AI is inspired by British science fiction writer, Brian Aldiss short story 'Supertoys Last All Summer Long.' It was a project initiated by Stanley Kubrick and then taken over by Steven Spielberg who directs as well as write the screenplay. It is a mixture of Spielberg's wide eyed childlike wonder from his ET era with Kubrick's cold gaze of adulthood. It is a modern version of Pinocchio.

The film is set in a future where the ice caps have melted and eradicated the coastline. Robots of increasing sophistication have become part of the fabric of society. Professor Hobby (William Hurt) has created an android with programme to love and be more human like.

Monica and Henry Swinton (Frances O'Connor and Sam Robards) have a terminally ill son and take in David (Haley Joel Osment) almost as a substitute son to love. David as he is programmed is fixated on his mother and projects his love.

When their son Martin (Jake Thomas) miraculously recovers and returns home, the new family of four becomes fractious. Martin is mean to David who cannot interact with other kids. It is not in his programming. An incident means that like a dangerous pet, he could be dangerous in the house. However Monica is not willing to send him back to the corporation where he would be presumably terminated.

Monica cares enough for David to abandon him in the woods with a Teddy Bear who is also an AI robot for companionship and wisdom (his Jiminy Cricket.) From there David befriends other robots such as Gigolo Joe (Jude Law),a sex-bot on the run after being framed for murder. They evade resentful humans and journey to find the Blue Fairy whom David believes can turn him into a real boy so his mother can love him.

David is a boy who becomes accepted quickly by becoming part of a family only to find that he is not afforded their protection when he is gauded and provoked by Martin. Once in he wilds with Gigolo Joe he is living in fear in a society where robots have no rights.

Spielberg creates two sound stages for the middle of his film. Flesh Fair a gaudy, sleazy place where robots are destroyed in front of cheering humans but David pleads for his life and swings the crowd his way. Then there is Rouge City, A Vegas type place where the holographic Dr Know points them to the top of Rockefeller Center in the flood hit of Manhattan where he meets his creator, Professor Hobby.

The final act set in the submerged Coney Island which is then frozen over in an oncoming ice age until David is rescued by advanced beings.

I have to confess. I liked the ending. It bought an emotional crescendo to a flawed film. It moved me as it allows David to find he is the recipient of love and can finally grow and become human even if it is all a projection from the beings that rescued him. Without this ending, I would had found this to be a dull, uninvolving and grim experience. Humans treating robots like pets who are soon discarded once they are no longer fulfil a useful function.

I understand that this ending was part of the Kubrick draft and not added by Spielberg. Kubrick finally showed his sentimental side.

This Movie is as Underrated as E.T. (1982) is Overrated.

Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick, Two of the most Admired Directors, combined Visions and worked Together until Kubrick's Death. Spielberg Took Over the Project but did Not Cheat on Kubrick's more Cynical and Pessimistic Approach.

The Result is this Great Film that is an Emotionally Exhausting, Visually Exciting Fairy-Tale. It is Disturbing and Delightful. Basically it is "Pinocchio", Restyled and Revisioned in a Sci-Fi-Horror-Cautionary-Allegory for Modern Times.

Not for Everyone, it may be too Unsettling at times for very Young Viewers. It is Heartwarming and Heart-Wrenching and Deeply Depressing. The Futuristic Visual Template is Amazing.

Only the most Hardened of Hearts could be Unmoved by its Sentimentality seen through the Eyes of a Robot Child. The Parallels and Direct Links to Real Children are Painful to Watch as the Artificial Boy must go through Parental Rejection and some of Real-Life's Horrifying Realities.

A Good Cast all Deliver Searing Performances in Difficult Roles. Overall the Movie is Not a very Pleasing Entertainment for those Wishing for the Usual Spielberg Scrubbed Suburbanism.

Although the Movie does have an Abundance of Heart. The Viewer will find His/Her Heart Warmed and then Frozen, Filled with Love then Broken and Drained, only to have it Filled Again.

For some it may be just Too Much of an Emotional Roller-Coaster Ride, but for others Willing to be Shaken and Stirred, Caressed and Cuddled, Shocked and Stunned, all at the Same Time, this is Just the Thing.

An Under Appreciated Masterpiece of Manipulation, with No Pull Back along the Road Trip Search for Enlightenment.

The A.I. Child, Prays and Searches for, the "Blue Fairy" His Whole "Life". Organic Types Frequently do the Same Thing. Orga = Mecha = Orga

I was not kidding when I wrote that summary. Artificial Intelligence:AI is a very captivating and astonishing achievement from Steven Spielburg. And I do think it is one of his better movies along with Schindler's List, ET and Jaws. For one thing it is beautifully filmed; the cinematography was gorgeous and the special effects were absolutely jaw dropping. The direction is very refined, and while reminiscent of Pinocchio the story driving this film is resolutely dark, ambitious and even daring. The acting is extremely impressive. Haley Joel Osment proves that he is a fine child actor in a truly astonishing lead performance, and Jude Law in one of his better performance matches him perfectly as his protector. Many complained of the character of Monica, personally I had no problem with her and Frances O'Connor makes the most of what she is given. There is terrific support also from Brendan Gleeson and Robin Williams (as the voice of Dr Know). That teddy bear, voiced by Jack Angel, is really rather cute. Some of the film is intensely moving thanks to the remarkable and eerie score from John Williams, however there are some parts of the in-general well written screenplay that are close to over-sentimental. My only other complaint is that the "feel-good" ending felt rather tacked on. In conclusion, a rather bleak, ambitious but daring and compelling movie. 8.5/10 Bethany Cox