The Creator fails to manufacture any energy or heart
When I saw the commercial for The Creator touting it as the “best science fiction film in the last decade,” I was intrigued. Then I started to think about the sci-fi movies that were released in the last 10 years. There was Gravity, Blade Runner: 2049 and The Martian, all enjoyable. Eagerly I purchased a ScreenX ticket for The Creator anticipating a thrilling journey but instead was thrust into an oblivion.
The Creator takes place in a not so distant future where Artificial Intelligence has run rampant. The movie begins with Joshua’s (John David Washington) quest to find the ultimate threat and destroy it. His job becomes increasingly harder when he learns that the weapon he seeks comes in the form of a young AI child, complete with supernatural powers. Upon seeing the adorable 9 year old Alfie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles,) I immediately thought of Firestarter and Stranger Things. Similar to those young female protagonists, Alfie steals the screen with her wide eyes and beautiful line delivery. Nevertheless, her talent is wasted on a one dimensional character whose role as a deity is never even explained.
The emotional core of the The Creator revolves upon a brief romantic backstory and repeated flashbacks. John David Washington’s portrayal throughout these “pivotal” scenes is weak. His stoic acting and complete indifference is frustrating to watch. Washington allows the few moments of brevity to fall flat while stripping away any tenderness between Joshua and Alfie. During the climatic finale as Joshua and Alfie exchange “I love you’s” it was difficult to believe these two even cared for each other. Although my disappointment is palpable in this review, it is important to note that the overall theme surrounding The Creator is smart. Discussions of whether we can trust AI, will it make humans obsolete and how do we stop the chaos that will ensue, are all very valid. The Creator however fails in its inability to address any of these points, leaving questions unanswered and a feeling of emptiness after the credits have rolled.
Where the plot falters the visuals do little to better the experience. I saw The Creator in ScreenX prepared to be fully immersed. ScreenX is a format in which the screen is not only in front of you but also beside you in order to place you directly in the action. Sadly, the world presented was visually depressing while the ScreenX format was fully utilized at the end of the film. The landscape was bleak while the robots and CGI looked unpolished. I sat in the theatre for 2 hours and 15 minutes and there was no fear, joy, wonder or sadness. In the end my only thought was how cool it would be to see Aliens or The Terminator in ScreenX. Amazing science fiction is so hard to find these days…