Directed by: Gareth Edwards
Starring: John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Madeleine Yuna Voyles, Amar Chadha-Patel, Sturgill Simpson, Allison Janney
The Creator's timely subject concerns AI, which is a sticking point in the recent WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. There is nothing about The Creator which is fresh or original. AI launched nuclear weapons against the planet as far back as The Terminator, which was released in 1984. The conflicted hero has to save a child targeted for death, which was done as far back as Aliens (1986) or even The Golden Child, the Eddie Murphy comedy released the same year. These themes are cliched and old hat by now. The Creator gives us nothing new to the mix.
The Creator contains lots of explosions and CGI, par for the course in sci-fi, but they don't make the movie any less dull. The Creator simply moves through the motions with a lead played by John David Washington who doesn't move the needle in the sympathy department, even though he lost a wife and two of his limbs in a war against AI robots in 2070 East Asia. You could say he gave an arm and a leg for this battle. (Groan).
Washington plays Joshua, whose beloved wife and unborn child were killed during the U.S. battle against AI robots and people who are identifiable by the holes in the back of their heads. Joshua is recruited by the military to capture and kill the AI "person" who is expected to be the leader of the future for them. A John Connor, if you will. Joshua pauses when he realizes the AI secret weapon is a child he names Alphie (Voyles), who is bald like The Golden Child. Joshua soon makes it his mission to protect Alphie and destroy the American military structure which wants to obliterate all AI, especially after AI pulled the nasty stunt of causing near-Armageddon.
The entire movie, despite impressive visuals, is a blah experience. As much as I admired the perky energy of Voyles as Alphie, I was less impressed with Washington's flat performance. The son of Denzel Washington, he is no doubt skilled, but I'm more often than not left unmoved by his performances. It is possible the explosions, fights, and CGI overwhelm him and nearly all of the other actors in the movie. That's the more likely answer.
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