David, a robotic boy—the first of his kind programmed to love—is adopted as a test case by a Cybertronics employee and his wife. Though he gradually becomes their child, a series of unexpected circumstances make this life impossible for David. Without final acceptance by humans or machines, David embarks on a journey to discover where he truly belongs, uncovering a world in which the line between robot and machine is both vast and profoundly thin.
Nominated for 2 Oscars. 17 wins & 71 nominations total
Top Critics Reviews
fresh:
The most philosophical film in Kubrick's canon, the most intelligent in Spielberg's, and quite possibly the film with the most contemporary relevance that either one has made since Kubrick released Dr. Strangelove in 1964.
– Jonathan Rosenbaum,
Chicago Reader,
16 Jul 2001
fresh:
The most puzzling, trippiest piece of pop fantasy of Spielberg's career.
– Rene Rodriguez,
Miami Herald,
16 Jul 2001
rotten:
Temperamentally, Spielberg and Kubrick are such polar opposites that A.I. has the moment-to-moment effect of being completely at odds with itself.
– Peter Rainer,
New York Magazine/Vulture,
29 Oct 2001
rotten:
At heart it's a terribly anguished expression of rejection, loneliness and love. If only it knew when to stop.
– Geoff Andrew,
Time Out,
16 Aug 2007
fresh:
A confined domestic drama, a considerable morality tale, a fleeting futuristic noir, a persecution parable, an on-the-nose fairy tale adventure... and then it keeps going.