# End of "A.I." -- what were those things? (open spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 20, 2006, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405 "2006-06-20T05:05:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405/21 "2006-06-20T14:38:47Z")
I only managed to sit through it once, and have never heard the notion the aliens were supposed to be robots. Er, the robots at the end just happen to look like aliens. Er … Anyway, the film was entirely too slow and if there was supposed to be a hidden meaning, it was way too subtle if it has generated this much confusion. And still, if they _were_ robots … How do robots evolve? And even if they do, why are there still robots wandering around when the world is a block of ice? They make sure to guzzle up every last drop of anti-freeze when they saw the end coming? Meh. I’d just as soon have my three hours back. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405/22 "2006-06-20T14:56:08Z")
[QUOTE=Cliffy] They’re robots, and it isn’t a happy ending – the epilogue of the movie, IMHO, should demonstrate that David is a monster. Throughout the film, David does horrible things (tries to drown his brother, smashes all the other Davids, etc.), which the audience tries to rationalize (Oh, he just doesn’t understand!) because he’s cute and he’s the protagonist. But at the end, the robots tell David he can have one day with his mother, but to do so will destroy her soul forever, and he doesn’t even hesitate, because he doesn’t actually care about her, he is merely an id machine. This should force us to recognize how many excuses we’ve made for him. –Cliffy [/QUOTE] In all fairness, it does seem incredibly cruel to create something with no other purpose than to love a single entity which will die in 50 years or so. The only reason people think that the things at the end of the movies are aliens is because they look so…alien. It only makes sense that they are robots as the movie is, in fact, about robots. Making them aliens makes about as much sense as making them intelligent apes…or as having Mark Wahlberg land in a Washington DC populated by apes. It wasn’t a terrible movie, but like Bicentenial Man, I find the whole “robot trying to find himelf” Pinnochio complex thing tedious. I’ve said it before. I prefer my robots angry and yelling DESTROY!! ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405/23 "2006-06-20T17:13:53Z")
[QUOTE=Cliffy] They’re robots, and it isn’t a happy ending – the epilogue of the movie, IMHO, should demonstrate that David is a monster. Throughout the film, David does horrible things (tries to drown his brother, smashes all the other Davids, etc.), which the audience tries to rationalize (Oh, he just doesn’t understand!) because he’s cute and he’s the protagonist. But at the end, the robots tell David he can have one day with his mother, but to do so will destroy her soul forever, and he doesn’t even hesitate, because he doesn’t actually care about her, he is merely an id machine. This should force us to recognize how many excuses we’ve made for him. –Cliffy [/QUOTE] Okay, it’s been a long while since I’ve seen the film, but as I remember David was told that it would be possible to resurrect his mother only for about 24 hours. That was all. He wasn’t told that his mother’s soul would be destroyed, only that it would be impossible to ever to manifest it in the physical world. And he wasn’t trying to drown his brother, he tried to hide behind his brother for protection, they accidentally fell into the pool, and David didn’t have enough sense to let go. I’m drawing a complete blank on “smashing all the other Davids.” To what scene specifically are you referring? Kubrickian cynicism and Spielbergian sentimentality don’t mix very well. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405/24 "2006-06-20T17:19:05Z")
Incidentally, you often hear people saying that that scene must have been tacked on by Spielberg. In fact, it was in the original Kubrick script. FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405/25 "2006-06-20T17:19:52Z")
[QUOTE=LonesomePolecat] I’m drawing a complete blank on “smashing all the other Davids.” To what scene specifically are you referring? [/QUOTE] When David makes his way to the half-submerged New York, he finds the factory where he was made – and a whole bunch of other Davids, all but one still in the box. He freaks out. “No! [smash] **I’m** different! [smash] **I’m** unique!” ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405/26 "2006-06-20T17:24:23Z")
[QUOTE=LonesomePolecat] I’m drawing a complete blank on “smashing all the other Davids.” To what scene specifically are you referring? [/QUOTE] I’m pretty sure there was a scene where David and Teddy went into a robot factory and there were dozens of other David models there and he went berzerk and destroyed them (before they were activated/“alive”), possibly at the urging of Teddy. It’s been a long time since I saw this movie though so I could be imagining something from another movie. I should watch it again. I also didn’t feel like the end of the movie was sappy, I thought it was tragic. David’s “reunion” with his mother was meant to be pathetic, not sentimental. ---
**Author:** ![mrrealtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@mrrealtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrrealtime)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405/27 "2006-06-20T17:43:39Z")
The aliens at the end didnt necessarily live on earth. If anything, they appeared to be operating some kind of elaborate archeological ice exploration evidently to learn all about their ancestors, clearly the mechas, and the creators of the mechas, the organics, and probably even further back if possible. To me the movie was very straight forward and plausible, not sure why it seemed “symbolic and mysterious”. Given all the crap we are doing to our own environment and bodies, its likely that if any form of us as a species is to survive beyond the next 3000 years or more, we’ll need to become more “cybernetic”. That or utterly nullified. Any other alternative seems unlikely at best. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405/28 "2006-06-20T18:30:01Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve never understood why anyone would think they were aliens. Why would they be aliens? It’s a movie about robots! I strongly suspect that the only reason anyone ever thought they might be aliens is because it was Spielberg. I thought they were aliens, and so did my wife Pepper Mill. It’s got nothing to do with Spielberg. Nothing at all. If Kubrick had directed the film and they were in it, I still would’ve thought they were aliens. Because the convention of “Aliens visit the abandoned Earth and muse over his artifacts” is an old SF cliche. It happens with robots, too (especially on old covers of F&SF) but it’s a lot less common. There may have been foreshadowings, but they’re the kind of things you don’t notice until you see the damned film again, and I’ve only seen AI once. And for those of you who say “But it’s not consistent with the _theme_ of the movie. Nobody even _mentioned_ aliens until now!”, consider Ash the robot in **Alien** , who was just as thematically out-of-place, with nary a hint of foreshadowing. Filmmakers aren’t that consistent. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405/29 "2006-06-20T20:54:11Z")
[QUOTE=LonesomePolecat] Kubrickian cynicism and Spielbergian sentimentality don’t mix very well. [/QUOTE] Yeah, they do, especially when Spielberg keeps his sentimentality out of it and goes by Kubrick’s original script and ideas (yes, I know it was based on a short story…that too). Kubrick did everything except actually cast and direct the thing. Brilliant film. I too am not sure why anyone would not know those were mechas instead of aliens, and I SURE don’t understand how anyone could think that was a “happy” ending. It’s one of the saddest, most tragic endings I’ve ever seen this side of **Dancer In The Dark**. This is one of those movies that when people tell other people they don’t “get it,” they really don’t get it. Aliens? Happy ending? Pshaw. And then there’s Teddy, left all alone. _Sob_ ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405/30 "2006-06-20T21:00:53Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] When David makes his way to the half-submerged New York, he finds the factory where he was made – and a whole bunch of other Davids, all but one still in the box. He freaks out. “No! [smash] **I’m** different! [smash] **I’m** unique!” [/QUOTE] Yeah, this was when I realize how “had” I had been, and resolved never to see another Spielberg movie. When David first comes home he looks waxy and robotic but as his adventure continues he starts to look more worn and more like a real human boy. As this happens we are supposed to care about him. When he ends up next to the other Davids you see how you have been manipulated into caring; they are supposed to not be real like him because they are still waxy. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405/31 "2006-06-20T21:18:27Z")
[QUOTE=Cliffy] They’re robots, and it isn’t a happy ending – the epilogue of the movie, IMHO, should demonstrate that David is a monster. [/QUOTE] Well, he _is_ a robot…and a perpetual brat of a robot, at that! The movie definitely should have ended in front of the Blue Fairy; but that’s why DVDs have Stop buttons, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405/32 "2006-06-20T23:51:37Z")
[QUOTE=Equipoise] And then there’s Teddy, left all alone. [/QUOTE] 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Keweenaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Keweenaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keweenaw)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2006, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405/33 "2006-06-21T00:30:17Z")
[Your opinions about “AI : Artificial Intelligence” (might contain SPOILERS)](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=328182) - link to referenced earlier thread [Super Toys Last all Summer Long](http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/amk/doc/0068.html) - link to the short story The way they treat David at the end is why I never considered the explorer beings anything but a forum of artifical life. They have the opportunity to learn about an earlier form of themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2006, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405/34 "2006-06-21T00:50:55Z")
[QUOTE=Keweenaw] [Super Toys Last all Summer Long](http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/amk/doc/0068.html) - link to the short story [/QUOTE] That’s it??? That’s what the whole movie is based on? Really? Gawd. Just like Minority Report. Can’t make a 2.5 hour movie from a 15-minute read! (Well, I’m sure people will point out a lot of exceptions. I. Don’t. Care!) ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2006, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405/35 "2006-06-21T02:08:55Z")
[QUOTE=Gorgon Heap] Meh. I’d just as soon have my three hours back. [/QUOTE] I’d like my 3 hrs back with a refund. If you’re going to confuse and depress an audience at least include a pamphlet with an apology and an explanation. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2006, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405/36 "2006-06-21T04:16:41Z")
[QUOTE=Magiver] I’d like my 3 hrs back with a refund. If you’re going to confuse and depress an audience at least include a pamphlet with an apology and an explanation. [/QUOTE] I take it you’d never heard of Kubrick or had never seen one of his movies, and/or didn’t know _anything_ about the history of the film. What, did you go to the movie thinking “Ah, it’s a Spielberg film! He makes cute, fuzzy movies about cute, non-fuzzy aliens and slapstick comedies…can’t wait!” I wasn’t confused. I’m so glad. And I’m sorry, but people who turn the movie off before the actual ending really don’t need to be watching a movie like **AI** in the first place. Stick with **ET**. HE’S an alien. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2006, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405/37 "2006-06-21T11:58:37Z")
> [@](#): > > Stick with ET. HE’S an alien. Like _hell_ he is. He’s a cute little fuzzbnall, without the fuzz. Klaatu – now _there’s_ an alien. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2006, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405/38 "2006-06-21T13:10:15Z")
[QUOTE=Equipoise] And then there’s Teddy, left all alone. _Sob_ [/QUOTE] I still want a Teddy! ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2006, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405/39 "2006-06-21T13:57:55Z")
[QUOTE=Equipoise] Yeah, they do, especially when Spielberg keeps his sentimentality out of it and goes by Kubrick’s original script and ideas (yes, I know it was based on a short story…that too). Kubrick did everything except actually cast and direct the thing. [/QUOTE] My understanding is that Spielberg developed the script from storyboards created by Kubrick; that is, Kubrick didn’t produce an actual script, only the storyboards. Obviously Spielberg must have had substantial creative input. I basically liked the film, but I did consider it–um, somewhat awkward. I really just don’t think Spielberg’s style mixed very well with Kubrick’s. Let’s just say I consider it an interesting experiment. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2006, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405/40 "2006-06-21T14:29:45Z")
[QUOTE=Magiver] I’d like my 3 hrs back with a refund. If you’re going to confuse and depress an audience at least include a pamphlet with an apology and an explanation. [/QUOTE] Can I get the same for \*\*Vanilla Sky \*\* ? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-a-i-what-were-those-things-open-spoilers/361405.md?page=3)