A.I. Artificial Intelligence

[James]

[color=#808080]After watching the movie for a third time today, I thought I'd start this thread.

I've decided that A.I. is my favourite movie...ever. I felt that way after I first saw it and I think I still feel that way. Coming from me, that's a pretty big statement (I always hesitate to say something's my [i]favourite[/i], because I'm never really sure lol).

Apparently some people really felt that this movie was a bit of a bomb. But, I really adore it.

I absolutely [i]love[/i] the ending. I think it's a really beautiful aspect of the movie. And the story overall is both highly tragic and distressing, but also very optimistic and loving.

Funnily enough, when I first heard about A.I., I expected it to be some sci-fi action thing. But really, it's not. It's really a drama.

I also feel that Haley Joel Osment is a great actor. For some reason, a lot of people seem to be annoyed by him (like the kid in Star Wars: Episode I...ugh). But I must say, I've always found his acting to be so mature and well ahead of his age. In The Sixth Sense, he was great; he made that movie. And I think he also makes A.I. as brilliant as it is.

For those of you who know about A.I., I also have a question. When David visits Dr. Know and he reads that poem about the Blue Fairy...does anyone know where I can find that poem? I've searched everywhere, but I haven't found it. I want it, so that I can include it in my banner/signature. I really love it. ^_^

But anyway, I'm interested to know who has actually seen this movie...and do you think it's a masterpiece (like I do) or just another sci-fi movie?[/color]

[WickedThought]

I saw a bit of it, so please don't bomb my opinion, but I didn't enjoy it, and stopped watching.Mainly becuase I didn't give it's subject matter the light of day as soon as I got a feel for the story. I don't care much for a little boy coming to grips that he's AI. The whole movie was a bit of a slow runner. I like movies that have action and if they do have a great story,I still like a little more bam! but this wasn't at all thrilling or funny or any thing I liked at all. So overall I hated it:butthead: :blush:

[James]

[color=#808080]Well, with this movie...you have to listen carefully and you really do have to get sucked in by it.

It's very much an adult's movie. I expect that most children simply won't enjoy it -- especially if you're after more of an action packed movie.

But storywise (and even special effects wise), I think A.I. is pretty unique.[/color]

[Transtic Nerve]

lol I dunno what to say about this movie. I've seen it numerous times. It is so well written that it DOESN'T captivate the audience. It got really bad reviews here in the states. People generally didn't like it, but thats because they couldn't comprehend it. It was very in depth and very psychological in meaning.

It was quite possibly one of the weirdest movies I've ever seen. It was so not what i was expecting. It's definantly NOT another sci-fi movie. Liek I said, very in depth, farther than anyone thought.

It was good. It was really good, but I doubt alot of people would see that. It was also really disturbing in more ways than one.

[James]

[color=#808080]That's a really interesting take, TN.

And really, I agree. I think a lot of people fail to appreciate the inner beauty of this movie. It has many layers to it -- every single scene...every single [i]shot[/i] has a meaning and an importance.

You know that shot where David's father is dressing him and he looks up at the mother through the glass? I found that quite disturbing...very "alien" in nature. And yet, toward the end...David is such a warm little boy. I found the ending to be really emotional for me personally, moreso than any other movie I've seen. I guess that's because I also have a really strong connection to my family -- my mother in particular. So I found that it really spoke to me. It was very, very touching I thought.

But yeah, A.I. has a lot of contrasts to it as well. The harshness of the Flesh Fair and the softness of David and his family. So yes, I think it's a really interesting movie to discuss...because it [i]is[/i] quite different to anything else out there.[/color]

[Sara]

[size=1]*laughs softly*

Such high praise, James.

I haven't seen it, but I am certainly going to, now. I'd like to watch it for myself.[/size]

[WickedThought]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i]
[B][color=#808080]Well, with this movie...you have to listen carefully and you really do have to get sucked in by it.

It's very much an adult's movie. I expect that most children simply won't enjoy it -- especially if you're after more of an action packed movie.

But storywise (and even special effects wise), I think A.I. is pretty unique.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE]

... James if you call me a child one more time on any post your gonna get a foot up your *** :laugh: so keep your assumptions that action loving movie goers are kids in check;) And I know this movie is supposed to suck you in, but the problem is it all comes down to a struggling child that I don't give a damn about. I'm already thankful I'm real... if thats the deepest meaning this movie can hold see ya^_^

[James]

[color=#808080]Watch your language, firstly. There's no need to speak to people like that.

Secondly, I ask that you at least [i]read[/i] what I post. I never assumed that action movie lovers are all children.

I simply said that children (or "young people" in general) may not understand A.I. Even many adults didn't. That wasn't directed at you specifically; it was a generalization about those who have bashed the movie in some way.

Obviously, if you think the movie is just about some struggling kid...you've failed to grasp even the most basic themes. So really, you [i]don't[/i] understand it at all.

I'm not saying you have to like it or anything. You can enjoy whatever types of movies that you like. But what's the point of being so flippant about it? I mean, all you're really doing is bashing a very artistic movie because it doesn't satisfy whatever simplistic desire you might have. As I said, it's okay if it's not in your taste...but I think your negative comments are a little misplaced, to say the least.

And yes, Sara...you really should see this movie. I think you will really appreciate it. And I really think you'll like the ending. I don't know why...but I picture you enjoying and understanding the movie. I think some people will just "get it" and others will say "Oh yeah, nice special effects...who cares?"[/color]

[WickedThought]

O... well than, I apologize with the utmost concern. I had the dstinct feeling that you were referring to me, but I misunderstood your post. Again I apologize smpatheticly:) As for my simplistic needs, I enjoy betrayl a twisting plot and the ability for the actors to play the roles accordingly while still having a since of comedy. Now thats my kind of movie;)

[TheShinje]

[size=1][color=darkblue] I saw this movie the first week it came out in New Zealand. I thought it was a very artistic, stunning movie, even though I didn't even grasp the whole story. [spoiler] Did you know the scene in Man Hattan shows the World Trade center standing 2 thousand years later? [/spoiler]

Overall, I would reccomend A.I to anyone who can read fully into twisting plots and artistic poetry and allegories. It was a stunning film.

BTW James - Love your sig image and avatar ^_^[/size][/color]

[dd protector]

It wasn't the best movie ever, but it did have a very good plot. You do half to wathc it a couple of time to really get some of the messages in the scenes though. All in all it wasn't a bad movie but it was really drawn out a tad too much which really didn't captivate people the way it should have. It was also a little creepy at parts but it really was a great movie.

[Charles]

I thought that it was a pretty good movie. The ending was really touching and beautiful. It's what made the film, for me.

[spoiler]After seeing David endure so much cruelty and experience so little happiness, the scene where he hugged his mother moved me. When she told him she loved him and the narrator said "It was the one everlasting moment David had been waiting for his entire life," I can't describe it as anything but deeply touching. Great stuff.[/spoiler]

I'm not the biggest fan of Spielberg. His greatest attribute is putting out stuff with great special effects. Otherwise, he doesn't seem to trust the audience to make assumptions on their own, so a lot of his direction seems to be over exaggerated and really blatant.

But, A.I. was pretty cool nonetheless. It didn't know whether it wanted to be Pinocchio or a play on racism, which was probably its biggest downfall, but the acting, ending and atmosphere made up for its problems.

So, yeah, I wouldn't rank it up there with American History X or Field of Dreams, but it's somewhere on my favorites list.

[James]

[color=#808080]I really feel that A.I. had so many important messages. Racism (and tolerance in general) was such a big issue in the movie.

In some sense, maybe you could say that being prejudiced against robots is different from being intolerant of someone's race/sexuality. But, when you see David...you realize that even though he's a robot, he really [i]does[/i] have feelings and thoughts. And maybe that is more important than the physical make up of the being itself (whether it's mechanical or organic).

The Pinocchio references were also really interesting. I think that they tie in really well with the racism aspect. David was suffering "racim" in the worst possible way -- his own mother abandoning him (and I really think she should have just sent him back to be destroyed...it would have caused him far less pain). So David was trying all the time to win the most basic assurance in his life; his mother's love.

It's funny, because on the outside...hearing about the basic themes of the story, I might be convinced that it'd be some overly dramatic, sappy plot. But I agree with you Charles -- it really spoke to me. The ending in particular was so emotional. And I don't think it was overly dramatic or anything like that...it was very subtle.

[spoiler]The way he spent the whole day with his mother, just doing ordinary things...having her brush his hair, showing her his paintings, celebrating his birthday...it kind of makes you realize how important those things are. Here he is, 2000 years later, his entire life culminating to this one moment in time. This one day. And yet many of us have experienced days like that on many occasions I think. So the ending in particular was really expressing how important that relationship is. David's entire life was validated when his mother said that she loved him.[/spoiler]

It's kind of scary to think that one day, maybe robots [i]will[/i] have that ability... O_O[/color]

[OlgaTheDwarf]

Well, I watched this movie about, a year ago (I think). It was good, but not amazing (I give it a 3 out of 4). I thought the plot was good and very thought provoking and it had a lot of depth to it, but for me the ending (though it wasn't horrible) was it's downfall. It was very depressing for me, and (even though I do relize that not every movie is meant to be uplifting) I didn't like that. I could go on and on about why I thought the movie was deppressing but I'm to tired to do so, so I won't. But, I will say one of the superficial reasons why it depressed me, was because they never said what happened to Teddy (personally my favourite character). He was kind of just phased out of the story (or maybe I missed something at the end?) And those are my thoughts on the movie.

As for Haley Joel Osment, A thought he did a good job of acting in this movie and he did a wonderful job in the Sixth Sense (even though seeing dead people would be more of a Seventh Sense, but that's a different topic). But I do think that he flushed his acting career down the toilet when he sold his soul to Disney (The Country Bears, AHHHH!!!).

Goodbye!

[Arkadyz]

Well i thought AI was VERY good...I dont believe i could call it my favorite but its pretty high up there. While unfortunatly i missed abit of the beginning (ive only seen it once on HBO) it was a very touching movie. It created an incredible atmosphere and really made speilbergs vision of the future come to life (alot like one of my other fav speilberg movies minority report) The world that david inhabited just seemed so authentic it really helped to draw me into the movie quickly.

And they did a good job of showing the world through his eyes. I could just imagine being in his place in the flesh fair. They really made that place appear like hell on earth from his POV while to the human crowd it was amusement for them(something that hits home that that could be any of us in the crowd).

The ending was real good...While half way through the ending i thought it was starting to drag it all picked up and came together nicely (albeit truly sadly) when they brought back his "mother"

All and all a very good movie showing what the combination of the late stanely kubrick and speilberg can create.

[Lady Macaiodh]

[color=darkblue]The movie actually made me cry, at three different times, I think. This is so unusual (as most of you know) that you shouldn't have to ask if I liked it or not. When I finished watching it, I ran straight into the other room to tell my dad. He watched it the next day, & thought it was "way too weird." And, yeah, I thought it got a pretty raw deal in the reviews.[/color]

[XxmagentaxX]

I saw AI in theatres... The end really creeped me out! I had nightmares about it.
I thought it was pretty cool movie though.

[James]

[color=#808080]Olga, you were depressed by A.I.'s ending?

A.I. actually had a positive ending, you know. It was designed to send a positive final message. You didn't pick up on that? ~_^

But yes, it was still sad. I think the ending to A.I. is the best ending for any movie that I've ever seen -- I think the ending was the pinnacle of the movie.[/color]

[OlgaTheDwarf]

I was Deppressed because it showed the fall of man and how every thing accomplished by the human race was in vain. And that whole thing about Teddy also deppressed me.

[James]

[color=#808080]I don't think that A.I. was showing that the human race's accomplishments were in vain. Quite the contrary, actually.

You have to remember the discussion that the alien had with David in his bedroom. We are given the impression that mankind's legacy was one of a truly great civilization, which perhaps ended during its peak.

David is like a personification of mankind's achievements, which is why the aliens are so interested in him (apart from the whole "we can learn about the past through him" situation).

[/color]

[Ravenstorture]

[color=purple][font=gothic]Well, I disagree with ALL of you.

The whole movie was created for, and based around, the Ministry concert at the Flesh Fair. Nothing else exists, not in the movie, the movie industry, or in any of the actor's of viewer's lives. It was all about Ministry. The reason you were all fooled is that they didn't call the movie "ministry" and therefore you all thought it was about the metaphysical implications of Humanity and our quest to capture and harness the one thing we haven't yet - love and instinctive human affection.

An interesting point - this was the movie Harlequin and I went to see on our very first date. It was so good (that flesh fair bit anyway) that I decided to go out with Harlequin for the rest of my life, and all because of Ministry.

They should RENAME and RERELEASE AI as Ministry: We're So Good We Have Wrapped Our Concert Up In Something Heartwrenching But Totally Unrelated So You Don't Freak Out With Total Admiration, And If You Thought It Was About Something Else, You Are Quite Wrong.

And to PROVE MY POINT: the song that Ministry plays on the Soundtrack to the Movie Formally Known As AI is called "What About Us", outlining the complete and utter nonsense that surrounds the Ministry scene, and the importance of how the audience must look past that and focus on the wonderful, harmonious, heavy/death metal sounds of the track.

Poetry, people, pure poetry.

Oh, and I liked the bit when the boy fell into the ocean after he'd foiund that thing. Gave me a shock.[/font][/color]

[Tommy Vercetti]

I saw this film a while back and I thought it was a great film. The acting was really cool and the style of animation they used was really effective. I didn't think I would like this post when I first saw it but after seeing it I really enjoyed it. My oppinion on this film doesn't seem very detailed but I watched it quite a while ago and can't really remember what happened, but I do remember that the ending was really cool but I won't spoil it for people who haven't watched it and are just browsing this thread.

[James]

[color=#808080]Ravenstorture...I don't know if you're being sarcastic or what, but I think your interpretation is a bit cynical to say the least. lol

You have to remember the origins of this film (back when it was a Kubrick piece, before his death). I would say that the whole Ministry thing wasn't on Kubrick (or Spielberg's) minds until the core aspects of the movie were in place. To say that such a deep movie is merely a concert promotion is a bit far off the mark. [i]Especially[/i] if you understand and correctly interpret the movie's core messages.[/color]