The Creator Movie Review by Connor Petrey : Pop Culture Leftovers

The Creator Movie Review by Connor Petrey

October 20, 2023 9:26 am |

Gareth Edward’s The Creator is a visual masterpiece, a spectacle for all to seek out on the biggest screen out there and fully immerse oneself into the thrills, the mystery and the heartbreak of one of the greatest sci-fi films ever created.

Bringing on the complexities of District 9’s alien v. Human bullet points and transferring them into a more topical subject matter of AI v human. Flipping the switch and allowing the humans to be the bad guys in an anti-AI world of today. Not since Blade Runner 2049 have I mean so immersed into a world so visually driven as this.

While some may say the story of trying to eliminate an intergalactic platform in the sky may cause pause as it’s a premise fans of one iconic video game franchise may be familiar with. At its core it also might be simply compared to a “Deathstar” as one may call it seeking out and eliminating entire species of beings. It’s less about the core mission and more the journey to get there and the invested time with each character as their characters grow exponentially from where we first meet them.

John David Washington is a stern individual, who has one goal in mind – to make amends with his wife. Where Washington misses at exploring his past on screen on an emotional level, the arrangement of flashbacks allows the story to be told and gives Washington’s Joshua that extra level of depth to make him an excellent protagonist. Washington’s relationship with the young AI he’s protecting throughout, is a wonderful example of how time can expand upon and demolish what ideas some may take on with a single glance.

Madeleine Yuna Voyles is absolute perfection as Alphie, carrying a sense of innocence while always learning from her surroundings along the path to the endgame. Voyles’ monotone, curious yet quiet delivery allows for us to understand this being that is known to be so crucial to the end of the war, is really just trying to understand what their purpose is. Washington and Voyles’ connection is really wonderful to see blossom ever so slightly throughout, up until one fact is revealed which truly opens the floodgates to their relationship.

Surrounded by some brilliant supporting roles: Gemma Chan’s Maya is the real standout as Joshua’s lost wife, Ken Watanbe returns to work with Edwards once more (2014s Godzilla) as AI leader Harun and Allison Janney as a stereotypical American military leader allowing nothing to stand in her way, including her own side in the fate of the AI war.

The story is simplistic, it’s nothing on a base level we haven’t seen before however in its way of visual storytelling – it’s truly a marvel amongst other modern day sci-fi. Beautifully scored by the legend Hans Zimmer, harmoniously directed by visual effects mastermind Gareth Edwards and written by the scribe of the Hugh Grant classic About A Boy – it’s really quite obvious why these characters are so touching.

As stated in the opening, this is a film that is best seen on the largest screen possible, with the most exquisite sound system and a crowd that will dedicate themselves to the storytelling that lies ahead of them. The Creator is a gorgeous feature in all the ways that matter and it’s certainly a sci-fi epic that shouldn’t be missed in a year that’s severely lacking the charm of an old-fashioned Blockbuster!