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The Creator -
This is a pretty good, pulpy sci-fi action thriller featuring technology you've likely heard about this year and will continue to hear about: AI. It's set in a possible near-future where America's reliance on AI led to L.A. getting nuked. They banned it as a result and built NOMAD, an orbital defense system that monitors and destroys AI threats. They're all in Asia, i.e., "New Asia," which instead of banning AI went so far with it that people and AI humans live side by side. Our hero is Josh Taylor (Washington), an American soldier who defected to New Asia after falling in love with Maya (Chan) while undercover. After his army buddies discover his hiding place, they recruit him against his will to find and terminate AI suspect #1: Nirmata, a.k.a. the Creator. In the resulting confrontation, the pregnant Maya escapes and is presumed dead.
While I haven't loved all of Gareth Edwards' movies, I'll continue to be excited when he has a project in the works. His "isn't this fun, guys" enthusiasm for the genre is one reason and it's on full display here. It's really apparent in the visuals, which are not only vibrant and demand to be seen on the big screen, but also pay loving homage to the material that inspired it, Akira and Blade Runner in particular. Washington also deserves credit for how endearing and relatable he makes Taylor. His relationship with Alphie (Voyles), an AI prototype and "magical child" whose abilities would tip the balance for either superpower, has a lot to do with this for how it humanizes him and serves as a microcosm of the main theme. The stakes of their relationship, not to mention the driving pace and tight editing, means the action is never dull.
Again, this is pretty good sci-fi for how it explores the increasingly complicated relationship between man and machine. Edwards does wear his influences on his sleeve, but I don't think that's a bad thing since he puts his own stamp on them. What does hold the movie back from greatness is the many conveniences in the script. If it's not characters making uncharacteristically dumb decisions, its moments that make you question where some of the AI inventors went to college (some of the robots close their eyes and go to sleep on hammocks, for example). With that said, for its boldness, timeliness and for simply being good fun, Edwards and crew deserve your support. After all, they could have just made this into yet another Star Wars movie if they wanted to.
This is a pretty good, pulpy sci-fi action thriller featuring technology you've likely heard about this year and will continue to hear about: AI. It's set in a possible near-future where America's reliance on AI led to L.A. getting nuked. They banned it as a result and built NOMAD, an orbital defense system that monitors and destroys AI threats. They're all in Asia, i.e., "New Asia," which instead of banning AI went so far with it that people and AI humans live side by side. Our hero is Josh Taylor (Washington), an American soldier who defected to New Asia after falling in love with Maya (Chan) while undercover. After his army buddies discover his hiding place, they recruit him against his will to find and terminate AI suspect #1: Nirmata, a.k.a. the Creator. In the resulting confrontation, the pregnant Maya escapes and is presumed dead.
While I haven't loved all of Gareth Edwards' movies, I'll continue to be excited when he has a project in the works. His "isn't this fun, guys" enthusiasm for the genre is one reason and it's on full display here. It's really apparent in the visuals, which are not only vibrant and demand to be seen on the big screen, but also pay loving homage to the material that inspired it, Akira and Blade Runner in particular. Washington also deserves credit for how endearing and relatable he makes Taylor. His relationship with Alphie (Voyles), an AI prototype and "magical child" whose abilities would tip the balance for either superpower, has a lot to do with this for how it humanizes him and serves as a microcosm of the main theme. The stakes of their relationship, not to mention the driving pace and tight editing, means the action is never dull.
Again, this is pretty good sci-fi for how it explores the increasingly complicated relationship between man and machine. Edwards does wear his influences on his sleeve, but I don't think that's a bad thing since he puts his own stamp on them. What does hold the movie back from greatness is the many conveniences in the script. If it's not characters making uncharacteristically dumb decisions, its moments that make you question where some of the AI inventors went to college (some of the robots close their eyes and go to sleep on hammocks, for example). With that said, for its boldness, timeliness and for simply being good fun, Edwards and crew deserve your support. After all, they could have just made this into yet another Star Wars movie if they wanted to.