Science fiction has enjoyed many stories about robots and artificial intelligence rising up and taking over the world. Amid the ocean of such stories, a few creators, such as Issac Asimov, approached the idea differently. Instead of wondering what it would be like if robots destroyed humanity, these stories explored a future where humanity and machine coexisted and cooperated with a common goal. And before you bring it up, that terrible Will Smith movie has absolutely nothing to do with Asimov’s vision.
Todays movie, Superintelligence, takes a radically brand new approach to the idea of humanity's relationship with technology: What if a sentient A.I. flat out asked humanity for help in understanding our nature before doing anything at all? A question that is surprisingly well explored in this sci-fi romantic comedy. I cannot say this for certain, but I suspect Asimov would have gotten a good laugh out of this.
The story follows a woman named Carol (Melissa McCarthy) as an average person going through life one random challenge at a time. One day, her life is flipped on its head when she encounters a strange technological entity referring to itself as a Super-intelligence (James Corden). It has the power to do literally whatever it wants: it can provide humanity with the means of achieving global harmony, or it can wipe us all out. But it can’t make up its mind as to what it wants to do. Therefore, he asks Carol to observe her and learn from her experience to better understand human nature. Can the high-tech A.I. find the answer he’s looking for, or will Carol make things even worse, however unintentionally?
Probably what makes this movie so much fun is how cute and clever it is. While it still uses a particular style of humor that I find annoying and repetitive, the film has the good sense to not relish in those moments. The majority of the humor of the film comes from the back-&-forth between the A.I. and Carol. Their banter is genuinely hilarious and drives the story forward. This is made all the funnier when you remember that this Super-Intelligence could completely wipe out the entire human race.
Melissa McCarthy is one of those comedic talents who built her career out of initially funny jokes that quickly get old. However, unlike less talented comedic performers in her class, *cough* Rebel Wilson *cough*, she has genuine talent and range as an actress. There’s a reason she was nominated for an Oscar, twice.
The only issue I have with the movie is, again, some of the humor choices. Modern comedies have a tendency to become too reliant on improv and what can only be described as “awkward moment” jokes. Scenes where a person is going on about how strange or unusual something is for far too long. Call me old-fashioned, but this kind of humor typically doesn’t sit well with me. It feels less like an attempt at humor and more like the result of lazy writing. Again, however, it is only minimal in this film.
Superintelligence is a charming modern comedy that almost makes it worth maintaining a subscription to HBO Max. It’s a clever new take on an old idea that has just enough charm to not overstay its welcome. If you need a decent laugh, this is a good place for one. Give it a look.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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