There isn't enough about Muse on this site. Are there any fellow Muse fans out there? Make yourselve...
There isn't enough about Muse on this site. Are there any fellow Muse fans out there? Make yourselves known...We'll start some sort of club.
Member since:30.05.2001
Reviews:93
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Step 1: Become worlds best director with a series of incredible movies, and have audiences and critics alike eating out of your hand. Step 2: Take over a project from Stanley Kubrick, but instead of following in his footsteps just write the script yourself. Step 3: Create A.I. and watch as it quickly becomes your third and biggest turkey.
Well we all thought he couldn’t beat the atrocity that was Hook but wow! did he prove us wrong, and compared with A.I. his 1979 film, 1941 is a veritable masterpiece. But although these films were bad, by no means did they flop, and that’s what’s wrong with cinema goers, the moment a film gets a bad review we rush to see what all the fuss is about. Pearl Harbour deserved to bomb, but instead of avoiding it everyone legged it to the cinema to see how bad it was. My question is how did such an undeniably gifted director, who gave us Jaws, Schindlers List and Jurassic Park manage to turn out such a cack film. AI is soulless, plotless, heartless and brainless drivel which tries and fails to tug at the heartstrings and instead becomes a twisted, confused emotional mess. The plot was obviously not near the top of Spielbergs ‘To Do List’ and substitutes for the plot a tatty overused cliché of neverending love that leaves one cringing and ashamed to be watching such guff.
What is truly sad is the amount of love and effort that clearly went into this film going to waste because of a imbecilic plot, too many ideas and a certain character called Gigolo Joe. But, as General Melchett would say “the crowning turd in the waterpipe” had to be Robin Williams voice as Dr Know, an insane, irritating holographic data bank who whizzes about and makes you beg for mercy.
Now here is where I would give you a plot summary except (whoops!) there doesn’t appear to be one. Whoever wrote the plot summary must have been quaking in terror the day he approached Spielberg with a single piece of paper that said ‘Robot boy wants to become real boy in hope of winning mothers affection’ I mean, how may writers did it take to come up with that? How long did it take until someone just said “Aw hell lets just do Pinnochio, but with robots”. The film has all of Spielbergs little touches like the sunlight and the slightly blurred shots at the beginning. The camera work is truly beautiful (for the bit that isn’t CGI) and some shots are stunning, we have Janusz Kaminski to thank for that who works with Spielberg on every movie.
The plot (I think that’s what it is) centres around a couple Monica and Henry Swinton played by Frances O’Connor and Sam Robards whose son is in a coma. Enter robot inventor Professor Hobby played by William Hurt who invents David (Haley Joel Osment) a robot child capable of love. David goes to live with the couple to provide a replacement for their real son and after freaking his new mom out he starts to fit in, but then Martin wakes up and comes to live at home again. Martin is soon resenting David and one day David nearly drowns his brother and is quickly abandoned in the forest. David then embarks on a quest to find the blue fairy who will turn him into a real boy, enlisting the help of cheery sex mecha Gigolo Joe (Jude Law) he journeys through the gothic city of Rouge eventually fining a drowned Manhattan, ironically with the world trade towers still standing.
The whole point of the film is that David proves capable of real love and yearns for his mother to reciprocate that, his quest is all about becoming real so that his mother will love him. With a plot like that you can see how easy it would be for it to get bogged down with sentimentality and that is just what happens. Any meaning the film has is lost in a sea of emotions, anger, love and humour all blend in an unsettling mix that attempts to make us laugh or cry. Humour is provided by ‘Teddy’ a robot bear that can talk and think and gives David someone to talk to.
One of the main reasons why I hated this movie was that I was disappointed, we all had an idea of how great this movie was going to be and seeing something with such potential go to waste was hearbreaking. There were just too many ideas all bumping into one another, so we never could relax and observe there was always something new and confusing. The sheer number of movies that Spielberg ripped off is also amazing, with Pinnochio and Bladerunner being the most noticeable. This movie reeked of every other futuristic and emotional film, and you will spend a lot of time going “Hmmm that looks familiar”.
One thing that did impress me though, was Haley Joel Osment who proves time and time again what a great actor he is, he pitches it perfectly first as a total robot, then as a puzzled child in love with his mother totally confused by life and struggling to cope. Jude Law was incredibly annoying and he really needs to sort that accent out. Frances O’Connor was superb as the doting mother torn between right and wrong and her own instincts, the moment where she shines has to be when she ditches David and drives away in tears. The biggest star by far has to be the CGI which shows how incredible it can be when used by an imagination like that of Spielberg, who is remarkably assured of himself and with good reason as he produces the most stunning images. He even wrote the script himself.
Well I’ve pretty much panned the movie but I strongly urge you to see it as the eye candy is worth the discomfort of such a long and boring film. By the end I was confused and depressed as the tone is bleak and desolate and offers no hope or any rosy visions of the future. Please see the film. It is one of those things that has to be seen regardless of personal opinion.
Always appreciate comments.
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Production Year: 1945 - Drama - Director: David Lean - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway, Joyce Carey, Cyril Raymond
Production Year: 1999 - Drama - Director: Dick Maas - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: William Hurt, Jennifer Tilly, Denis Leary, Michael Chiklis, Francesca Brown
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
You're contradicting yourself a bit with your ratings. If you hated the film and thought it was a turkey compared to other Spielberg films, why rate the 'story' and 'director' categories as 'Outstanding'?
MRSCANADA 15.04.2002 03:42
I'll end reading here with a review of a movie I loved! LL
rayliu 28.11.2001 01:23
Have to disagree with you on this mate. One thing that is quite bad about going to see a movie is to have expectation, especially when its 2 of the world best visionery directors. When I read about how badly it flopped in the US, I felt that it was going to be no good myself but upon seeing the film, I can see why people were panning it due to sickingly huge amount of sentimental and emotional tones. But what impressed me about the movie, was the fact that it made you think about how we all seem to gear towards cloning humans and building androids and forgetting what will happen if we take it a step too far. If Terminator was like the violent side of what could happen in a robot future, I saw AI as what would happen emotionally. I personally thought it was very interesting, not a classic by any means but its underrated to say the least and doesnt deserve the great panning!
History will place an asterisk next toA.I.as the film Stanley Kubrickmighthave directed. ... more
But let the record also show that Kubrick--after developing this project for some 15 years--wanted Steven Spielberg to helm this astonishing sci-fi rendition ofPin...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
History will place an asterisk next toA.I.as the film Stanley Kubrickmighthave directed. ... more
But let the record also show that Kubrick--after developing this project for some 15 years--wanted Steven Spielberg to helm this astonishing sci-fi rendition ofPin...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Artificial Intelligence' is the story of David (Haley Joel Osment) the first mecha (a ... more
futuristic term for a mechanized human being) designed with the ability to love. A couple whose son is in a coma "adopts" David to help them recover from their loss....
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
A.I. - Artificial Intelligence, directed by Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park), explores the ... more
fine line between robots and humans, David (Haley Joel Osment - The Sixth Sense), a young robotic boy, is the first android ever programmed to feel human emotion...
Advantages: Outstanding performances from Jude Law and Haley Joel Osment. Great special effects. Disadvantages: Childish storyline coupled with improper sentiment and very very poor ending..
![A.I. Artificial Intelligence [2001] - 2 disc set [DVD]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78527781.jpg "A.I. Artificial Intelligence [2001] - 2 disc set [DVD]")
Sep 23rd, 2001
very helpful by (100%):
