The Creator
Originally published Oct 17, 2023
I wasn’t familiar with Gareth Edwards before I watched Rogue One. While I’m well-aware of the overwhelming, and in some cases warranted, criticism of Disney’s batch of Star Wars movies, Rogue One was the film I’ve heard the most consistent praise of since it’s release. I deem it necessary to bring this up because, if you liked Rogue One, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll enjoy Gareth’s latest sci-fi war epic, The Creator.
Truth be told, when I first heard about The Creator, I was solely interested in it for the science-fiction and the robots. However, after watching it, I think what resonated with me the most was how war was represented. While I love movies like Star Wars, it admittedly doesn’t give the most accurate depiction of war. I could be wrong about this, but I think one of the main appeals of Rogue One is that, while still a Star Wars movie, it understood that real warfare isn’t flashy spectacle, but barbaric tragedy. The Creator takes that understanding and dials it up to ten. Whenever there was an action scene, I tensed up and found myself gasping at the tragedy that was unfolding. This movie is especially bold in its critique of how America specifically handles war. Essentially, the movie is focused on America waging war against AI because they blame them for a nuclear explosion in L.A. While some of the soldiers try to give justification to their hatred of robots and AI, it’s hard to see as anything other than generalization, or worse, brainwashing. I won’t give away much else, but if you end up thinking about wars like the ones in Vietnam or Iraq, that’s not a coincidence.
While there’s a lot more to praise, for time’s sake, I’ll just give the highlights. The movie’s world-building is well-thought out, yet easy to follow. The musical score is exceptionally effective, a given when talking about Hans Zimmer. John David Washington’s acting and on-screen chemistry with robotic “simulant” Alphie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles) is a sight to behold and feel, even if his arc feels rushed at points. Finally, the designs of the robots were awesome, but that’s probably just my sci-fi robot fascination talking.
While not flawless, The Creator is a stunningly gripping and heavy movie that deserves your attention and praise.
Rating: 8.5/10
