Often Hollywood tends to associate artificial intelligence with dystopian futures, machines taking over the planet, and in general, becoming so deeply engrained in our lives that we are unable to realize our inevitable demise until it is much too late. Movies play upon our fears in order to evoke an emotional response. Amongst the most prevalent themes is through the advancement of artificial intelligence, machines will inevitably become self-aware, and begin thinking for themselves. Because of the global interconnectedness of modern technology, the fear is that if one machine starts to think for itself it could control all the computers in the world. Thus is the premise of movies like Terminator, iRobot, and the Matrix.
Hollywood also plays on the fact that making robots similar to humans threatens our individuality, and uniqueness. And it’s just kind of creepy. Movies like AI: Artificial Intelligence depicts worlds where humans have rebelled against the machines — that have been created, in essence, to replace humans. Now before you dive into this list, know that there can only be ten selections, and I will likely leave one of your favorite movies off, and you will be outraged and spray vile and hate all over the comments section. People may also have varying opinions on how they define “artificial intelligence”, and may hate my definition. This list is completely subjective and is in no way an exact science. So save it, and try to enjoy the list sans nitpicking.
10. I, Robot (2004)
Sure, it may not have been the best film, but it was plenty entertaining, without a doubt. This one plays on the Terminator/Skynet concept of robots becoming self-aware and ultimately thinking for themselves and subsequently, trying to protect humans from themselves. The thought being that the human race, at our current rate of self-destruction through war and overconsumption of natural resources, must be saved from itself before it goes extinct. The AI machines interpret their directive of “protecting humans” as also “protecting humans from themselves.” The robots try to take over the world by force, with the rationale that the ends justifies the means. All along the way the protagonist, Sonny, an initially suspect character, shows his true colors (and personality) as he helps the humans escape the clutches of the machines.
The best part of the movie: When Sonny lays the smack down on the bad robots as he attempts to retrieve the vial of Nanites. The entire movie he comes across as an intellectual, deep-thinker who has “dreams” like humans, until the finale of the movie when he shows some serious Ultimate Fighter skills on his overmatched counterparts.
9. Robocop (1987)
Robocop, oh yeah. Talk about the ultimate cult following. Even by today’s standards, the scene where Peter Weller gets blown to chunks is still nauseating. And who could forget the stop-motion Ed-209 that growls and later cries when it falls down the stairs? Talk about artificial intelligence gone awry, during a mock arrest the Ed-209 couldn’t identify the mock perpetrator as being unarmed, and shot him to pieces. Peter Weller, on the other hand, gets turned into a cyborg who has to will his mind into overriding his programmed directives in order to hold onto the remaining piece of himself that makes him human. Or kind of human.
The best part of the movie: I’m not sure I would call it “the best part” of Robocop, but certainly the most memorable part is the aforementioned destruction of Peter Weller. The “best scene” is probably the great shootout in the warehouse. “Come quietly, or there will be… trouble.” All things considered, this action sequence was tightly edited and delightfully entertaining.
8. Alien Series (1979 – Present)
These movies are still going, but they shouldn’t be. Without a shred of doubt, Alien and Aliens (the first two films) were the cream of the crop. The original Alien was produced for $11 million, and made a cool $105 million; quite an impressive feat for over thirty years ago. It was a remarkable leap forward in terms of visual effects, arguably on par with other sci-fi blockbusters of its time: Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Jaws. The artificial intelligence aspect was not central to the movie’s plot, and as a matter of fact, came to be a surprise to everyone! No one realized that Ash was a robot until he (it?) was decapitated, shooting milky fluid and other “bot parts” all over the place. That’s what you get from trying to shove an adult magazine down Ripley’s throat, I guess.
The best part of the movie: The part with Ash getting his head ripped off was pretty good, but I think this one is a no-brainer. The dinner scene. Everyone remembers the dinner scene. As a matter of fact, Ridley Scott did not tell the other actors what was going to happen during the scene with the intention that they would show true emotional responses. I still get goose bumps when I think of Kane’s chest exploding with a baby alien popping out.
7. Star Wars (1977-present)
I would be crucified if I left Star Wars off the list. I am personally not a fan of the movies, but can surely appreciate the significance of their contribution to the world of entertainment. About as recognizable as the Coca-Cola symbol, C3PO and R2D2 headline the cast of artificial intelligence characters. Some may argue for other characters from the more recent films, but frankly, they just aren’t nearly as well done as the first three. C3PO portrays a highly emotional, and borderline neurotic but lovable humanoid-shaped bot, while R2D2 is the ultimate Swiss Army Knife, seemingly having a solution for all types of technology-related dilemmas.
The best part of the movie(s): Honestly, where do you even start? It’s really unfair to pose this kind of question for such an epic series spanning nearly five decades. For the sake of simplicity, I will funnel it down to my favorite movie with R2D2: Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. He gets pretty torn up in the battles, but ultimately plays an integral role in defeating the Imperial troops.
6. The Matrix trilogy (1999-2003)
This collection of three movies has an insane cult following, grossing over $1.6 billion to prove it. To the point where people get physically upset if you so much as question the quality of Keanu Reeves’ acting. The AI factor in the Matrix trilogy is much darker, and more intense than many of the entries on this list. The movie plays on the well-known theory of the eventuality of machines becoming self-aware, and takes it one step further. The machines don’t just want to take over the world, they want to be able to sustain their existence. Cue human beings. The machines plug humans into a simulated reality, and use their bodies as fuel.
The best part of the movie(s): I’m partial to the first Matrix, and in particular the ending scene when Neo begins to scratch the surface of the scope of his powers. In an act of sheer necessity, he stops a wall of bullets shot by Mr. Smith. The look on Smith’s face when he knows…KNOWS he has been outmatched by a human is an all-time great scene in AI movie history.
5. AI: Artificial Intelligence (2001)
This movie produced an overwhelmingly polar response. Those that loved it, truly appreciated the pace, subtlety, and identified with the raw emotion of longing to be accepted, and loved. Those that hated it, made no bones about it; some I have spoken to went so far as to say ‘Steven Spielberg owes me two hours and twenty minutes of my life back.” Love it or hate it, this movie focuses exclusively on artificial intelligence, and makes a prediction as to how humans will respond to them becoming engrained in our lives. The newest type of bot, David, is the first of his kind created with the ability to feel and love. The only problem is that his creators built him for selfish reasons, and didn’t take into account the fact that he would never grow old mentally and physically. He would be cursed with immortality, and inevitably watch the people he loves die. He becomes a victim of prejudice and rejection, all the while he simply longs for the love of his “mother.”
The best part of the movie: David spends the entire movie, which spans thousands of years (he was frozen during an ice age), searching for the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio, who he thinks will turn him into a real boy. He believes that if he becomes human, his mother will love him. At the very end, the highly advanced machines of the future are able to bring David’s mother back for one day in a recreated world from David’s memory. “That was the everlasting moment he had been waiting for. And the moment had passed, for Monica was sound asleep. More than merely asleep. Should he shake her she would never rouse. So David went to sleep too. And for the first time in his life, he went to that place where dreams are born.”
4. Wall-E (2008)
How could anyone not love the Pixar story of a tiny trash-compacting robot that seems to develop… a personality? Wall-E indeed seems to cultivate a unique personality, with an appreciation of classical movies and an everlasting desire to hold a female’s hand. Who didn’t melt into a little puddle when he practiced by holding his own hand? Throughout the movie, Wall-E craves the one thing humans have neglected and grossly take for granted; face-to-face communication.
The best part of the movie: Undoubtedly the most emotional part of the movie is when Wall-E has seemingly died as a result of sacrificing himself to save the sole piece of evidence that Earth is habitable; a tiny plant. My favorite part of Wall-E, however, is how it draws comparisons between a little robot which seemingly acts more like a human than the actual humans, who have indeed become so reliant on machines that they have essentially become machines themselves. They have become so reliant, in fact, that their bodies have ballooned into gelatinous masses which sit in chairs all day, and communicate indirectly via technology.
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
2001 is the oldest film to make the list and is also one of the most visually and thematically innovative. It was well beyond its time. The eerie red eye of the HAL 2000 is one of the most enduring symbols of artificial intelligence in film today. HAL demonstrates desperate survival tactics, and forces the viewer to ask the question: “Is HAL experiencing human emotions?” HAL and the concept of artificial intelligence were woven into a deeper plot which has been interpreted dozens of ways. One of the most widely accepted explanations, is that the Monolith shows us how insignificant humans are in grand scheme of the universe.
The best part of the movie: The most disturbingly memorable scene is the death of HAL. Dr. Dave Bowman works his way to the control room containing HAL’s hard drives so that he can disconnect him, all along the way HAL tries to talk Dave out of his plan. The process of disconnecting HAL takes several minutes, and all the while HAL says, “My mind is going… I can feel it.” HAL sings “Daisy” as he is dies, in an eerily human fashion.
2. Blade Runner (1982)
Few films on this list were capable of reaching the utter depth of character of “artificially intelligent characters” as Blade Runner. Rutger Hauer, and Daryl Hannah headline the “AI” cast as genetically engineered organic robots, specifically created to serve a purpose; exclusively for the benefit of humans. Unfortunately the “Replicants” were designed to live a very short period of time – likely as a safety and control measure for humans. The protagonist, Harrison Ford, is a ruthless bounty hunter of these “Skin Jobs”, whom he terminates rather clinically. It isn’t until the finale of the movie that Ford (and the audience) truly understands the plight of Hauer and Hannah. They simply wanted more time. Precious seconds of time that humans took for granted, and the Replicants killed for.
The best part of the movie:
For most, this is a no-brainer. Harrison Ford is clinging to his life, literally by his fingers on the ledge of a tall building, when Rutger Hauer (who had previously been trying to kill him), pulls him to safety at the last minute. It isn’t the act of actually saving Ford that sets the scene apart, but rather the knowing, the sheer deep longing for more life tattooed all across Hauer’s face, that completely flips your perspective of his character. “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I’ve watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.”
1. Terminators 1 and 2 (1984 & 1991)
Out of respect for James Cameron, I won’t even include the abominations that came after. With T1 and T2, Cameron casted two of the scariest bad guys in the history of sci-fi films; the CSM-101 played by Schwarzenegger, and the T-1000 by Robert Patrick. The most frightening aspect of these characters is their (believably) relentless determination, absence of empathy, and indifference toward humankind. Cameron’s antagonists put a magnifying glass to our cultural trend towards emotionless digitization of personal interaction. The last lines narrated by Sarah Connor, “If a machine, a Terminator, can learn the value of human life, maybe we can too”, drives home the underlying theme of the film.
The best part of the movie: The finales of both movies were amongst the most thrilling, and frightening action scenes of all time. At the end of the original Terminator, Kyle Reese just can’t seem to put Arnold down. After blowing him up in a gas truck, the Terminator’s skeletal remains follow Reese and Sarah into a machine fabrication shop. Reese blows up the Terminator, again, this time with a pipe bomb. Right when you think he is down for the count, he crawls after Sarah until finally being crushed in a giant press.
This list cannot be complete without a shout out to the final couple scenes of Terminator 2; an epic helicopter, big rig, and truck chase that reaches its finale at a steel plant. Arnold climbs aboard the big rig driven by the T-1000, and wrecks it. The T-1000 gets drenched in liquid nitrogen freezing him completely. Arnold aims the gun at him, “Hasta la vista, baby”, pulls the trigger and blows him into thousands of metal pieces. In an all-time classic scary moment, the T-1000’s pieces liquefy from the heat of the plant, and reassemble. The film ends with Arnold being lowered into the hot steel, after telling John he “understands now why he cries, but it is something he could never do.”
source:
http://www.wittybadger.com/top-movies-featuring-artificial-intelligence/2/
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