FILM REVIEW: THE CREATOR

THE CREATOR

THE FILM

TITLE: The Creator

RELEASE DATE: 18 Sep 2023

WATCH DATE:

TYPE: live-action feature film

ACCESS: streaming on Hulu

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THE PEOPLE

DIRECTOR: Gareth Edwards

PRODUCER: Arnon Milchan, Greig Fraser, Gareth Edwards, Jim Spencer, Nicholas Simon, Kiri Hart, Courtney L. Cunniff

WRITER: Chris Weitz, Gareth Edwards

ACTORS: John David Washington, Madeleine Yuna Voyles, Gemma Chan, Allison Janney, Ken Watanabe

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THE STORY

RUNTIME: 2h 13m

STORYLINE: in the middle of a war between humans and artificial intelligence, a special ops agent searches for his wife but ends up bonding with a young A.I. girl and fighting with the robots

GENRE/THEMES: sci-fi, action, artificial intelligence, sacrifice,

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THE CRITIQUE

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Jaw-dropping special effects and an original science-fiction plot about the powers of Artificial Intelligence remind us what it means to be human. Joshua (John David Washington) and especially Alphie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles) quickly become characters that we care about. We also quickly develop a heart for the people and robots of ‘New Asia’ as they fight a war against Americans. Gareth Edwards establishes real stakes with massive explosions and high death tolls. We have no trouble understanding this is a real war. The value for human life - emphasized by the lack thereof - is dwarfed by the hatred of A.I. It’s all quite… scary, how real this is or can be in our world.

The combination of original visual effects and real-world locations in Southeast Asia are visuals that are rare in American film. It’s exciting to see a new part of the world in a movie. The Creator heavily relies on VFX, but you don’t realize it. Everything created is so seamlessly integrated into the rest of the environment.

My favorite element of this film is the typography. Title card and even the credits, but the film is also divided into four sections: The Creator, The Child, The Friend, and The Mother. At the beginning of each section, there is a new title card. The typeface is an excellent choice, strong presence in all caps, but sophisticated with classic serifs. Each instance is matched with this Southeast Asian language. I’m not sure which one exactly, or if it was created for the film, but it places you in that part of the world with those visual cues. It’s a perfect design choice for the film. The use of typography in film is so underrated!

The film’s visual effects and sound design go hand-in-hand. Every new piece of tech has to make a sound! Everything is textured and touchable. Edwards brings realism to the alternate future of The Creator, and each scene is believable.

There are a few plot holes, but nothing too massive to disrupt the flow of the film. What keeps you engaged is Joshua’s character arc from selfish depression to sacrificial love. The themes of family, innocence, goodness, love, and even heaven are all presented through this story about a war between humans and robots. Sometimes, the robots are “more human than human”... a reminder that we cannot forget what makes us human.

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