What a dark yet beautiful way for Steven Spielberg to preserve and breathe life into Stanley Kubrick's last (intended) cinematic venture! A.I. is a tale about social acceptance and the life-long search for motherly love. The fairy tale influences are apparent throughout the film, from the robot longing to become a real boy (Pinoccio), to the quest to find the Blue Fairy who can grant all of his wishes (The Wizard in the Wizard of Oz). The futuristic elements are astounding and gorgeous. The trip to Rouge City reminds me of the city sequences of Blade Runner (damp and dark with neon lighting). Spielberg relentlessly has hold of your heart-strings as you feel for young David, even though he is not a real boy. The blended styles of Kubrick and Spielberg flow well throughout the film until near the end, where it feels like Kubrick never has an end in mind and Speilberg has to suddenly write an ending on his own. The ending works, but feels and looks more like Speilberg's style than Kubrick's. Overall, A.I. is a beautiful and loving fairy tale, told as a beautiful and loving fairy tale.
Review of A.I. Artificial Intelligence
