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He’s going to pull on your heartstrings to obfuscate from that all-important question: what is the definition of “real,” or to put it more directly, is endowed value real?
The review for the film 'A.I. Artificial Intelligence' continues by dissecting the initial segment where David's 'brother' awakens, sparking a sibling rivalry. A notable point of contention for the reviewer is the character of Teddy, an earlier model AI toy bear, who is presented as more sentient than David, an advanced android. This portrayal lacks in-story justification, as Teddy's capabilities seem to exceed his supposed technological age compared to other robots. A specific plot hole is highlighted when Teddy inexplicably grabs the mother's hair; the reviewer argues that if Teddy truly lacked emotional investment in David, this action is illogical, and if he did have concern, the purpose of grabbing the hair remains unclear, creating an early narrative inconsistency that strains believability and sets up future plot points without solid foundational logic for an AI character's motivation.
The article critically examines the film's pivotal pool scene, set during the real son, Martin's, birthday celebration. David, the robot child, is poked with a cake spatula by one of the curious boys. The reviewer points out David's highly exaggerated reaction: despite being told he wouldn't be cut, he panics, runs behind Martin, and then inexplicably jumps into the pool while still holding his human 'brother.' This sequence raises several questions about the robot's programming and logic. Why would an android panic over a minor, non-threatening action? And if David possessed consciousness, why would he lack the basic understanding that a human cannot breathe underwater? Furthermore, the reviewer questions David's inaction when Martin began to struggle, highlighting a severe oversight in the android's design regarding self-preservation or the protection of humans. This contrived event culminates in Martin almost drowning, leading to the decision that David must be removed from the family home.
Following the traumatic pool incident, David, who appears to be completely unaware of the gravity of his actions that nearly cost Martin his life, begins drawing cheerful pictures for his 'mommy.' This scene, intended to evoke sympathy, puzzles the reviewer due to David's perceived 'dense' innocence regarding the near-fatal event. Monica then decides to take David and Teddy on a drive, but instead of returning David to the factory for destruction as previously implied in the film, she stops in a forest to abandon him. While the actors deliver emotional performances, the reviewer finds the setup for this climactic moment to be highly unbelievable. The abrupt transition from a happy family to abandoning a child in the woods, without exploring alternative solutions like installing safety features or re-assigning David, creates a significant escalation issue that undermines the scene's emotional impact and the realism of the characters' choices.
The deepest critique of the film, particularly surrounding the abandonment scene, points to Steven Spielberg's inconsistent narrative approach. The reviewer argues that Spielberg manipulates David's nature, portraying him as both a human and a robot interchangeably to suit the plot's immediate needs. Similarly, Monica's character oscillates between being a sympathetic figure, justifying David's quest for 'realness,' and a representation of a world that ultimately rejects AI, serving to emotionally manipulate the audience. The core issue, according to the reviewer, is that Spielberg uses emotional appeals to 'obfuscate' from the film's fundamental philosophical inquiry: 'what is the definition of “real,” or to put it more directly, is endowed value real?' This narrative 'bait-and-switch' shifts the focus from whether robots can genuinely love to the human inability to reciprocate such love, thereby avoiding a direct exploration of the profound questions about artificial intelligence and consciousness.