The Creator – Movie Reviews by Ry!

The Creator – The AI Paradox of Man, Child and Love

Life is a beacon of paths and conflicts.  As we come across the unknown, it becomes natural to question with thoughts of concern.  These aspects of relevancy provide layers of conversation, but also can provide basis of intuitive storytelling … including in film.  In this review, I look at the latest Sci-Fi/Adventure film.  In a story of imaginative detail, it provides a thematic presence of living and technology.  Even within a lot of generic tropes, The Creator is a prophetic adventure that showcases what it truly means to live.

In a world of war between humans and AI robots, a former soldier must decide in completing his mission or turn against everything for a different meaning to life.  Within the basics (of this film), the outline is built off general elements of Sci-Fi within an adventure like journey.  The story begins with a prologue, introducing the audience to a world where humans have developed AI to the point of societal integration.  Everything seems good, until a tragedy strikes (inciting incident) leading through scenes that introduce the overall conflict: the western world banning AI, New Asia becoming the last bastion of AI freedom, and the creation of NOMAD.  Once the ‘sandbox’ is built, the journey shifts to Joshua (John David Washington), an undercover agent working for the US government in New Asia.  This leads through a series of linear scenes that mixes in heavily foreshadowed elements, cliché action sequences and character moments.  Through convenient plot elements, Joshua discovers that the creator of AI, Nirmata, has developed the ultimate weapon in the form of a child, Alfie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles).  Through momentary conversations, he decides to go against the mission and use the child to find his lost love.  The story shifts, building a journey upon the ‘lone wolf and cub’ motif.  As the story focuses on the relationship between the two characters, it also opens the journey to the world within a thematic appeal.  As Joshua travels through New Asia, each moment becomes a reflection of life, showcasing meaningful questions of relevancy and purpose.  Seeing a world of co-existence provides him (and the audience) with a two-fold approach through the evolution of society and technology within an adventure of escapism.  As things bend the rules of logic, the irony is the logic is relevant to our own guise.  This directive shift provides an attachment to Joshua and Alfie, creating an emotional layer to the predictable moments of storytelling. 

As Joshua and Alfie try to find answers, they also must stay aware of those chasing them (US military).  The overall journey becomes a fragile balance of character moments and Sci-Fi cliches, leaving the audience with a potential drowned by basic directive choices.  Even when cliches abound, the focal point of Joshua and Alfie provides that emotive push to certain discoveries and changing of the ‘hero’s guard’.  This leads into a third act of your typical Sci-Fi clash that provides moments of reflection, last second saves and a hero’s triumph motif.  This leaves you with a generic climax and a drowned-out epilogue.  The Creator provides moments of intrigue in a casing of rehashed tropes.  If you are a fan of Sci-Fi or adventure-like films, I say this is one for you.  It can be a good time at the theaters, for the right price. 

Full Score – 3 out of 5 (Theater Discount)