Audience: 13 and older Profanity: None Nudity/Sexual References: One character is a robot gigolo, some sexual
references and images Alcohol/Drug Abuse: None Violence/Scariness: Characters in peril, some injured and destroyed Tolerance/Diversity Issues: A metaphorical theme of the movie, but all
major characters are white.
Cross "2001" with "ET" and "Blade Runner" and throw in some "Pinocchio,"
some "Wizard of Oz," some "Velveteen Rabbit" and a touch of "Our Town," and
you might have some sense of what to expect from "A.I." It is an ambitious,
complex, provocative movie that is likely to lead to more late night college
dorm debates than anything since the ones about "2001's" monolith and the
ape throwing the bone.
The movie is about David, who looks like a 12-year-old boy but is really a
"mecha," a highly developed robot. David is determined to find the Blue
Fairy who can turn him into a real boy, as she did with Pinocchio, because
he thinks that will make it possible for his "mommy" to love him.
Developed by Stanley Kubrick and completed by Steven Spielberg, this is a
two-part invention of a movie that owes both its strengths and its
weaknesses to the collaboration between two men of such prodigious talents
and such different, even opposing sensibilities. Kubrick is the master of
the cool image; Spielberg the master of the warm feeling. The juxtaposition
of their influence is particularly apt for this story of the struggle
between heart and brain, not just on the part of the mecha, but on the part
of the orga (humans) as well.
Parents should know that the movie is rated PG-13 for some sexual references
(Joe is a robot created to have sex with women, a crude joke about the
equivalent for men) and some violence (mecha are destroyed, critically ill
child, characters in peril). Children may find the theme and some of the
situations disturbing and may also be unsettled by the open-ended nature of
the story, which leaves many questions unanswered. It will be most suitable
for teens, who may enjoy debating some of the issues of love, vulnerability,
the nature of humanity, the future of the human race, and even the meaning
of life.
Families who see this movie should talk about whether what David feels is
love, and Dr. Hobby's real reason for creating him. Is there any way to
make a robot "real?" If the movie is about making a machine that can feel,
why is the title "Artificial Intelligence?"
Families who enjoy this movie will also enjoy "Blade Runner." They might
like to read the Karel Kapek play, "R.U.R.," which coined the term "robot"
and raises some of the same issues. They might like to take a look at this
site about the famous "Turing Test" developed by computer pioneer Alan
Turning to determine whether a machine could think.
Turing said that a machine could be considered intelligent if it could fool a person into
thinking that he or she was communicating with another person. Be sure to
check out the assortment of creative and amazingly detailed websites that
Warner Brothers has developed in support of the movie, including:
New on video and DVD:
The hardest age group to find good movies for is
8-12, so I was really pleased to find these two new straight-to-video
releases, originally produced as movies for the Showtime Network. "Ratz" is
a very funny fantasy-comedy about two high school freshman who need dates
for the big dance. An offbeat junk dealer (Kathy Baker) who finds a magic
ring turns two pet rats into cute guys and all kinds of complications ensue.
Outstanding performances and a lot of comic energy make this video an ideal
sleepover treat. "Out of Time" is written and directed by Ernest Thompson
of "On Golden Pond." It's a Rip van Winkle story about a beloved small-town
man named Jack Epson (James McDaniel of "NYPD Blue") falls asleep when Jimmy
Carter is running for President and wakes up 20 years later when George W.
Bush is running for President. His daughter has grown up and has a son of
her own and his wife is angry and hurt. The town has gone through some
changes, too, and Jack's help and sense of what really matters is more
important than ever. It's just right for family movie night.
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