Osment's performance is riveting

In fact, this film could easily be viewed as a psychologically regressive work that would be better titled Desperately Seeking Mummy.

Jude Law is eye-catching as Gigolo Joe, a robot who exists to service the sexual needs of the human population.

Law's character is more of a diversion and a little superfluous to the narrative but he is nonetheless entertaining.

Law became quite absorbed by his character who, he says, is "simply there to service and entertain women, he just fulfils his function within society, which is to swoon and entertain and look after women".

Close friendship

AI is based on a short story by Brian Aldiss called Super Toys Last All Summer Long published in 1969.

Steven's handwriting is over every frame

Jan Harlan, AI executive producer

For years the late director Stanley Kubrick pursued the idea of turning the tale into a film.

Kubrick developed a close friendship with Steven Spielberg, and at one point told him that he would be best suited to directing AI.

After Kubrick died in 1999 Spielberg agreed to take on the project.

It has been a big personal commitment, with Spielberg also writing the screenplay, his first since his 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

AI's themes, particularly that of an abandoned individual searching for home, bears a resemblance to Spielberg's earlier work ET the Extra-Terrestrial.

Kubrick's concept

Also, the cruel herding up of discarded robots for extermination is re-visiting the territory of Schindler's List. But AI, particularly the first half of the story dealing with a robotic child in his adoptive human family, definitely has the cinematic look and visceral feel of a Kubrick picture.

AI, although compelling, does not deliver great cerebral insights

Tom Brook

Executive producer Jan Harlan says when he saw the film he found it very close to Kubrick's concept.

"Nevertheless, it had Steven's handwriting over every frame," he said.

Initially, AI should do well at the box office. But this story of a dark future, a child being abandoned and robots being rounded up and tortured, is not likely to have strong family appeal.

Also, AI, although compelling, does not deliver great cerebral insights that will bring hordes of adults into cinemas to find the meaning of life.

But AI is beautifully shot, it has some extremely fine performances, it asks some very pertinent questions, and it entertains.

It may not be a masterpiece, but it is a strong intelligent film that definitely stands out in the midst of America's quite barren summer movie releases.

This review was first published in June 2001.