‘The Creator’ Review – A Visually Astonishing Love Letter To Sci-Fi

Synopsis: In “The Creator,” Joshua (Washington), a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving the disappearance of his wife(Chan), is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war…and mankind itself. Joshua and his team of elite operatives journey across enemy lines, into the dark heart of AI-occupied territory, only to discover the world-ending weapon he’s been instructed to destroy is an AI in the form of a young child (Voyles).

If you lost the person you loved most in the world, what would you do to get just one more moment with them? Would break the law? Would you travel to the ends of the Earth? Would you stand firm in the face of giants? Would you kill? Love is a strong feeling and can make anyone do irrational things. However, if you’ve truly experienced it, you know that it’s worth it.

“I don’t give a shit about becoming extinct.”

No matter the timeline, the future tends to look the same. A world integrated with artificial intelligence. The question quickly becomes, will AI be our demise or an advancement? Directed and co-written by Gareth Edwards, The Creator is a visually astonishing love letter to sci-fi. Reminiscent of favorites such as Akira, District 9, Chappie, Elysium, I, Robot, and A.I., just to name a few, this composite of future-focused films not only examines technological advances that may come to fruition but also our very real fears of them. As a matter of fact, there’s a tinge of Frankenstein in there as well. It also features a heavy-handed disdain for American imperialism and police states. Despite its focus on artificial intelligence, the crux of the story is incredibly human. From grief and longing to otherness and acceptance, this journey within war is weighed by immense emotional upheaval.

Set between 2060 and 2070 in a reality where artificial intelligence has played a pivotal role in society for decades, it was only a matter of time before catastrophe struck. Before a devastating event sets a predictable war in motion, AI worked alongside mankind in every facet imaginable including fast food and healthcare. The technology even advanced to the point of incredibly advanced androids called Simulants with extremely human-like features and complex emotions. Once an AI ban sweeps the world, there’s only one place that will allow the Simulants and other AI to live in the peace they seek, New Asia. To no surprise, America isn’t fond of New Asia operating independently and being uncooperative. Therefore, it leads to the classic West versus East being the backdrop of this story. While the Americans claim to be terrified of a new advanced weapon that was created by the notorious and elusive creator of AI, they may have the deadliest one of all.

“We only want to live in peace.”

Beginning with the love and promising future of our protagonist, Joshua, as he lays in bed with his wife, Maya, everything goes awry as his undercover status is blown and his heart is completely destroyed. Determined to know the whats and whys but also devoid of any will to live, a new glimmer of hope is presented. But there’s a caveat, he must help lead a team to complete what he started while he was undercover, find and kill the creator, and destroy this new weapon. However, when Joshua locates the weapon and realizes that it’s in the form of a child named Alphie who has information that means the most to him, his objective quickly changes. He now must protect this child at all costs.

This film takes on more than one daunting task, however, it can’t say it accomplished them all. It wanted to create multifaceted characters, build a complex and intricate world that is both foreign and familiar, steer an emotionally rich story, and create a feast for the eyes. With the way the story is driven, its emotional concept is the most important. Unfortunately, this is where it short circuits. While driven by a newfound hope and the love he has for his wife, the connection between Joshua and Maya never quite clicks. The moments of affection and unrequited love are few and far between. The moments we get are so spaced out that before you see the next one, you’ve forgotten Joshua’s motivation. However, the bond between him and Alphie is the most endearing aspect of the 2-hour and 13-minute runtime. Nevertheless, much of the heart of the film is overshadowed by the disdain for the military-industrial complex.

Despite that, the film looks incredible. The attention to detail and variety are endlessly impressive. The Hans Zimmer score is incredibly moving and takes the form of the emotional linchpin. From production and sound design to costume design and VFX, all of the technical boxes are thoroughly checked and done in permanent marker. It’s difficult to create a relatively new world, but they did a noteworthy job. The science fiction films that came before it would be proud. The performances are solid. But unfortunately, Gemma Chan is grossly underutilized. While The Creator has its issues, it can be absolutely enjoyed for what it did right. Especially if you’re able to experience it in an IMAX or Dolby theater. It may not be the best film of the year, but it’s thought-provoking and starts conversations and we need more of that. Its rewatchability is medium.

Pace & Pop

The pacing is a bit of a mixed bag with the film trying to do somewhat contradictory tasks. It wants to world-build while telling an emotionally methodical story but also delivering a heart-pounding war drama. At times it works exceptionally well, however, it’s a difficult task to successfully juggle all three. What popped for me was the concept itself. The story subverts how the typical human versus AI dynamics unravel. Due to guilt, fear, and a proclivity for blowing everything up, humans are always more dangerous.

Characters & Chemistry

Starring: John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Sturgill Simpson, Madeleine Yuna
Voyles, and Allison Janney

The performances of John David Washington and Madeleine Voyles are easily the highlights of the film. The father and daughter-like chemistry they share is heartwarming and heartbreaking. A good deal of their acting is nonverbal, but there are some spoken lines that will make you tear up. Again, Gemma Chan is vastly underutilized. Allison Janney is almost unrecognizable as the film’s villain. While she was great as the heel, I couldn’t get past the haircut she donned.

The Creator releases in theaters on September 29, 2023. Remain safe and prepare for the future.

Rated: PG-13

Runtime: 2h13m

Director: Gareth Edwards

Screenplay: Gareth Edwards and Chris Weitz

Story: Gareth Edwards

Producers: Gareth Edwards, p.g.a., Kiri Hart, Jim Spencer, p.g.a., and Arnon Milchan

Executive Producers: Yariv Milchan, Michael Schaefer, Natalie Lehmann, Nick Meyer, and Zev Foreman Score: Hans Zimmer

Directors of Photography: Greig Fraser, ASC, ACS Oren Soffer

Production Designer: James Clyne

Sound Design: Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van Der Ryn

Costume Designer: Jeremy Hanna

Visual Effects Producer: Julian Levi

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ex3C1-5Dhb8%3Fsi%3Do4OTgdZhdxTehnUy