; once a film has one specific ending, that’s where it actually *ends*, doesn't it? And then it's over. In this case, the ending with the mother felt just... mediocre to me. The ending with the boy alone at the bottom of the ocean praying to a statue is far more moving; if the film had concluded there, I would have found it much better.

I also didn't particularly care for the way the Eliens suddenly pop up during the last half hour of the film. In any other circumstance—say, if it happened earlier—it might have felt more dramatic. Here, it feels like something they thought of at the very last second. Their arrival feels like a total deus ex machina to me.

Now, even if I accept the Eliens, I still can't wrap my head around the "oh, how convenient for the melodrama" aspect of them being able to recreate the boy's mother for just one day. If that had been woven into the plot earlier, and if the story built up around the fact that the boy could only be with his mother for twenty-four hours, I might have managed some suspension of disbelief regarding the Eliens traveling from another part of space while being unable to simply use DNA to create a clone. But when the Eliens, the mother, and a highly questionable explanation for her short expiration date all crash into the final fifteen minutes, I can't help but roll my eyes.

To me, the film makes perfect sense and works beautifully until those Eliens show up. What on earth did they need them for?

An allegory for Pinocchio, set in a beautiful sunken villa within an underwater Coney Island—complete with sunken tankers (and twins)—isn't that the most powerful cataclysmic image possible of a potential future?

And if the film had ended there, it would have been absolutely devastating because it would have been the most powerful conclusion possible. Instead, it was just... meh.

Emily Torres2 said:Still looking for magic where there is none... once again, nobody is even mentioning that other, older fairy tale:

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Is it overkill to say the movie hit me hard? Like, way harder than the Pinocchio story, or even that search for lost (if such a thing ever existed) intelligence?
Look, I don't have kids, haven't adopted anyone, but I totally identified with that kid—that anti-macho replicant—and his awkward buddy, the sex machine himself, Jude Law. Role of the century? Or maybe like some wizard from Oz answering a coin toss...

How did you guys vibe with A.I.?

Is the topic already played out, especially with this year's Oscar contenders, given all the Kill Bill clones, samurai swords, and lords of air/land/space, or did the whole point just get lost in translation?

Nice one, Emily Torres2. Always good to see I'm not alone in this, though I pretty much know why I feel this way.
That movie left a massive dent in my heart. It’s beautiful and definitely earns its spot in my permanent collection...🙂
Jude Law was incredible. Beyond the heated scenes, that hunt for the 'mechs' really got to me, and that shot of sunken New York City... man, what a masterpiece. But seriously, it's not for everyone.

casualotter21 said:Look, I gotta be careful here because I’ve only seen the flick once, so my memory of the final act is a bit fuzzy. From what I recall, the kid ends up in that submarine-helicopter-whatever thing in the underwater theme park praying to a statue. Then the aliens save him, and later on, they let him spend just one single day with his mom, right? Feel free to set me straight if I missed something.

The issue is, I don't have the luxury of choice since the movie actually *ends* with just one conclusion, you know? And that's it. In this case, that ending with the mother felt... meh. To me, the ending with the kid alone at the bottom of the ocean praying to a statue forever is way more gut-wrenching. If the movie had ended there, I would've been much more into it.

Honestly, that whole bit where the aliens suddenly show up in the last half hour to do their sentimental thing didn't do it for me. If that happened earlier in the story, it might’ve worked better dramatically. Here, it feels like something they cooked up at the very last second. Their arrival feels like a total deus ex machina.

Even if I buy the aliens, I still hate how "conveniently melodramatic" it is that they can recreate the boy's mother but only for twenty-four hours. If the plot had spent more time building up the idea that he could only have her for one day, I might’ve been able to suspend my disbelief—like, okay, these highly advanced aliens can travel from another dimension but they can't just use DNA to make a permanent clone. But when the aliens, the mom, and this flimsy excuse for a timeline all get shoved into the final fifteen minutes, I can't help but roll my eyes.

The movie makes perfect sense and works great until those aliens show up. What was the point of even bringing them in?

If the movie had wrapped up with the kid at the bottom of the ocean, it would’ve been devastating. It would've been the perfect ending. As it stands... it was just okay.

For me, the movie ends in a few different ways in my head:
Like, they bring the mom back for one day/night just to tuck her into bed, to let her sleep... while for him, that one day lasts forever.

Or maybe the aliens show up a thousand years later as a catalyst to prove that a kid's love and longing (which might look like a robot or a stainless steel android to you, but to me, it's as human as it gets) lasts thousands of years longer than the "inventors" or "manufacturers." Basically, it lasts forever.

Maybe some people want that sugary, Spielbergian, Hollywood ending with the mom. Personally, I think an ending where he's eternally trapped waiting by a villa would hit harder. To me, that's a powerful, cruel ending that doesn't solve anything. It leaves it open—maybe one day the aliens realize that these emotions and this need are the most valuable discovery from that lost civilization. Maybe they decide to rebuild the whole world because of it.

With A.I., I wasn't waiting for an ending; if anything, I was worried there wouldn't be one.

northernfalcon30 said:Nice, Emily Torres2. Glad to see someone else on the same page, even if I already figured out why I feel this way.

Good to hear someone else thinks this masterpiece is actually good.
offtopic: what happened, Mary, were you left in the woods by your parents just to be eaten by wolves? And Isaac was abandoned a day before that?
Dark stuff, but I get the trauma.😁

hehehehe

😛

You actually pay attention to posts and get what movies are trying to say—you might actually make it in this life...😉

The film left a profound impression on me; it was truly beautiful. I found myself dreaming about it for days on end. That ending, in particular... even now, just thinking back to it gives me chills.

northernfalcon30 said:hehehehe
😛
You actually pay attention to posts and get what movies are about—you might actually make something of yourself one day!😉

Oh, so you're mocking me now😲
whatever, feel free to laugh. cheers from a traumatized kid.🙂

So here’s how I decided to read this movie.

S P O I L E R S !!!!!

The whole thing is basically a fairy tale. Right from the opening shot, you hear this voice (pretty sure it's Ben Kingsley) acting as our narrator, setting the stage for the story. Obviously, you can take this whole thing as a Pinocchio remake, which it totally is. But what matters to me is that it’s a Pinocchio for mechs (robots, ya know?). Throughout the flick, we see how people refuse to accept robots as equals—how they supposedly lack emotions and will never be on the same level as humans. At the same time, it shows just how much people rely on them to take over human jobs. At one point, Jude Law even says it’s just a matter of time before robots are the only ones left on the planet. And of course, that’s exactly what happens... at the actual end of the film, we have these mechs liberating a boy from the ice, and now they finally have the chance to be more human toward that robot-boy than humans ever were. So, they haven't just evolved from primitive machines into beings so real they’ve practically been swapped out for aliens, they’ve evolved emotionally too. They have real feelings and actual empathy. You also gotta notice how the main mech's voice at the end is the exact same voice (Kingsley, obviously) as the narrator from the start. It doesn't really matter how accurate the fairy tale itself is, or what actually happened versus what didn't... what matters is that the robots reached a point where they are the ones telling and retelling the stories. They are the continuation, the next phase of the human race.

slyrider16 said:... it matters that robots have reached the point where they’re talking and retelling fairy tales on their own. They're an extension, the next phase of the human race.

Or maybe look at it this way—though this might just be my biased, terrified perspective.

It's a heavy realization for me that

a) that movie actually made me cry.
b) I feel for all the oppressed and terrorized groups—Native Americans, Black Americans, Mexicans,
Jews, anyone persecuted in general.
c) In those supposed "mechanical" people, I see humanity, whereas the
dehumanized remnants of "humans"—the so-called "human race"—gather in arenas to
violently kill or watch others get slaughtered
(supposed non-humans).
d) I don't see humans evolving into machines and then back into better versions of themselves. Instead, I see a dehumanization that should serve as
a warning to humanity to wake up.

I'm reading that tons of Americans would probably prefer watching live executions as a more advanced, "modern" form of entertainment, because things like Rollerball, hockey, football,
MMA, wrestling, etc.—basically gladiators—are already getting boring. No blood, no smell of burning flesh, no eyes evaporating from an electric chair, no suffering intense enough.

Grab some popcorn and enjoy an all-night show of "let's burn people" or hunting down whoever we can on the streets...

That's why for me, an A.I. film is really about humans, not about mechanical people/mechs,
just like how any space adventure or alien flick is primarily about us.

The movie is alright, but honestly, it’s nothing special if you ask me. Personally, the most haunting scene isn't even the ending—it's when his mother "activates" him and he asks, "What were those words for mammy?" It’s such a shame we didn't get to see what this film might have become if Kubrick had been involved in the project until the very end.

A.I. is one of those rare movies I’d actually give credit to, but I am never watching it again...

Maybe I’m just blind, or maybe my memory of the film is getting fuzzy, but to me, A.I. (especially that final stretch) doesn't feel "Spielbergian" at all. It feels purely Kubrickian.

I guess Spielberg packed too much emotion into most of the movie, and that whole bit with little Haley Joel Osment just didn't sit right with me. But aside from that, the vibe of the film is straight out of Kubrick.
I absolutely love Kubrick (has anyone else seen Eyes Wide Shut?), and honestly, if he had made A.I. entirely by himself, it probably would have been a masterpiece.

As it stands, though, it's really good. Jude is perfect; he reminds me of a femme fatale replicant straight out of Blade Runner.
👍