Enhance Productions

My Thoughts

The Creator is a movie that is absolutely made for me. It is an original sci-fi film, not based on any pre-existing IP, intellectual property. I am a huge fan of sci-fi/action films. Especially ones that have stories written from scratch, because of how creative they can get. I only learned about this movie last week, but was hooked as soon as I watched the trailer. Does this effort deliver on thrills or does it have the soul of the robots from the film?

 With The Creator, it is clear that director Gareth Edwards incorporated thematic elements from other films. Edwards cited Akira, Blade Runner (Williams), Star Wars, Aliens and Ghost in the Shell (Lussier) as inspirations for this movie. This world that Edwards has created shows his passion for sci-fi. It is a vast dystopian world, whose infrastructure leads to the war between humans and A.I. Each scene has some unique bits of worldbuilding, such as using A.I. bots to hear a person’s last thoughts. What I love about this world is that it allows for accumulation; building upon the story and characters within, rather than just existing for flashiness. I am a sucker when it comes to movies that succeed at really good worldbuilding, and this movie nails it.

I expected The Creator to be a solid science fiction film, packed with action and gorgeous visuals. What I did not expect was a movie that would nearly make me tear up. The story is powerful, having several twists that I never saw coming– even within the iconic story-blueprint of war between humans and robots. Instead of good versus evil the conflict leans toward morally gray, where you could see the selling point of either side. What the movie demonstrates is the devastation of a war that could have been prevented. The lives that are taken, the areas that are destroyed and the deadly weapons that are created showcase how conflicts like this change the world for the worse.

The characters

A big reason the movie packs such an emotional punch is at the heart of the film, with Alphie. Alphie is an A.I. with the mind and body of a little girl, and she is precious. She is adorable, funny, sweet and innocent. Her involvement in the story brings along the most lighthearted moments in the film and the most emotional ones. The actress Madeleine Yuna Voy brings Alphie to life with her sweet personality, real emotions and innocence. Seven-year old Madeleine, shines in a film filled with big name actors.

John David Washington shows a lot of range in his role as the lead character. Washington’s character, Joshua Taylor, goes from stoic, teary to joyful throughout the runtime, and his development of feelings makes it believable. There is also Gemma Chan, who plays Washington’s wife, Maya. She is one of those characters that does not have a whole lot of screentime, but has a big impact on the story. Chan plays her character with grace and charisma.

The bond between Joshua Taylor and Alphie is wonderful and heart-warming. A stoic, hardened soldier paired up with a curious A.I.-girl makes for a recipe of tears and laughter. This plotline could have gone in any old predictable, cliche way, but the chemistry between Joshua and Alphie is what makes it work. And eventually Joshua warms up to Alphie through her antics… It helps that Alphie makes a few snarks at Joshua which adds a little humor to an otherwise emotional film! A scene in which Joshua tries to name Alphie shows how much of a father figure Joshua has become to this seemingly secret weapon.

Academy Award-winning actress, Allison Janney plays a soldier who has a dark side. She gives a much more menacing performance than I expected, and she kills it. Academy Award-nominated, Ken Watanabe, plays the role of an A.I. soldier. He also kills it, providing a likable and caring character to combat the idea that A.I. are purely evil. Each of these characters demonstrates that both sides have their good and their bad– making the conflict less black and white.

Liking the article? When you’re finished reading, you might wanna check out Episode Ten of Season One of Enhance Podcast! Listen to Samm and his friend Conner discuss writing and art as forms of mental-health and self-care.

Style and tone

From a production standpoint, the work put in shows. The movie looks amazing. Looking at the set and characters, you can see pieces of the iconic sci-fi films that inspired this world on full display. From the designs of the robots to the futuristic dystopian city, the machines and weapons all look real and creative. The USS NOMAD (United States Ship North American Orbital Mobile Aerospace Defence) expands the scope of the world by making the war a worldwide crisis. Hovering in the sky, the NOMAD looks awesome, but also daunting acting as a scanner in space. One of my favorite robots in the movie is designed to run into enemy bases and blow up. It looks like a shoutout to R2D2 from Star Wars until it starts causing mass destruction. Some might call it a rip-off, but I found it humorous (in a way that did not detract from the grit of the story).

The action scenes are well-shot and edited. So there is a lot of tension in the action sequences; especially in the third act. There are plenty of battle sequences, but they drive the story forward rather than distract from it. The setting of the film fuels intensity as well, often displaying less than ideal circumstances for its characters. The soundtrack by Hans Zimmer adds a lot of emotional weight to the movie. The score is reminiscent of other sci-fi epics, but reliably, it fits the tone of this movie distinctly and well.

There is a lot more to talk about with The Creator, regarding its themes and political intrigue. However, as far as entertainment and enjoyment value goes, The Creator is one of my favorite films of the 2020s. It has everything I could want from a sci-fi epic and more. The third act, in particular, is one of the best I have seen in a while. I will not spoil it, but the third act brings out the best qualities of the movie. If you are a fan of sci-fi, this is a must see. It is beautiful, action-packed, emotional and even funny at times.