Director Gareth Edwards has an uneven record on the big screen. In 2010 he had his breakthrough with his excellent indie film MONSTERS. Then in 2014 he did a baffling GODZILLA film where the big guy barely showed up. Then in 2016 came the outstanding ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY, where he started off directing before production issues had him eventually moved to the background. Here in 2023, Edwards gets a chance to rise above all that with THE CREATOR.
The year is 2065, and mankind is at war with androids powered by artificial intelligence (A.I.). Former special ops agent Joshua (John David Washington), is called back into service by Colonel Howell (Allison Janney), to lead a mission into the heart of A.I. territory…where a world-ending weapon is being developed.
Directed by Edwards who co-wrote the screenplay with Chris Weitz, THE CREATOR is a twisting and turning sci-fi flick which borrows many elements from some classic sci-fi films over the past many decades. Here, there are elements of STAR WARS, BLADE RUNNER, ALIENS, and STAR TREK…while also taking pages from APOCALYPSE NOW or even AVATAR. It’s familiar territory, but there are several things at work that makes it feel fresh and new. The first is the excellent work in world-building. In this future world, robots were invented to assist mankind…before they literally went nuclear and wiped Los Angeles off the map. Now the U.S. is hellbent on eliminating them all, while in Asian countries the robots live at peace with humans…while taking on personalities and artificial skins which basically gives them souls.
The next element at work are the many twists and turns. It is no spoiler to say that eventually Joshua finds the weapon: an A.I. with the human form of a six-year-old girl. Unable to blast it (her), into little metal shards, Joshua goes (ahem), rogue with her…even naming her Alphie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles). Ultimately, it’s a film about what is human and what isn’t; asking profound questions while Joshua and Alphie are chased across the county.
THE CREATOR has some excellent action scenes during those chases. Set-pieces ranging from an underground laboratory to a giant floating weapon are edge-of-your-seat greatness. Weapons and vehicles are futuristic yet realistic, and the design of the robots is stunning. Overall visual effects are nothing short of breathtaking.
John David Washington (son of Denzel) puts in his best performance. He is matched well with Gemma Chan, who plays his wife and may have a tie to the future of the A.I. Allison Janney is a huge surprise as a military bad-ass. Madeleine Yuna Voyles steals the show and is a revelation.
The real magic of THE CREATOR is that it messes with our heads by making us question who to root for: mankind or the robots? It’s minor-shock ending doesn’t offer any conclusions, but will have us pondering long after we stagger out of the theatre. Gareth Edwards has notched one in the win column: THE CREATOR is his best creation.
BOTTOM LINE: See it
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