disclosure: I was sent a digital code for The Creator in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are of this author. No other compensation was received.
In a time where artificial intelligence is being introduced and vastly explored, the vision of where AI can go marvels our brains of the wondrous possibilities. Director Gareth Edwards takes audiences on this journey of artificial intelligence and the impacts on human life and nature in The Creator.
The film is a visual masterpiece, coming from the director of Rogue One: a Star Wars Story, Gareth uses his dystopian AI vision and engulfs audience goers on a turbulent adventure of storytelling in a immersive and creative world that resembles Rogue One… which audiences of both films will pick up on.
To set the story, audiences are thrown into a montage of history explaining the root cause of the human vs. AI hostilities featuring flashbacks to how humans and robots were supposed to get along, to the progression of their relationship that ultimately ends in a radiation filled finale of a nuclear explosion on Los Angeles, by the AI itself. We first meet Joshua (John David Washington), a husband and survivor of the nuclear attack now working to rebuild his life, with his wife Maya. Their “new home” resides in a seaside shack, after their lives were complete reset. Living in danger still, Joshua pleads with a US marine to call off the next attack, which is imminent. It’s apparent Joshua is aware of the severity of the situation and the truth of the US operation is becoming more understandable. The quest for Nirmata (the mysterious creator of the advanced AI technology that is taking over) is the US focus, thus setting the stage for the conflict between humanity and artificial intelligence.
All too late, a bomb strikes a boat, leaving Joshua alone to begin, once again. Taking inspiration from Blade Runner, the film strikes a war between the US, and all forms of artificial intelligence… taking matters to a destructive extreme. Five years after the attack, Joshua is approached by the US forces to help the mission to end all missions, taking out a newly created AI super-weapon capable of destroying America’s first line of attack: the Nomad. His biggest test turns out to be the fact that the Nomad is not actually a weapon, but a child, named Alphie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles).
Audiences have seen this scenario before where a father is left to take care and help a child that is not their own – like The Mandalorian with Mando and Grogu, and in The Last of Us with Joel and Ellie. This type of story is all too familiar, but in this case with a twist and turn AI vs. human scenario. Here audiences are strapped in for a war front experience between the two and the battle against NOMAD. Controlled by Alphie’s AI, and the physical badass leader of Allison Janney, the battles of NOMAD vs. the US forces are straight out of James Cameron’s Avatar. Countless scenes of breathtaking visuals, special effects and war filled battles memorize audiences in this brutal battle.
Soon after, Joshua finds his target, Alphie, whom we first spy in a suspenseful moment watching cartoons, alone in a cavernous room… his emotional feelings of vulnerability return, and begins to open and attaches to “Lil Sam”, as her given nickname by him. Like Joel and Ellie, in The Last of Us, they set off for complete their mission, to end NOMAD. The the film pays tributes to the “father-daughter bond” that has been popular in film of the last 5 years, but in this instance feels that’s rushed and thrown together. The film continues with a clunky balance of what it means to be human with impressive, explosive action sequences, as The Creator feels to have multiple various endings.
Audiences may find themselves on a rocky, combustion of a climax trying to understand how they got there, at this time… as well as wondering how the story progressed to having the intensive climatic finale conclude the way it does.
Visually appealing, and with so much potential, the film ends and audiences are left wanting more understanding and more of the film. This very much sets up for a potential sequel, and continuation of this vast narrative.
The Creator is Rated PG-13 for violence, some bloody images and strong language. The Creator is now available on Digital and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD.
Ever since he was young, Matt was enamored and glued to anything Disney. From the movies, to Playhouse Disney, to frequent visits to Walt Disney World. Disney was Matt’s childhood. As he grew up, and his interests went from movie fandom, to park operations fandom, his desire for spread to Disney Parks and his urge to work for Disney. Since then, he has completed numerous Disney College Programs, and is currently a proud Cast Member at his favorite park, EPCOT, having been apart of the opening teams for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Creations Shop, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind’s Treasures of Xandar.
