Hello! This posting is a follow-up review to the “Isle of Dogs” review just prior.

This review is a combined review on two predecessor films. One is “Short Circuit” (1986). The other is “WALL-E” (2008).

Before seeing “Isle of Dogs” (2018), I thought that there might be some commentary about Artificial Intelligence today. Less so it turned out, than is true of the film “Hugo” (2011); but, I thought still there might be some commentary on the same subject. While there is, it’s not as prevalent, so I won’t attempt to draw the connection here.

If you remember, my review of “Isle of Dogs” this month, alludes to films “WALL-E” and “Short Circuit”. This review will not be an in depth one; rather a brief comment on the relative aspects and common thread of contemporary children’s stories’ thematic introductions to A.I. in our lives (and to children) as theme.

First I’d like to comment on “WALL-E”. In simple terms, “WALL-E” generates a deep compassion for a robot, dejected and left behind by selfish humans who created him, to dutifully work in a garbage heap and clean up a neglected Earth. I love this premise. It’s truly a very fitting commentary about slavery, servitude, using, and “passing the buck” onto more vulnerable persons. Not only these lessons. Despite all this, “WALL-E” the “first generation” robot – lacking some attributes of the more modern generation of robot, is a trash compactor and “a good soul”. He was trained to do one thing. And, he does it so dutifully, that he is not even aware that the human inhabitants have left him behind… for a travel paradise in the heavens above planet Earth. What I love most, is that a highly developed and weaponized robot scout, descends upon his planet, to find life (and him). Ironic, the more advanced robot and her makers, depend upon the analogue and old world, to survive themselves!

First, entirely threatened and afraid of her advanced skill and programming, “WALL-E” falls in love with her. Now, robots of course are machines and cannot experience love. But, projection of human characteristics upon machines is precisely what makes this film so cute, endearing, and charming. This storytelling device, teaches compassion to children; and reminds adults to be more compassionate than the world often permits us to, in every day life without pause.

With “WALL-E”, both “male” and “female”, old and modern, robot – must survive the test of helping their human counterparts. But, in so doing, can their love for each other survive too? Is their memory wiped clean? Is there no hope for them to survive the selfish endeavors of their captors’ purposes and intentions?

This leads to thought on a much older live action film entitled “Short Circuit”. “Short Circuit” is among one of the first efforts I saw, to portray a highly technological capable machine, as a “being”. Learning human attributes, studying information, and performing great computer function and tasks, the robot in this film is likewise charged with saving people and making their lives better. Similar to “WALL-E”, the robot “falls in love”, but with humans. That is, until the bad guys exploit him, re-program him, and make him a killing machine.

Both films, in a wonderful way, present an argument that human love and affection are learned, as if the emotional characteristic can be “downloaded” and programmed in to the “mainframe” of the computer/robot/machine.

But, is a robot conscious of its own existence? Does it have a soul? In all seriousness, a machine can mimic these human attributes and increasingly can become able to mimic the behaviors of humans. But, these are reflections of human emotion, copied, and not original in the spirit. Does a computer have a God-given love capable heart?

In the films here described, one has to let go of the scientific distinction, and just enjoy the journey in which the robot is human-like. Much like reading fiction, it’s up to the reader to decide how real of fake the experience truly is to them! How can one quantify the precise gradient of reality? And, how insensitive do we have to be so as to deny any joy that a human might have with a machine, in terms of life experienced improvements? My own personal view is, to seriously caution people in making the mistake of replacing fellow man with machines. But, there certainly are practical applications for willing persons to I guess experience some joy with machine.

Another aspect about robots, is the ability of a computer to strategize. Strategy has long been perceived as exclusive to human traits. But, we know well today, that strategy can be taught to a machine. In that sense, a machine’s skill increases with practice, calculates probability, and so forth. This is truly amazing, because strategy is an aspect of human mental ability.

One such example for your further study on this topic is a chess championship. If you look at World Almanac (1998 edition), you’ll find an amazing story about this.
As for the two movies I described here, your kids may “love” them both, and will receive a wonderful introduction to compassionate “human” living.