There’s nothing artificial about the intelligence in A. I.. In a futuristic world devastated by global warming, massive flooding and other disasters population control is an absolute necessity and children a rarity. Given that robots now fill every other niche in humanity’s wall a company decides to fill this gap as well by producing ‘robot’ children who are programmed to love just like a real child. David is the first of these, programmed to bond with and feel true love toward his adopted mother just as a human 10 year old might. But when some problems arise David's creators fear they have developed a Frankenstein and order his destruction. Escaping David finds himself alone, neither completely human nor totally robot, and must find a way to return to his mother and the only love he has ever known.

A. I. is a wonderful film. The hybrid vision of the late Stanley Kubrick and his protégé, Stephen Spielberg, who stepped in to finish the film when Kubrick passed away, contains the trademark genius of each. Kubrick’s intellect and, let’s be honest, out and out weird viewpoint doesn’t always mesh well with Spielberg’s sweet sentimentality and well rounded characters, but where it does mesh the result is absolutely brilliant. All of the actors perform wonderfully, but Haley Joel Osmont and Jude Law who, respectively, play David and his robot traveling companion, Gigolo Joe give absolutely unmatched performances. If Jude Law doesn’t win an Oscar for best supporting actor then there is absolutely no justice in the film industry. Finally, the story, and the special effects that bring it to life, are very, very well done.

A. I.’s has only two flaws. First, Kubrick’s unusual viewpoint, ala 2001: A Space Odyssey and Eyes Wide Shut may tend to offset many mainstream viewers who generally prefer their movies, even their science fiction, a little more…straightforward. Second, as mentioned earlier, though both directors are excellent, there are places where Kubrick’s vision and Spielberg’s vision don’t work as well together as could have been hoped for. In places the results are a little hard to follow and are probably like what would occur if E.T. and HAL tried to have a conversation.

Even so, nothing remotely this good has come out this year and so far A. I. easily deserves the Oscar for Best Picture. Unfortunately, given the bias in the awards process toward science fiction films, resulting in the fact that no film in that genre has ever won Best Picture, this probably won’t happen. But it should.

Grade: A+

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