Search - A.I.: Artificial Intelligence [Widescreen] on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG-13 Content Advisory: Violence, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Sexual Situations, Sci-Fi Violence Movie Release: 2001 DVD Release: 03/05/2002 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Dual Layered,Special Collection Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 2 Number of Discs: 2 Run Time: 2 hrs 25 mins Studio: DreamWorks Total Copies: 107 Genres: Drama, Science Fiction, Psychological Drama, Tech Noir, Psychological Sci-Fi See Also: A.I.: Artificial Intelligence [Fullscreen], A.I.

Based on the 1969 short story -Super-Toys Last All Summer Long, by Brian Aldiss, this science fiction fantasy bears similarities to Pinocchio (1940) and originated as a long-gestating project of director Stanley Kubrick that passed to his friend Steven Spielberg after Kubrick's death. Haley Joel Osment stars as David, a "mecha" or robot of the future, when the polar ice caps have melted and submerged many coastal cities, causing worldwide starvation and human dependence upon robotic assistance. The first mecha designed to experience love, David is the "son" of Henry (Sam Robards), an employee of the company that built the boy, and the grief-stricken Monica (Frances O'Connor). David is meant to replace the couple's hopelessly comatose son, but when their natural child recovers, David is abandoned and sets out to become "a real boy" worthy of his mother's affection. Along the way, David is mentored by a pleasure-providing mecha named Gigolo Joe (Jude Law) and a talking "super toy" bear named Teddy. His adventures take him to the Roman Circus-style "Flesh Fair," where mechas are destroyed for the amusement of humans; Rouge City, where Gigolo Joe narrowly avoids capture by police; and finally a submerged New York City, where David's creator, Professor Hobby (William Hurt) reveals the secrets of the boy's creation. Brendan Gleeson and narrator Ben Kingsley co-star in A.I., which was adapted from Kubrick's treatment by Spielberg, in his first crack at screenwriting since Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Haley Joel Osment - David
Jude Law - Gigolo Joe
Frances O'Connor - Monica Swinton
Brendan Gleeson - Lord Johnson-Johnson
William Hurt - Professor Hobby

Director Steven Spielberg's A.I.: Artificial Intelligence was not only a box-office disappointment, it also did something that his previous films have rarely or never done -- it alienated the audience and divided the critics. Perhaps with the release of the film onto DVD, Spielberg's misunderstood science fiction fairy tale will find a more receptive audience. Dreamworks Home Entertainment has released the film as a two-disc special edition, in either its preferred letterboxed version (1.85:1 enhanced) or in a pan-and-scan format. The image on the letterboxed version is excellent throughout. The soft smoky interiors of the first part of the film have a nice auburn glow to them, which nicely contrasts the sultry colors that take over for the second part. There is no evidence of color bleeding or flaring up and the image is consistently balanced. Many scenes, which are filmed purposefully dark, still manage to keep a richness and depth that is difficult to replicate outside of a movie theater. The disc also comes equipped with various soundtrack options, including an English language 5.1 track, 2.0 Dolby Surround, and a 5.1 DTS option. The first two tracks are vigorous and active, though always keeping the dialogue clear. The first disc contains the film itself and a short ten-minute documentary on the making and origins of the film. But it's with the second disc that one finds a plethora of supplemental material. The disc contains numerous mini-documentaries on all stages of A.I.'s production, from its initial planning stage with Stanley Kubrick to its final release. There are some nice interviews with actors Jude Law, Haley Joel Osment, and others. Also of interest are the interviews with the storyboard artists, production designers, and the many special effects technicians from Stan Winston's factory of wonders and Lucasfilm's ILM studio. The disc also contains a couple of theatrical trailers, a multitude of storyboard sketches, production photographs, some interesting interviews with sound designer Gary Rydstrom and composer John Williams, and much more. ~ Derek Hill, All Movie Guide