A.I. Artificial Intelligence

A little different than I expected, but that's probably what made A.I. that much better. Spielberg's science fiction movies are among my favorites, and this one's no exception. Especially the ending (featuring the World Trade Center) was very impressive. Spielberg simply knows how to do these things. Haley Joel Osment was great and really impressive in his special role. The special effects are top notch, Williams' music is one of the best, and Teddy is cool :-). (07/25/2007)

I'm not sure if Stanley Kubrick would have gotten more out of this material, but I definitely don't think he would have made it as sickeningly sweet as Spielberg. These are exactly the elements I don't like about his films. That excessive sweetness that tries to force tears into your eyes. Here, however, I didn't even like the story, which may be too inspired by Pinocchio, but by shifting it into the sci-fi realm, it tries to be different. (12/02/2015)

A captivating and visionary sci-fi film that is unlike anything ever made before. It's not worth arguing about whether Kubrick would have done it better or worse. Spielberg made the film the way he wanted and did not embarrass his colleague. A technically flawless film with beautifully ethereal music and excellently chosen actors. A great experience and once again, one of the masterpieces of world cinema that will most likely never be fully appreciated. (10/26/2003)

A futuristic tale wrapped in the fine veil of a Disney classic about a robot/puppet who wants to become a normal boy, directed by one of my favourite and most respected directors of all time... well, that's a big attraction, and not just for me. The story is brilliantly composed, and even though at times I felt it was a bit wild, the ending made up for it. Haley Joel Osment is amazing in his role, and for most viewers, myself included, he will always be that child actor from A.I. and The Sixth Sense. Audiovisually, it's a gem, but that's not unexpected after Steven Spielberg's "dinosaur wonder". And I'm pretty sure that if I had seen the film when it premiered, I would have begged my parents for Teddy, because there are very few toys like that indeed. In short, it's not a perfect film, and it could have easily been twenty minutes shorter, but within its genre it's beautiful and memorable. (08/07/2011)

A post-humanity horror film and a film that strays heavily from Spielberg's previous style. It feels very closed, isolated, surreal, and most importantly, fatal. Despite its piecemeal screenwriting and production missteps, it is an exceptional film in how convincingly it closes the human chapter. Not just in the story, but also in the work with visuals, with Kaminski working with a tightly defined, hazy space and the role of sounds and music here uncharacteristically subdued for Spielberg and Williams, giving the film the impression of a memory even as you watch. (01/16/2022)