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The robot shouldn’t have the ability to lie unless programmed to do so under certain circumstances, but even if the robot were capable of lying in the event of a murder, the robot keeps records of its…
Following David's abandonment in the film "A.I. Artificial Intelligence," the narrative takes a significant departure from the classic Pinocchio tale, despite explicit allusions to it by director Steven Spielberg. This divergence creates confusion for the audience expecting a modern retelling that mirrors the original fairy tale's moral journey.
The character of Gigolo Joe, played by Jude Law, is introduced as a robot prostitute. The article notes that Joe lacks a clear counterpart in the traditional Pinocchio story, such as "Honest" John Worthington Foulfellow. His presence is seen as breaking the established fairy tale structure and his role feels like a wholly original, rather than allegorical, addition to the plot.
Joe's storyline involves him being framed for murder, a plot point criticized for its logical inconsistencies within the film's own universe. Robots are depicted as incapable of lying and meticulously record their whereabouts, making a frame-up easily detectable. This contrivance highlights that Joe's character is primarily a convenient narrative device designed to move David from point A to point B, rather than a well-thought-out element contributing meaningfully to the film's themes.
The author argues that "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" ultimately functions as a refutation of Pinocchio's core morality tale. While Pinocchio's quest to become a real boy is intrinsically linked to learning virtues, the film portrays David as already inherently virtuous. To maintain this perception, other human characters are depicted as morally corrupt or 'degenerates'. This fundamental shift in characterization suggests the film's true message centers on the ambiguity of what 'real' means, likening David's journey more to the Tin Man's search for a heart than Pinocchio's moral transformation.
After Joe goes into hiding, David continues his earnest search for the 'blue fairy', believing that becoming a real boy will earn him the love of Monica. During his perilous journey through the woods, he encounters a giant dump truck unloading mechanical body parts, leading him to a robot junkyard. Here, he and other robots, including Joe, are captured by 'flesh fair' hunters. These hunters are presented as humans who violently destroy robots as a means of defying a society that attempts to replace them with artificial beings. David's companion, Teddy, is inadvertently lost during this capture, with the events of the 'flesh fair' to be explored in the next part of the review.