“The Creator” from Gareth Edwards is the exact type of original sci-fi we want to see more of at the box office. It’s set in a not too distant future where the east and west are divided on how to handle artificial intelligence. One has to note the timing of the release couldn’t be more relevant given the ongoing discussions in Hollywood around the very topic. Though the scope of “The Creator” spans much larger than contract negotiations.
In the world of “The Creator” western forces, the United States in particular, have taken an aggressively anti-AI stance. They are seeking out the Creator, the legendary and mysterious architect of modern AI. John David Washington plays Joshua, an ex-special forces agent tasked with said mission.
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Seen it Sci-Fi
Fans of the genre will find familiarity in many elements of the plot. We saw a fair number of parallels to Edwards and co-writer Chris Weitz’s own project, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” There are also many a thematic reminder of the legendary “Star Trek: The Next Generation” episode, “The Measure of a Man.”
We’re almost reticent to call the entities in the film artificial intelligence, they feel more along the lines of either enhanced or transferred beings. However the film doesn’t dig too deep into that part of the philosophical argument as much as we’d have liked.
What was absolutely stunning was the settings and the way the filmmakers were able to visually integrate both the fully CG characters, and the hybrid CG characters into the real world locations. At an early presentation of part of the film, Edwards revealed that the majority of the film was shot on location in Southeast Asia. Unlike many VFX heavy shoots, they had a small crew and were filming in a more guerilla style. The seamlessness with which they achieve this is truly astounding.
Rounding out the cast are Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Sturgill Simpson, Allison Janney, and newcomer Madeleine Yuna Voyles. Each of them give excellent performances, but the standout is Yuna Voyles. She plays a young synthetic character, and brings joy, vulnerability, and maturity to her performance.
Though the film may not delve as deep into some of the larger ideologies as it could have, it’s still strong solid storytelling. That combined with the visuals, and some truly excellent acting moments out of various characters makes the film one of our favorite of the year so far.
“The Creator” is out in theaters now.
