Actually Interesting
The one thing that science fiction is especially good at is exploring ramifications. Such as:
I like how the movie made you think of what could happen--which as I said is what SF has always been good at. Here those ramifications of what life with another sentient species could be.
On the other hand, there are aspects of movie which violate its consistency (SPOILER WARNING):
He repeatedly violated Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics , since the movie would not be "exciting" without the violations--dragging the brat into the pool and nearly drowning him, the scissors incident with orgo-mom. They are complete commonsense.
They're just some commonsense rules that a science-fiction writer dreamed up. That doesn't make them real, you counter.
Well, considering how Americans are such sue-happy whiners, there's no way such safeguards would not be embedded in an android.
The Boy Robot goes on his Pinnochio-esque odessey. Then Spielberg has to wrap up this story with the alien's "space-time continuum but only live one day" BS, which was pretty BS'y, but Spielberg had to do something.
I'll say this much for AI: there's the complete suspension of disbelief quality of the F/X: Teddy the super teddy bear toy running around at the Flesh Fair, the other robots played by humans yet the backs of their heads were empty in live scenes--such the nanny robot in the woods. Or the scope the Manhatten scenes of water and ice.
And I especially liked the design of the aliens' rectangular runabout. Utterly alien and too cool.
And Osment's acting: god, that kid was incredible with what he had to do and how well he pulled it off. I didn't see The Sixth Sense because it looked way dull, but Osment has to have a lock on an Academy Best Actor nomination with this performance. Probably win too. The scene with the breakup with his "mother" was a heartbreaker. Spielberg's direction combined with Osment's interpretation is filmmaking at its finest. Notice how Osment never blinks during the entire movie. (Even tho you could make a good case for blinking, since a camera should keep its lenses clean too.)
The woman who played the nanny robot deserves kudos too. While she didn't have that much screentime, the pathos she brought to bear as a sweetly dispositioned person (literally) who only wants to care for children and suffers consequences beyond her control is gut-wrenching. Again, with scenes like these Spielberg has created a movie that makes you think.
Jude Law, last seen in Enemy at the Gates as a human killing machine is cast here as a robot love machine named Gigolo Joe. His character proclaims, "You'll never go back to orgas after me," as he gets ready to service a woman customer. Which could well be true. After all, the ramifications of technology would definitely be there with these ultimate sex dolls. Why put up with an significant other who devolves into a bitchy flat blob when you could have your own Christy Canyon that never ages, never suffers PMS? I'd sign up tomorrow.
Like I said: thought-provoking premise, top-notch direction, amazing acting, fantastic F/X, but a flawed story with no real rhythm. But at least Spielberg gave it a shot. And a fair one at that.
Movie's suitability for: