An overly syrupy exploration of the capabilities of artificial intelligence as an artificial child, David (Haley Joel Osment – The Sixth Sense, Pay It Forward), becomes the first model to have human feelings, including an unbreakable love for his ‘mother’ (Frances O’Connor – Mansfield Park, The Conjuring 2).
Replacing a comatose son, David has a seeming idyllic lifestyle until a cure is discovered and his life changes dramatically. Following a near-fatal accident, David is to be returned to the manufacturers to be destroyed, but his mother has a change of heart and abandons him. Determined to be turned into a real person, the boy finds himself part of a group living on the margins, including Gigolo Joe (Jude Law – Captain Marvel, The Grand Budapest Hotel), a male prostitute on the run from authorities.
What could have been a fascinating ethical conundrum (the film was a Stanley Kubrick project) becomes, in the hands of director Steven Spielberg (ET, Ready Player One), a journey of adventurous feel-good optimism, a little too feelgood rather than a more ominous threat of uncertainty. Marginally entertaining but AI would have benefitted with a little more vinegar served with the sugar.
Nominated for 2 Oscars in 2002 for best visual effects and original score.
Rating: 44%
An Opinion or Two 