The Film
A.I. Artificial Intelligence is the type of film that could have turned out very differently depending on the director. Director Stanley Kubrick worked on the film during the pre-production stage (a period of more than twenty years before it was finally completed by Steven Spielberg), but with his passing, the film was left in limbo. When Spielberg and Paramount picked up the project and released it in 2001 (in tribute to Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey), they had a far more advanced set of technical tools to play with. It is unlikely that Kubrick (had he finished the film much earlier) would have been able to pull off the same visual look that made the film so unique; although he probably would not have let the film drift in the second act in the same manner as Spielberg either.
A.I. was adapted from Brian Aldiss' 1969 short story "Super-Toys Last All Summer Long" which deals with the state of humanity in the new age of intelligent machines, and how a couple copes with their son, David, who is not a "real" boy. The film adaptation takes the story on a slightly different course; earth has been ravaged by a series of catastrophic environmental disasters and the population is not only dwindling, but required to get legal permission to have children. Mankind requires artificial life (or robots) to be our slaves, yet consume little of our few remaining natural resources in the process.
The film focuses on a family who agree to adopt a robotic child; as a replacement for their sick child who lies in stasis. "David" (Haley Joel Osment, The Sixth Sense) looks like a regular little boy, but there is a new twist for the advanced robot; his creepy ability to give and receive love. This artificial form of life actually seeks to be loved by his parents as if he is their biological offspring. When the sick sibling awakens from his stasis, a twisted sibling rivalry develops and David is abandoned in a forest to fend for himself.
David's quest to understand and experience love takes him on a frightening journey where he meets Gigolo Joe, played by Jude Law in one of the more extraordinary performances of Law's career. "Joe" exposes the young boy to the "other" side of the tracks where mecha-creations live a very different existence. Osment carries the film firmly on his young shoulders; which is quite an accomplishment for a young actor in a 146-minute epic. He is utterly convincing as a form of artificial life, and it's sometimes hard to watch the rejection and abandonment that he endures.
It's a genuine pity that the trappings of the Hollywood lifestyle got the best of the young actor in 2006 when he flipped his car in a rather serious accident involving alcohol; his career hit a brick wall and he's had to work hard to get serious roles since. But I digress...
Had Spielberg taken a different approach to the second act, the film might have been much better. It recovers in the third act, but the damage has been done and it leaves too many questions unanswered. The film does ask some intriguing questions about love, the nature of humanity, and the relationship between man and machine, but it feels incomplete. It is a unique vision, regardless.
The Picture
The second act of the film (where I think the film loses its footing...even though Jude Law is fantastic) has more of a Blade Runner-esque look to it; fantastic black levels with a lot of detail present. The image has far more pop during this sequence of the film. The third act looks more like the opening, and is quite soft looking again.
A.I. doesn't look overly sharp and that works in its favor; the film is a cerebral journey that asks a lot of questions and leaves some of the answers hanging in mid-air -- in this funky looking haze that has a rather soothing, pleasing look to it. It is most certainly not designed to impress with bold colors and sharp edge enhancement like many modern Blu-ray releases. I rather like it.
The Sound
A.I. had a nice immersive feel to it in theaters, and the DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 mix is equally as impressive; wonderfully crisp dialogue, a potent low end when required, and full of ambience and solid imaging. John Williams' score is more subdued than his usual fare (Raiders, Star Wars), but the music really creates a lot of mood and sounds quite ethereal.
The surround channels certainly get called upon quite frequently; but almost always in key moments of the film. The film is dialogue-heavy and that is ultimately where the mix is focused. In its totality, it is one of the more impressive surround mixes I've heard in a while. But I would expect nothing less from Steven Spielberg and John Williams.
The Extras
A.I. is loaded up with some fabulous bonus content, but I am puzzled as to why there is no audio commentary. William Hurt or Jude Law would have been great choices.
The Blu-ray has close to 100 minutes of bonus features, including detailed looks at the cast, music, lighting, visual effects and animation, and artificial intelligence. The segments on the robots of A.I. and the visual effects are the most revealing and quite interesting. Steven Spielberg concludes with his thoughts on the nature of the relationship between human-mecha and what the future might hold.
Paramount has also included two theatrical trailers (which are the only features in 1080p), and a great gallery of stills from the film.
The overall collection is quite comprehensive and one of the more relevant bonus sections I've watched on a Blu-ray set in some time. It's almost as entertaining as the film itself.
Final Thoughts
A.I. is not without its flaws, but the overall package is quite engaging and certainly thought provoking; it does get lost somewhat during the second act, but it recovers and has many layers worth unravelling. The video and audio quality are also first rate and an integral part of the entire experience. Highly recommended.
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