A.I. Artificial Intelligence – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

A.I. Artificial Intelligence

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2001

52%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Spielberg's beautiful, devastating sci-fi fairy tale about a robot boy will break your heart—and maybe your kid's too.

7.2/10

76%

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A.I. Artificial Intelligence

movie

PG-13, 2001

52%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Spielberg's beautiful, devastating sci-fi fairy tale about a robot boy will break your heart—and maybe your kid's too.

7.2

76%

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7.2/10

76%

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Screenwise Verdict

Let's be real: this movie is a beautiful, devastating mess that will make you think deeply and feel terrible.

Spielberg took Kubrick's dark vision and tried to add heart, resulting in a film that's both visually stunning and emotionally punishing. The ideas are incredible—what IS consciousness? can robots love? what makes us human?—but the execution is uneven and LONG.

For modern kids? This is a tough sell. The 2001 CGI hasn't aged well, the pacing is glacial by today's standards, and the emotional beats are so heavy that even adults leave feeling gutted. The abandonment scene alone is more traumatic than most horror movies.

That said, for the right mature teen (15+) or adult who wants meaty sci-fi that prioritizes ideas over explosions, this delivers. It's the kind of film that stays with you and generates hours of conversation about technology, parenting, and existence.

Just don't expect anyone to enjoy it in the traditional sense. This is medicine, not candy.

Age Fit

This is really for ages 15+ despite the 13+ rating. The emotional weight, slow pacing, philosophical themes, and genuinely disturbing content make it a tough watch for younger teens. Adults who love thoughtful sci-fi will appreciate it most.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

The film explores abandonment, rejection, and a child's desperate quest for maternal love—emotionally heavy themes that are more devastating than uplifting. David's journey is marked by betrayal, loss, and existential loneliness. While there are moments of tenderness, the overall emotional arc is bleak and can be distressing, especially the abandonment scene in the woods which is genuinely heartbreaking.

Imaginative

Spielberg and Kubrick's vision of a future with sentient robots, submerged cities, and advanced AI is visually stunning and conceptually rich. The film poses profound questions about consciousness, humanity, and what it means to be 'real.' The world-building is detailed and thought-provoking, from the Flesh Fair to the futuristic Manhattan underwater. It invites viewers to imagine possibilities about technology and existence.

Safe

Multiple intense and disturbing scenes: the Flesh Fair where robots are violently destroyed for entertainment (including acid baths and dismemberment), the traumatic abandonment of David by his mother in the woods, a disturbing Gigolo Joe subplot involving adult themes, and an overall atmosphere of dread and loss. The ending involves David being frozen underwater for 2,000 years. Common Sense Media rates it 13+ for good reason—there's sexual content, violence, and emotionally devastating moments that would blindside younger viewers.

Enriching

The film raises profound philosophical questions: What defines humanity? Can artificial beings truly love? What are our responsibilities to sentient creations? It's a meditation on parent-child relationships, mortality, and the nature of consciousness. These are meaty themes that can spark deep conversations. However, the film's bleak tone and ambiguous ending may leave viewers (especially younger ones) more disturbed than enlightened.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Raises genuinely profound questions about consciousness, love, and what makes us human—perfect for philosophical teens
Visually stunning world-building that imagines a detailed future with flooded cities and advanced AI
Haley Joel Osment's performance is heartbreaking and memorable
Can spark incredible conversations about technology, ethics, parenting, and mortality
A rare sci-fi film that prioritizes emotional depth and big ideas over action

⚠

What to Watch For

The abandonment scene in the woods is genuinely traumatic—even adults find it devastating
Flesh Fair sequences show robots being violently destroyed (acid, dismemberment) in a carnival atmosphere
Gigolo Joe subplot involves prostitution and adult themes that are awkward with kids
The pacing is slow and the runtime is 2+ hours—modern kids may find it boring
The ending is ambiguous and melancholy, not the happy resolution kids expect

Conversation Starters

"If David can feel love, is his love as real as a human's? Why or why not?"
"Do you think Monica made the right choice abandoning David? What would you have done?"
"If we create robots that can feel emotions, what do we owe them?"
"The movie shows humans treating robots terribly at the Flesh Fair. Why do you think people would do that?"
"What do you think the ending means? Is David finally happy, or is it sad?"

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