Review: “The Creator”

Gareth Edwards‘ “The Creator,” his first film since 2016’s “Rouge One,” continues his legacy of gorgeous visuals paired with a logic-deprived script.  The story combines elements from “Blade Runner,” “District 9,” “Altered Carbon,” and “Westworld,” but only on a superficial level.  Fascinating concepts are introduced, but never given time to grow.  Instead, we are treated to nearly two and a half hours of pure eye candy.

In the near future, AI becomes sentient which gives way to fully autonomous robots which are integrated into society.  They have various jobs spanning trash collection, child care, and law enforcement.  These robots eventually spawn simulants, much more advanced androids that can be created from scanned DNA and are even capable of containing a human’s memory and personality.  The philosophical impacts of simulants have been explored in other movies and series, but here they’re more of an excuse for great actors (such as Ken Watanabe) in non-human roles.  Most morality discussions in “The Creator” are comprised of two lines.  “They have real emotions!” followed quickly by, “It’s just programming!”

After AI is blamed for a nuclear explosion, the United States declares war on all robots and simulants who possess artificial intelligence.  After 15 years, New Asia is the final stronghold for the machines and those who support them.  With the help of a massive floating weapon, the US hopes to locate and eradicate the Nirmata (Hindi for “Creator.”)  The Nirmata has been singled out as the one individual who created the singularity. (And apparently, the only one who is capable of making more?)  In addition to this, word leaks that the Nirmata has created a superweapon of their own named “Alpha O” that will put an end to the war.  Yes, the O stands for Omega.  Joshua (John David Washington) is coaxed into locating and eliminating Alpha O but instead finds a very young simulant that goes by “Alphie” (Madeleine Yuna Voyles)

At this point, the painful plot goes on autopilot as Joshua dutifully follows each step required by the White Savior trope, which is interesting considering the character is not white.  The script even contains some classic gems like a fellow operative telling Joshua “Don’t go native on me!”  The only surprises that follow exist because they happen outside the bounds of logic.  “The Creator” is one of those movies that exponentially falls apart the more you think about it.

The saving grace of this movie is how absolutely beautiful it is.  The CGI is seamless, and quite impressive considering the relatively modest budget.  Shot on location across 8 different countries, Gareth Edwards utilized two DPs, Greig Fraser and Oren Soffer, to achieve his vision. By coupling an older anamorphic lens on a modern 16:9 digital camera, they were able to capture a super widescreen vista which was then cropped down to a 2.76:1 aspect ratio, which matches the old Ultra Panavision which was even wider than the classic CinemaScope.  Watching the action play out in this format solidifies an epic feel for the film that isn’t earned by the spaghetti script.

Determining if this movie is worth watching depends on how you view a cinematic experience.  The best parts of this movie, which are exceptional, can only truly be experienced on the biggest, loudest screen in your area.  But with nothing else unique to offer, even then it’s a questionable investment in time and money.  To truly get the most bang for your buck, seek out one of Regal’s  ScreenX auditoriums, which have wrap-around screens and will be the only theaters showcasing the full anamorphic footage that was shot for this film.