We are in this age where we have debates on the use of robots and AI—and on whether they will take over humanity. This is the core plot of The Creator, where there’s a battle between the West—aka those against the use of AI—and the East, who believe that humans and AI robots can live together in harmony.
Directed and produced by Gareth Edwards, the cinematography and treatment of The Creator feels very similar to Rouge One, and that’s because Edwards is the same person behind it. Rouge One is one of the better prequels in the Star Wars universe, and the same can be said with how The Creator is one of the better sci-fi movies in recent memory.
Edwards really made a strong point when he told us in our interview with him that they “went to like 80 different locations and 8 different countries in Southeast Asia.” The majority of the scenes depicting New Asia were very realistic even with all of the cyberpunk, utopian atmosphere from the shoreline, the mountains, the countryside, down to the bustling city.
The plot centered on Joshua (John David Washington) and his quest to find Alphie (Madeline Voyles)–who is Alpha-01, the synthetic child that the US Military wants to hunt down because of its immense power that can change the tides between humans and AI. As a character who has to deal with multiple things all at the same time–on top of lacking limbs and depending on a bionic arm and leg–Washington did a spectacular job of channeling the different emotions Joshua has to deal with. One of the biggest challenges that Washington pulled off for his character was how Joshua reacted upon realizing the truth about Nirmata and Alphie–which will be the biggest plot twist of the movie.
As a synthetic child, Voyles was also a star in The Creator, channeling both the innocence of a child and being aware of what she is capable of. Alphie’s interaction with Joshua throughout the movie is very heartfelt, just as if Alphie was Joshua’s own child (not going to spoil but you’ll probably be surprised at their connection).
Ken Watanabe’s role as the relentless warrior Harun was also notable throughout the movie–even if his character became significant only in the latter part of the film. A seasoned actor on his own, Watanabe channeled the warrior spirit towards the climactic battle between the US military forces that are in an all-out war against AI and people from New Asia who are all in favor of what AI can bring to society.
Among all the praises we have for The Creator, one of its weakest points is how it presented Nirmata. While the movie did reference Maya (Gemma Chan) as Nirmata, we felt that the movie could have gone deeper in explaining how Nirmata has developed her views regarding robots and the use of AI. Maybe Edwards and 20th Century Studios might consider following up The Creator with a movie that showcases Nirmata’s origin story–and that’s something we really look forward to.
Overall, we give The Creator a solid 9/10 on our Hype Meter. Edwards’ Sci-Fi approach to this movie is just as great as what he did for Rogue One, and The Creator‘s rather unconventional twist will make you think critically about the use of AI in day-to-day life.
