THE CREATOR (2023)
Updated: Oct 31, 2023
The “Humans vs. AI” Theme is Given a New Twist in This Surprisingly Timely Adventure.
Grade: A-
Gareth Edwards is one of the most talented directors to emerge in the past thirteen years, as well as one of the least talked about. With his debut feature, Monsters (2010), he created a beautiful drama out of half a million dollars about two Americans encountering large aliens in Mexico. With Godzilla (2014), he kickstarted Legendary’s Monsterverse series. And with Rogue One (2016), he made arguably the best Star Wars movie of the Disney era. His movies have realistic tones and visual styles designed to make audiences feel like they’re experiencing the action alongside the characters. His latest effort, The Creator, does not quite stand up to the enigmatic heights of Monsters or the jaw-dropping action of Rogue One, but it is nevertheless a well-made, impressive, and at times touching futuristic adventure that proves he deserves more attention.
It is interesting that The Creator would be coming out at this time, since its central conflict-between humans and Artificial Intelligence-is being reflected in real life. The opening shows how robots have evolved into both workers and “Simulants,” mechanical beings with likenesses provided by humans. Robots are commonplace in America until they apparently set off a nuclear warhead in Los Angeles. While the U.S. subsequently bans A.I., “New Asia” doesn’t follow suit, resulting in a long and bitter war.
John David Washington plays Joshua, an ex-Special Forces soldier who was forced to replace his right arm and leg during the war. Fifteen years into the conflict, he is recruited to join a unit of soldiers going behind enemy lines to find and destroy a powerful new weapon being developed by “Nirmata,” a mysterious scientist and developer of advanced A.I. Joshua’s only motivation, however, is to find Maya (Gemma Chan) the woman he had fallen in love with while trying to use her to find her father. Upon arriving in Nirmata’s laboratory, Joshua finds that the weapon is in fact a Simulant in the form of a child. When his unit is killed by A.I. and New Asian forces, Joshua goes on the run with the Simulant whom he calls “Alfie” in the hope that she can lead him to Maya.
Most movies about humans and A.I. are cautionary tales, warning us against giving too much power to our machines. But a few dare to go further, actually touching on the relationship between mankind and their creations. The Creator is one such movie, taking some of the more common “Humans vs. AI” tropes and turning them on their heads. This is not a straightforward action movie, where the lines between good and evil are clearly defined. In fact, the A.I.s quickly become sympathetic characters themselves, seemingly capable of emotion. In New Asia, humans and Simulants live in harmony and are constantly harassed by incursions by the U.S. army.
It is perhaps not a spoiler to reveal that Joshua and Alfie form a close bond, since the ads pretty much give that fact away. What is less predictable, however, is just how quickly their relationship develops, as well as how good a character Alfie turns out to be. She is not annoying, as child sidekicks often are, but a secondary protagonist brought to convincing artificial life by Madeleine Yuna Voyles. There is a communication barrier between her and Joshua at first, but unlike with the recent 65, it is overcome quickly, much to the movie’s benefit.
Edwards has always been a visual director, placing a heavy emphasis on the special effects, cinematography, and production design in his movies. With The Creator, he again shows his mastery over these tools by displaying incredibly well-animated robots set against beautiful locales dotted with magnificent futuristic architecture, while a large station hovers in the sky, emitting blue lasers. The heads of the Simulants are a triumph of CGI technology; we know these can’t be real, yet they look incredibly seamless. The action scenes are also impressive-this reviewer’s favorite has to be one set towards the end of the second act, as A.I.s struggle against gigantic tanks, which recalls a similar sequence in Rogue One.
If there is one problem with The Creator, it may be how it could have been even more spectacular and emotionally intense since the bar for sci-fi epics is set incredibly high. Once the third act (which is somewhat rushed) is established, there is little that happens which we cannot predict. It also ends on a somewhat abrupt note, with a few crucial plot threads left unresolved. If the script had undergone another rewrite, then the movie might have developed its plot and themes to their fullest extent. As it is, the movie’s climax is still satisfying on an emotional level if not quite a narrative one.
The Creator is a very important movie for this year. In a market dominated by sequels and other movies based on intellectual properties, Edwards dares to create an original movie and fill it with imaginative world-building, great action, and beautiful visuals. The fact that it was made at a paltry (by blockbuster standards) $80 million shows that Edwards has returned to his roots, making impressive stories at a low cost. How the movie will fare is not predictable, especially since it was released during the SAG-AFTRA strike (again, how ironic), but it deserves to be remembered just the same.
Director: Gareth Edwards
Screenplay: Gareth Edwards, Chris Weitz
Producers: Gareth Edwards, Kiri Hart, Jim Spencer, Arnon Milchan
Cast: John David Washington (Joshua), Madeleine Yuna Voyles (Alfie), Gemma Chan (Maya), Ken Watanabe (Harun), Sturgill Simpson (Shipley), Allison Janney (Howell), Ralph Ineson (Andrews), Veronica Ngo (Kami)
Rated: PG-13 (for violence, some bloody images, and strong language)
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