It’s quite uncanny that this film’s release coincides with the week when the Writers Guild of America (WGA) finally reached a deal with AMPTP where much of the contract stipulations pertain to Artificial Intelligence. Writers, as well as many in the creative industry, have valid reasons to fear, or at least worry about their jobs being replaced by AI-powered tools such as ChatGPT. War is often the manifestation of fear and that’s how Gareth Edwards envisioned his passion project, released 7 years after he directed Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

The Creator is set in the year 2070 (yep less than 50 years from today) amidst a military conflict between the East and the West following a nuclear bomb explosion in Los Angeles believed to have been detonated by AI. At the start of the movie, a vintage reel shows how humanity has integrated AI into their daily lives, whether in the home or at large factories. The robots were docile and dutiful for a time, that is until they became smart enough to break free. The West (led by the United States) promptly bans any forms of AI in the Western world, even going so far as developing a huge military spaceship called NOMAD to eradicate AI (and its allies), which reminds me of Marvel’s Hydra Helicarriers equipped with weapons of mass destructions.

When we meet our protagonist Joshua (John David Washington), we see him having an intimate moment with his pregnant wife Maya (Gemma Chan) on a Southeast Asian island that’s part of New Asia, an amalgam of various Asian countries where humans, droids, and humanoid robot simulants live together harmoniously. A botched nighttime raid somehow blows Joshua’s cover that he’s a sleeper agent on a mission to find Nirmata (‘creator’ in Nepalese), an elusive architect who’s been building a powerful weapon that the West fear could wipe out humanity.

Fast forward five years later, Joshua is back in action after being recruited by top US military officers (Ralph Ineson and Allison Janney) to destroy the Creator once and for all. The hardened and grieving soldier only agrees to do it if it means there’s a chance he could reunite with Maya, whom he lost on the night of the raid. So Joshua and his team return to the enemy territory of New Asia and soon discover that the mighty AI super-weapon is in the form of a cute toddler (Madeleine Yuna Voyles).

Given Joshua’s state of mind and his love for his staunch-AI-sympathizer wife, it’s no surprise that he goes rogue and turns against those who hired him. For most of the film, we’re taken on a journey following Joshua and his new buddy Alfie. Edwards has cited his inspirations for his film in various interviews, and it’s apparent to see shades of Apocalypse Now, Blade Runner, Avatar as well as Rain Man, especially in the way Joshua communicates with The Child, whom he nicknamed Alfie.

The strongest moments are when Joshua and Alfie are together, as their bond grows stronger. Alfie’s electromagnetic prowess enables her to control any AI-powered machines with her thoughts, which comes in handy as they’re being hunted down by the US Elite team, led by a ruthless US Colonel (Janney). The imperialistic imagery of Western soldiers terrorizing Southeast Asian villagers for harboring AI is certainly unsettling, but we’re supposed to be disturbed by their callous nature hellbent on destroying the enemy.

Edwards’ strength as a filmmaker lies in world-building and visual storytelling that’s intriguing and engrossing. The dystopian society is well-crafted with meticulously designed aesthetics. The script, co-written by Edwards and Chris Weitz is perhaps its weakest point with some clunky and mawkish dialogue. Even with its adequate 2 hrs and 13 minute running time, the characters aren’t fully fleshed out and some ideas aren’t explored in depth, i.e. the idea of synth can take on human likeness is introduced in passing even though it’s a crucial bit that’s integral to the story.

Performance-wise, it’s JD Washington and newcomer Voyles who get a chance to shine here. Voyles, who was just 7 years old when she was cast, is truly the scene stealer and provides some unexpected comical bits. Aside from the leads, most of the supporting cast are grossly underused. It’s a pity to see Janney relegated to a one-dimensional sadistic villain while Ken Watanabe doesn’t get to do much but scowl a few words as droid warrior leader Harun, though he does provide a crucial insight into what actually happened with the LA nuclear blast. The third act also feels rushed and a bit bombastic when it takes place aboard the sky-bound NOMAD.

Despite these quibbles, there is plenty to admire in The Creator. I love the earthy vibe of the agricultural terrain mixed with the futuristic and hi-tech elements depicted here. After vigorous location scouting in various SE Asian countries, the filmmakers settled in Thailand. Greig Fraser and Oren Soffer gave us stunning cinematography, the New Asia scenes through lush rice fields and beautiful hilly landscapes. The production design by James Clyne is exceptional, particularly the look of the NOMAD spaceship with its blue laser beams. The Simulant’s design is interesting, with the piece of machinery behind their ears that can easily be concealed by long hair or hat. It’s amazing what Edwards manage to accomplish with a relatively modest $80 million budget!

The visuals are wonderfully complemented by Hans Zimmer’s epic but melancholic score that’s fused with Oriental instrumental sounds. The movie also incorporates rousing songs by rock bands such as Radio Head, and as an Indonesian, it’s fun to hear a song in my native language!

The narrative isn’t exactly groundbreaking, as the story is a mashup of sci-fi tropes we’ve seen before, but it has enough unique concepts for it to be deemed original. Any good movie about humans vs. machines ought to make audiences ponder what it means to be human. I think sci-fi classics such as Blade Runner did a more profound exploration of humanity in machines, but this movie does challenge you to examine our fear of AI and whether they’re actually the enemy. I find it pretty engaging and stirring, where the emotional resonance builds slowly to a crescendo as Joshua and Alfie’s respective journey reaches its climactic ending.

Overall I find The Creator quite satisfying though it remains to be seen if it’ll be regarded as a sci-fi classic years down the line. Glad I saw this in a Dolby Atmos theater with excellent picture quality and sound design. It’s technically proficient with some compelling, thought-provoking concepts, so for sci-fi fans, this is a must-see on as big a screen as possible.

Have you seen The Creator? I’d love to hear what you think!

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