Title – The Creator (2023) 

Director – Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) 

Cast – John David Washington, Madeleine Yuna Voyles, Gemma Chan, Allison Janney, Ken Watanabe

Plot – In the midst of a violent war between humans and AI, retired soldier Joshua (Washington) is coaxed out of retirement to help the American government infiltrate “New Asia”, the last stronghold of AI that harbours a secret weapon that must be tracked down and destroyed before it’s too late. 

“Retrieve it or they win”

Review by Eddie on 03/10/2023

In the cinematic day and age we live in, high-profile original concept sci-fi isn’t always a free flowing affair, so I know I always jump at the opportunity to witness new additions to the genre, making the fact that The Creator misses its chance to become an all-timer a disappointing outcome, despite offering a fun and visually spectacular experience nonetheless. 

Director Gareth Edwards first feature since 2016’s box office behemoth Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Creator see’s the talented filmmaker team up once more with his Rogue One co-writer Chris Weitz to deliver one of the years most aesthetically pleasing and uniquely designed big screen offerings that centres around a future where mankind and AI are at odds with one another (surprise!), with the American government trying their best to eradicate AI from the face of the planet after a deadly incident in Los Angeles that has seen the last remaining AI beings holdout in futuristic yet rugged South Asia locations. 

Originally cut down to just under 5 hours in length, to say there’s a lot going in Edwards film in multiple forms is a massive understatement but sadly with this final cut we have given to us here that runs just slightly over 2 hours, The Creator’s relentless and fast moving narrative that follows John David Washington’s ex-soldier Joshua in the battle zone of “New Asia” trying to track down a mysterious figure known simply as Nirmata, the figurehead behind the design of modern AI, is a story that never feels like it’s able to settle down and take stock of its many ideas, themes and characters, creating an empty feeling blockbuster that was close to greatness, without ever being to grasp it. 

In a period where many tentpole films outstay their welcome with long in the tooth run-times that don’t manage to justify their epic lengths, it’s an odd and unique problem that The Creator has in a sense that its entertaining but rushed feeling delivery is at constant loggerheads with its desire to be a deep thinking yet consumable product for mass consumption and with too many plot holes, underdeveloped characters and a final act that almost arrives as if it has come from another film entirely, the fantastic opening 30 – 40 minutes of Edwards film become more of a distant memory as time wears on and we realise the film itself and Joshua the lead figure leave too much to be desired. 

With another chance to test his leading man credentials, Washington has sadly once again been unable to tap into his fathers natural charisma and screen presence and despite his best attempts, Joshua’s various emotional moments never come to fruition in great ways here, particularly in his relationship with Madeleine Yuna Voyles’s young child Alphie, an AI adolescent that becomes the core of the films story as Joshua and her try and escape the clutches of the cookie cutter American baddies that want nothing more than to put a halt to Alphie’s life. 

A generic feeling adult and child cinematic friendship that never develops in a truly engaging fashion, had Edwards managed to turn this central relationship into a more engaging and heartfelt one, there’s a strong chance The Creator could’ve really come home strong and provided that same amount of emotional depth the likes of Arrival or Interstellar provided the Sci-Fi space over the last decade. 

Racing from situation to situation, viewers will constantly be engaged by the plethora of ideas and spectacle within Edwards film but much like his effort with his 2014 Godzilla film and arguably even in his breakout debut Monsters from 2010, Edwards has failed to prove to us in a major way that his a director able to match his imagination with a beating heart and even though this take on AI being the good guy provides so much to get excited by, its unfortunately delivered plot, often weak script, severely underused Hans Zimmer score and soulless performances combine to halt everything in its tracks.

A hugely disappointing outcome for all involved, as well as keen viewers enthused by the prospect of supporting original film-making of this scale.   

There’s no doubt in my mind an all-round fantastic version of this film exists, whether in an early cut or Edwards imagination but sadly this released version isn’t it. 

Final Say – 

A fun film but one that could’ve been so much more, judging The Creator in certain areas would result in Gareth Edwards film being regarded as one of the most spectacular Sci-Fi offerings of recent times but judged as a whole, one can’t help but be critical of key areas due to the films various weaknesses that so easily could’ve been avoided with a little more refinement and care.  

3 1/2 farm dogs out of 5