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Spielberg fails to understand that obsession is not love, and if David were really human, he would know that.
The author begins by highlighting the glaring plot holes in Spielberg's "A.I.: Artificial Intelligence," specifically David's inexplicable abandonment under a Ferris wheel for 2,000 years, despite his technological value. The movie's premise that David, a highly advanced robot, could remain undiscovered in a flooded city for two millennia is deemed unbelievable. This section then transitions to the arrival of what the author dubs "Glitter Bots" – creatures initially perceived as aliens but which Spielberg, following Kubrick's original vision, intends to be advanced robots. The author finds this distinction between aliens and robots blurred by their appearance and "telepathic" powers. Thematically, Kubrick's concept aimed to portray David as the "realest boy" by virtue of being the only one to have known humans, aligning with the film's central thesis about the meaning of "real." However, the author criticizes the film for decimating the audience's suspension of disbelief with these contrivances, setting a tone of profound dissatisfaction with the movie's narrative choices.
Following David's awakening by the Glitter Bots, a crucial scene unfolds where David touches a statue of a blue fairy, which then shatters. The narrator explicitly links the blue fairy to an allegory for God, suggesting Spielberg's heavy-handed commentary on faith. The author interprets this scene as conveying two main messages: either advanced technology renders God obsolete, or encountering advanced "makers" (the Glitter Bots/aliens) negates the need for traditional deity. Given Spielberg's known fascination with aliens and Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey," the latter interpretation is favored, drawing parallels to the "Star Baby" concept of transcendence. The article argues that the film implies "realness" or transcendence is achieved by realizing that there's nothing to transcend to, which the author finds to be circular and nonsensical thinking. This segment underscores the author's view of the film's "pretentious stupidity" in its philosophical explorations.
The narrative continues with the Glitter Bots, after "knocking out" David, creating a dream-like scenario where they offer to bring his mother back for a mere 24 hours, citing a need for DNA. This leads to Teddy, David's companion, producing a lock of his mother's hair, annoyingly reminding the author of previous plot points. The subsequent reunion between David and his mother is described as "creepy" and resembling a "bad commercial from the Nineties," rather than sweet. The author harshly criticizes Spielberg for equating David's intense, unwavering desire for his mother with love, arguing it is, in fact, obsession. The description of David drawing "perverted pictures" and the narrator emphasizing their isolation further reinforces the author's perception of David as a "Norman Bates 2.0," highlighting the film's failure to distinguish between genuine human emotion and robotic programming. This misrepresentation of love is central to the author's overarching critique.
The article concludes with the climax of the film: David's mother's inevitable "death" after her 24-hour return. The author states David's lack of genuine concern for his mother's demise, attributing it to his robotic nature and reinforcing the idea that he was never truly "alive." This final scene cements the author's intense dislike for the movie, labeling it "boring and pretentious to the point of being obnoxious." The author explicitly advises against watching the film, dismissing any potential for deeper meaning beneath its surface. Instead, the author perceives a narrative filled with contradictions and manipulative storytelling techniques. Looking ahead, the author intends to refute the film's central thesis, "Nobody knows what ‘real’ really means," in the next review, asserting that the film inadvertently undermines its own philosophical claims. This closing statement reinforces the critical and analytical nature of the entire review series.