A.I.

A.I. marks Steven Spielberg's return to fantastical storytelling, depicting a futuristic society in which androids are created as servants for people. The Sixth Sense's Haley Joel Osment stars as David, the first android child (and the first android programmed to love), who is given to a couple as an experiment after their natural son falls into a coma.

Sadly, A.I. is a boring film interspersed with scenes incomprehensibly weird (originally conceived by the late Stanley Kubrick, his influence is clearly evident) or sequences that are extremely dark and disturbing. Thus, despite promotions as a magical fable, it is not suitable for anyone under the age of 12.

A.I. also suffers from a misguided vision that tries to blend together too many elements. Lacking originality, it borrows heavily from Bicentennial Man, Blade Runner, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Waterworld and Spielberg's own Close Encounters, all of which developed their storylines and themes in a much more exciting and dramatic manner.

The movie also parallels Pinocchio, as David sets out to find the Blue Fairy so he can become a "real" boy. (It's surprising that 'When You Wish Upon a Star' was not used as background music -- but, of course, Spielberg already did that in CE3K.) Along the way, Osment is joined by Jude Law as a cocky android gigolo who forms an unlikely attachment to the boy. Together, their journey takes them to a sexual playground called Rouge City, the ruins of New York, and an arena not unlike the Roman Colosseum -- instead of feeding Christians to lions, spectators cheer as outdated android models are executed in a variety of horrific ways.

One would expect to find some interesting personalities in a world so dramatically different from our own, but the film is populated by a collection of annoying and one-dimensional characters. The vapid and shallow culture of the future does include some rather unique accessories and vehicles, but clothing that is distinctly twentieth-century.

Overall, A.I. is far too melodramatic and offers little point or punch in its weak message about our need to love. Spielberg's biggest disappointment since Hook, the film is also spoiled by the 'Once upon a time' fairytale narration, and an abundance of questions that are left unanswered.

The conclusion, set 2000 years after the main events in the film, is far too long in coming...it seems like you have to wait two millenia for a pay off that never delivers. One thinks back to the arena where unneeded androids are blown out of cannons -- so, too, should the entire effort for this tiring and tedious film. Rating: 3 out of 10.