The Creator (12): Americans are the bad guys in allegorical Vietnam/Sci-fi epic.

A One Mann’s Movies review of “The Creator” (2023).

The week’s biggest new release is Gareth (“Rogue One“) Edward’s Sci-fi epic “The Creator”. In a battle between advanced AI Simulants and the American people, there’s little nuance displayed about which side you should be backing!

Bob the Movie Man Rating:

Plot Summary:

In 2050, an advanced AI defence system nukes Los Angeles. Spin forward to the 2060’s, and America has set its sights on erasing the AI simulants from the planet. But the rest of the planet feels differently: in “New Asia”, the robots and humans live together in peace and harmony. As we open the film, Joshua (John David Washington) is undercover at a simulant secret camp trying to identify and kill “the “Nirmata” – the AI’s creator and God. But he has gone a little too far undercover (or, rather, under the covers) with Maya (Gemma Chan) and a child is on the way.

Certification:

UK: 12; US: PG-13. (From the BBFC web site: “Moderate violence, threat, injury detail, infrequent strong language”). This has some pretty strong and disturbing scenes, so is definitely not an “Oh, it will be OK” for most younger children.

Talent:

Starring: John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Madeleine Yuna Voyles, Allison Janney, Ken Watanabe.

Directed by: Gareth Edwards.

Written by: Gareth Edwards & Chris Weitz.

Twitter Handle: #Creatorthefilm.

NOMAD reminded me of ‘Skybase’ from Caption Scarlett. Oh, just me then! (Source: 20th Century Studios)

“The Creator” Review:

Positives:

• Wow! There was so much I loved about this film. The whole premise of the film is epic, starting with the death and destruction associated with a nuked LA through to the very personal anguish that Joshua goes through as the film progresses. The action is exciting (and sometimes brutal); there is a strong vision presented of how simulants and humans might one day co-exist (in one striking scene, a ‘father’ robot, about to be struck by a missile, turns and runs away from his human ‘family’); and the finale brought a tear to my eye. Kevin Maher in “The Times” described it as “a shallow Star Wars pastiche”. Although there are clear similarities with Star Wars (the orbiting “NOMAD” station is a pseudo-Death Star) I couldn’t disagree more with his view. (Many other sources have given it 4*s).
• The special effects, for once, I thought to be top-notch. There is an epic quality to the widescreen shots (I was reminded of Spielberg in the way the camerawork was done) and there are some genuinely memorable images. Like any good Sci-Fi film (e.g. “Dune“; “Blade Runner 2049“), many of the stills from the film could grace a wall as a work of art.
• The sound design is also excellent – an Oscar nomination perhaps? Some really clever sound effects compliment the score by the ever-busy Hans Zimmer.
• The young girl playing Alphie, Madeleine Yuna Voyles, is fantastic…. some of her scenes, particularly in the finale of the film are utterly heartbreaking.
• It’s also great to see Allison Janney let her hair down in a more ‘lightweight’ role as Colonel Howell, an officer with more than just a little axe to grind with the simulants.

Negatives:

• There is a requirement to suspend disbelief at times e.g. re acrobatic shenanigans in and on the NOMAD platform (in scenes actually very reminiscent of the finale of “Rogue One“). And will all this really happen by the 2060’s? I doubt the UK government will have got HS2 built by then, let alone the hardware seen flying or driving around in this movie!
• The film does certainly plagerise ideas from other sources, and not just US misadventures in Vietnam! The whole LA strike is reminiscent of Skynet from the “Terminator” films and the concept of accessing dead people’s last thoughts is pretty well 100% lifted from the fabulous Dr Who episode “Silence in the Library”.

Triggers

Not really a “Trigger” per se, but I know some viewers get very wound up by potential danger to animals in films. There are two particular incidents in this film where a dog (two different dogs!) get put in mortal danger. ‘Does the Dog Die’? No!

Summary Thoughts on “The Creator”

A popcorn movie that I found to be a truly entertaining and an enthralling watch. It hit my buttons not just as Sci-Fi, but also (like “Avatar: The Way of Water“) as a good war movie and as a family drama with real heart. But given its widescreen spectacle and stunning sound, this is a movie that is a MUST SEE on the biggest screen you can find.

I’m not sure how American audiences might take to it though!

Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)

Trailer for “The Creator”:

The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex3C1-5Dhb8 . It’s probably too late, but if you can watch the film without seeing the trailer, that will save you from some surprises that would have been good to be left as surprises!

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