Artificial Intelligence: AI

3/5 stars

While I enjoyed AI, I felt that it should have ended about 20 minutes before it actually did. However, Hollywood seems to have to add a happy ending to just about everything.

In the near future, the polar ice caps have melted, causing the costal cities to flood, and resources have become scarce. The government responds by regulating the number of children born — couples need a license to conceive a child. Monica and Henry had their child, but Jake is in cyrogenic suspension due to some kind of illness. The doctor’s tell them that they must move on — it may be beyond science to revive their son.

Henry’s company deals in mechas — mechanical humans who are built to serve human’s needs. They have developed a prototype mecha that can love. A child. But, for the protection of the “adopting parents” this mecha’s love can only be imprinted on one parent, and that love will last forever. If the parents decide to get rid of this “child”, he must be brought back to the manufacturer to be destroyed.

Henry and Monica are trusted with one of the first versions of David. After taking some time to get used to the idea, Monica has David imprint his love on her. Of course, shortly there after, Jake’s condition becomes curable, and he comes home. It becomes clear that David is a danger to Jake, not on purpose, but because he just doesn’t understand. Monica drives him back to the manufacturer, but is unable to let him be destroyed. David runs, with a “super Teddy” as his only friend.

From here, David begins a quest to become a real boy — sparked by hearing Monica read Pinnochio to Jake and him.

Not bad. However, the “happy” ending was just too contrived for my taste.