A.I. is an ambitious attempt by Steven Spielberg to finish what Stanley Kubrick never quite started. According to an article in last week's newspaper, Kubrick worked on the adaptation of the short story, "Supertoys Last All Summer Long," for twenty years and never got it off the ground. Most of that time he spent looking for an actual robot to play David; he knew that if he were to cast an actual child actor in the part, the kid would literally outgrow the part before filming was completed. Kubrick actually collaborated with Spielberg for several years before his death. I think he would be quite satisfied with what Spielberg has done with the movie. I know I am.

I have never been a Kubrick fan. I base this decision on the one film of his I actually saw - "2001: A Space Odyssey." What the heck was that about? Whether it was my tender age at the time I saw it, or (more likely) my decidedly non-intellectual bent, I just did not get that movie! Spielberg, however, I do get, so when I found out he directed A.I., I had to see it.

A.I. has outstanding visual effects and superb acting by the entire cast. It goes without saying that Haley Joel Osment is the best child actor to come along in ages. His portrayal of David, the android, is on-target all the way. Osment, however, was given a run for his money as the best actor in the film by Jude Law as robot Gigolo Joe. His performance had just the right combination of funny and creepy to be totally believable as the mechanized pleasurer of human females.

There were a couple of drawbacks to the movie - the length, for one. The ending dragged on for what seemed like forever; it actually could have ended twenty minutes earlier without sacrificing much of the plot. And there were several earlier scenes that could have been condensed. On the other hand, some of the storyline could have been filled in with more detail; I never understood the whole cryogenics thing with the real son. The sibling rivalry between the real son and David upon the boy's return home was thoroughly believable, however.

Based on the previews of A.I., I had considered taking my eight-year-old granddaughter to see it. I'm glad I saw it first. The plot, especially regarding a child's abandonment by his mother, is much too intense for a young child, hence the PG-13 rating.

Recommended:
Yes

Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older