tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post2774915933977292121..comments2023-11-05T02:01:53.847-06:00Comments on Antagony & Ecstasy: DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09491952893581644049noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-23678914638022436572015-12-16T07:20:08.866-06:002015-12-16T07:20:08.866-06:00Great piece!! I agree with every single thing you&...Great piece!! I agree with every single thing you've written here. Although the "typical ending" should have been at the Blue Fairy, I'm also a big fan of the "epilogue". Having said that, I could easily go in and trim 30 minutes from the entire thing. I'm not sure we need the entire "Gigolo Joe" story. Does it matter that he's a sex robot framed for murder? Could he not have been simply the mecha that David attached himself to (or vice versa)? I would also lose the narration at the very end. absolutezerohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16003301691422572559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-662009497741690562013-04-17T03:19:24.722-05:002013-04-17T03:19:24.722-05:00Well, it certainly is a film that deserves a long ...Well, it certainly is a film that deserves a long review.<br /><br />I think a key characteristic of Spielberg is not sentimentality but empathy, and its the combination of rigour (heading to some very dark conclusions) with empathy that makes this film so affecting. <br /><br />Like Zev, I found watching this the first time completely devastating, and it took quite a few years before I felt up to facing it again! I'm still not sure if I "like" AI, but it certainly fulfils the criteria of "interesting", and even "important".Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09360976971169846084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-45726102600414290912012-10-29T03:21:54.210-05:002012-10-29T03:21:54.210-05:00Great, thoughtful review of the great movie, A.I. ...Great, thoughtful review of the great movie, A.I. I grew up with 2001, so I'm hyper-aware of the HAL9000 connection. I consider those 2 movies to be my favs of all time. I take issue with just one point - is David an obsessed computer? If you study 2001, you learn that HAL went mad because of a defense department programming change made on him just before the Jupiter mission. (He was programmed to lie to the crew about the real purpose of the mission. This conflicted with his core program to "never distort information"). David, however, had no such program change or conflict. His purpose was to love (at least simulate love). Remember what Prof. Hobby said: that David would achieve self-awareness similar to a person through "an inner world of metaphor". In short, David is the first robot to think like a human and have free will. Hobby is even amazed that David achieved this goal. David attacks the other David, not in a 'psychotic break', but in an ego-defense of his own identity. (to get a bit Freudian). David acted like most any child would who thought he was being marginalized or replaced - with rage. Therefore, I think David fulfilled his objective at the end. Ge went through his own Star Gate and emerged exactly as Hobby wanted him - a happy, fulfilled child 0 more human that he ever thought possible.the22onhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15430426166351877878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-35832599432179921862010-08-27T08:04:31.905-05:002010-08-27T08:04:31.905-05:00At the (one and only) time I watched this movie, I...At the (one and only) time I watched this movie, I sensed subconsciously more than recognised consciously its dark meaning. I walked out of the cinema thinking 'Man, that boy was creeeeeepy' and my mind kept turning over and over again at the thought of him never really quite getting what he wanted even though he superficially and momentarily sort of did. How sad, I thought. How utterly tragic. How miserable and not at all like ET! And then I forgot all about the movie until just now, when you so eloquently crystalised my thoughts in black and white. Christ, that was long indeed, but Christ that was a satisfying read!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-67568602483930790312010-02-17T09:46:31.669-06:002010-02-17T09:46:31.669-06:00I remember the first time I watched this, on dvd. ...I remember the first time I watched this, on dvd. I thought it was like nothing Spielberg had done before, and I liked it a lot. It was a pleasant surprise. Although I didn't grasp half the story ideas and interpretations you do.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-91328880446700164932010-02-14T20:11:02.026-06:002010-02-14T20:11:02.026-06:00Tim, I think you have just written your best ever ...Tim, I think you have just written your best ever review...<br /><br />I watched A.I many times over (one of my favorite 'interesting' movies) and have never been able to explain, with your level of eloquence, why I like it so much.<br />Now, I'll just send them this link:)The.Watcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06746957245529915320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-54370563956658382292010-02-14T18:00:13.899-06:002010-02-14T18:00:13.899-06:00I'd have added "Incredibly Unpleasant Fil...I'd have added "Incredibly Unpleasant Films" to the tags for this story--when I saw this film on its initial release ( I was 15), it absolutely ruined my day, and several after. The film's view of love as destructive to the one loving, and its success at making me like David, made it utterly wrenching for me to watch then. I might have to watch it again to see it as a film; at the time I hated it for how awful it made me feel.Zev Valancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10239062791827527067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-50985503556691463642010-02-14T16:44:46.356-06:002010-02-14T16:44:46.356-06:00Spot on review! Of course I loved this movie (read...Spot on review! Of course I loved this movie (read the name-its my favourite spielberg and in my top ten of the decade). But you hit on something that i never thought of before spielberg's work on A.I. definitely influenced his latter films, which I like them infinitely more (not kingdom though...never kingdom. Excellent review. Kubrick was a genius!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04634087887519608773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-10787283218783207102010-02-14T14:57:27.117-06:002010-02-14T14:57:27.117-06:00I've wanted to revisit this film for some time...I've wanted to revisit this film for some time, since I was 13 when it came out and not really capable of viewing it in the terms you say it requires, and this review solidifies that desire.Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12353384030134127816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-71202771870208752602010-02-14T09:42:16.941-06:002010-02-14T09:42:16.941-06:00Thank you Tim. Thank you! You've managed to ...Thank you Tim. Thank you! You've managed to articulate what I've long felt about this film. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to defend A.I., and this crystallizes exactly what it is about the film (which, next to Empire of the Sun, is probably my favourite Spielberg film) that makes it so great!Chris at Curve Productions Inc.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03340534053211646133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-87253321010473257172010-02-14T07:54:21.424-06:002010-02-14T07:54:21.424-06:00I considered this film an utter failure when I saw...I considered this film an utter failure when I saw it theatrically, and have had no desire to revisit it. However, it has appeared on so many Best of the 2000s lists, I feel strangely compelled to seek it out again, finally.<br /><br />It does have, I should say, a quite awesome poster tagline.The Caustic Ignostichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08573539801150336099noreply@blogger.com