‘The Creator’ — big spectacle on a modest budget
This image released by 20th Century Studios shows John David Washington in a scene from "The Creator."
20th Century Studios via AP
This image shows Allison Janney in a scene from "The Creator."
This image released by 20th Century Studios shows a scene from "The Creator."
This image shows Ken Watanabe in a scene from "The Creator."
This image released by 20th Century Studios shows a scene from "The Creator."
This image shows Madeline Voyles in a scene from "The Creator."
This image shows Gemma Chan in a scene from "The Creator."
With mega-budgets stalling the success of blockbusters like “Indiana Jones” and “Mission: Impossible” this year, a Congressional hearing might be necessary for writer/director Gareth Edwards to explain how he made his new sci-fi epic “The Creator” on a fraction of the budget of other, uglier movies.
Working on a budget of $80 million, “The Creator” looks like it cost three times that much. Multiple characters boast robotic enhancements that would seemingly require extensive CGI, and the scope of the film spreads across all sorts of breathtaking landscapes. If Edwards (“Rogue One,” 2014’s “Godzilla” reboot) deployed green screens at all, it puts to shame much of the work in costlier blockbusters. Even with its reputation for practical effects, this year’s “Mission: Impossible” installment couldn’t do its expansive train sequence entirely in-camera.
Without a Marvel or “Star Wars” connection in sight, “The Creator” is refreshing an original piece of science-fiction, though the story structure and characters draw upon movies like “Children of Men” and James Cameron’s “Avatar” films. An unfocused third act prevents it from achieving greatness, but the scope and spectacle of the film make it an ideal theatrical experience.
“The Creator” draws on culture’s recent obsession with artificial intelligence and the potential destruction that could result. Set in 2065 and 10 years after a nuclear attack on Los Angeles (purportedly caused by A.I., the western world declares war on all things artificial, including the countries around the world who have chosen to allow A.I. to not only live inside their own bodies, but as independent robotic entities as well.
John David Washington stars as Joshua, an undercover agent for the U.S. who gets too close to his mark (A.I. sympathizer Maya, played by Gemma Chan). Tragedy ensues, and Joshua abandons the war, at least until the U.S. military shows up on his doorstep hoping to recruit him back into the fight. Apparently, the enemy has a “weapon” that can destroy humanity, and only Joshua knows the way to find Maya’s old lab.
Given all the exposition necessary to establish Joshua’s journey, “The Creator” has an efficient and thrilling opening act, strengthened by the presence of Allison Janney playing a steely commanding officer who later becomes a relentless adversary to our conflicted hero.
While the marketing for “The Creator” reveals the true nature of this “weapon,” the movie often works best when it alters course to create novel complications for Joshua. Ken Watanabe has a key role here as the leader of the A.I. resistance, and newcomer Madeleine Yuna Voyles plays a young, unlikely companion to Joshua as he begins to learn the true nature of the A.I. threat.
While it includes several tense action sequences, “The Creator” is also visually arresting in its quieter moments. Even the perfunctory flashbacks of Joshua and Maya offer an emotional hook through warm imagery and smart editing choices. The movie utilizes real-world locations for most of its run time, with the sci-fi enhancements like spaceships and futuristic architecture seamlessly integrated by cinematographer Greig Fraser (a recent Oscar winner for “Dune”).
For all its clever turns, the film’s screenplay (penned by Edwards and Chris Weitz) loses focus in the final act, with a lengthy and ultimately unnecessary sequence where Joshua attempts to dismantle a world-destroying airship. Joshua’s emotional journey gets sidelined, and the movie loses sight of the thematic debate it poses regarding human behavior and the dangers of artificial intelligence. It’s a good-looking action sequence, to be sure, but not the one “The Creator” needs in its stretch run.
Those scripting missteps, thankfully, don’t undermine the strength of the first two-thirds of “The Creator,” and the visual spectacle makes for a satisfying overall experience (“Dune,” for all its deserved praise, technically punted its narrative conclusion to an entire second film).
Outside the story of “The Creator,” is a more exciting narrative: That a filmmaker can work on such a huge scale and with a budget that makes it feasible for studios to greenlight. It may not be perfect, but “The Creator” is, at least, not just another “Star Wars” story.
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Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.
