Steven Spielberg directs a movie with frighteningly enormous scope and ideas presented in this surprisingly adult film. The acting was first rate, and the first half seemed very much like a Stanley Kubrick movie. It was creepy how closely the script touched on many of the same themes as “2001:A Space Odyssey.”
I’m still intrigued and I want to see it again, but the ending still frustrates me to no end. Speilberg took this project over from Kubrick, and I know that the ending was the same when Kubrick wanted to film it, but I still can’t help but be angry at being manipulated during the final 15 minutes! “A.I.” could have ended 15-20 minutes before it did. There was a perfectly good, albeit extremely bleak ending. Then there’s more. It gives the audience some sort of closure, even if it is fleeting.
During the film, I got angry at Speilberg for this, but the more I think about it, the more I’m warming up to the actual conclusion. This is still a visionary movie and it should be seen. I think history will judge it better than it is being received now. “A.I.” is not a kid’s movie, but rather a very grown up film featuring a terrific and haunting performance by a kid, Haley Joel Osment.
Eric is the Editor-in-Chief of Scene-Stealers.com, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, and contributor for The Pitch. He’s former President of the KCFCC, and drummer for The Dead Girls, Ultimate Fakebook, and Truck Stop Love . He is also the 2013 Air Guitar World Champion Mean Melin, ranked 4th best of all-time. Eric goes to 11. Follow him at:
Comments on this entry are closed.