A.I Artificial Intelligence

AI: Artificial Intelligence (2001) feels like the futuristic version of Pinocchio, but instead of wishing on a star, you’ll be wishing for the movie to end. Directed by Steven Spielberg, based on a concept by Stanley Kubrick, this film is a bizarre cocktail of fairytale references, existential questions, and a sprinkling of creepy robots. It’s a film that doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be—a deep reflection on artificial intelligence or an unsettling bedtime story that will give kids nightmares. And honestly, I’m not sure who it’s for. It’s too weird and schmaltzy for adults and definitely not something you’d want to show at a children’s birthday party.

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The premise? Pretty interesting! A humanoid robot boy, David (played convincingly by Haley Joel Osment), embarks on a quest to become “real” so his adoptive mother (Frances O’Connor) will love him. Sounds familiar, right? That’s because it’s Pinocchio with a futuristic twist, only here, instead of wooden puppets, we get wide-eyed androids with overly dramatic mommy issues. David’s journey stirs up some genuinely thought-provoking questions about AI and humanity, but unfortunately, those questions get lost in a confused mess that feels like it was stitched together by two filmmakers with completely different visions—because, well, it was.

Kubrick's edgy, unsettling approach clashes with Spielberg’s trademark emotional manipulation, resulting in a film that’s as tonally inconsistent as it is visually striking. The Kubrick side? A cold, artistic, slightly creepy exploration of what it means to be human. The Spielberg side? A syrupy, emotional rollercoaster that crashes headfirst into sentimentality. It’s like someone threw Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and Spielberg’s E.T. into a blender, then hit the “schmaltz” button.

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To Spielberg’s credit, he pays homage to Kubrick with stunning cinematography and quirky, Kubrick-esque moments, but the editing and tone? Not so much. The movie jumps from one bizarre sequence to another, like a collection of short stories someone wrote while on a caffeine bender. And just when you think it’s about to wrap up in a fitting, ambiguous way, it... keeps going. And going. You’d be surprised to know that the sappy, tacked-on ending was actually Kubrick’s idea! Yes, the master of dystopian chill wanted that.

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But let’s talk about the cast—because AI definitely didn’t skimp on talent. Haley Joel Osment, still fresh from his I see dead people fame, is the movie’s saving grace. His portrayal of David, the naïve, wide-eyed android, is genuinely believable, managing to make you feel for a kid who, let’s face it, would be more at home in the uncanny valley than in your living room. Frances O'Connor, as the conflicted mother who isn’t quite ready for AI parenting, also delivers a solid performance. The rest of the cast? They exist, but like much of the movie, they feel underutilized—probably because they’re too busy wondering what movie they’re actually in.

The film also tries hard—really hard—to sell us on its vision of the future, complete with androids, flying vehicles, and every stereotype of futuristic society you can think of. It’s like they crammed every sci-fi trope into one story and then said, “Let’s make it two-and-a-half hours long!” Unfortunately, the future doesn’t look so bright when most of it feels unbelievable or unintentionally creepy.

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In the end, AI is a film that had plenty of potential but got lost trying to be too many things at once. It’s a bold attempt, but the execution leaves you wondering if the filmmakers were working from two completely different blueprints. And yes, the movie goes on way too long—by the time you hit the supposed “ending,” you’ll find yourself wondering why it didn’t stop 30 minutes earlier.