Originally published to 8newsnow.com on September 26, 2023

An original sci-fi action movie with no ties to previous intellectual property or obvious set-up for a sequel. Like dry land in the 1995 classic bomb Waterworld, “It’s not a myth, I’ve seen it.”

In The Creator, we join a hot war already in progress between humans and artificial intelligence. John David Washington plays Joshua, an ex-military man thrust from an early retirement back into the conflict when his painful past comes back into play, and finds himself crossing paths with a weapon in the form of an AI child, portrayed by Madeleine Yuna Voyles, that machines will risk everything to protect and humans will pull out all stops to destroy.

The first act set up of this dark future is where The Creator shines. An opening scene quickly and effectively sets the stage and stakes for the conflict. After that, twists and turns come apace. The plot is dense, feeling like a trilogy jammed into one runtime. As a result, it can be difficult to create an emotional connection to the characters or the plot. There are moments, specifically in the third act, that could have used a bit more room to breathe despite enthralling performances from the actors.

Standouts from the cast include Voyles and Washington, who is a movie star – full stop. He delivers a complicated but likable character in The Creator, and it’s shocking that Washington is not already involved in five other tentpole franchises at three different studios. Somehow, he remains underrated. He places The Creator firmly on his back alongside Voyles, who elevates each scene she is in with emotions that feel genuine. She’s truly acting above her age bracket in the film. Together, Washington and Voyles form the emotional core that the rest of the movie sits upon, with supporting performances from Allison Janney, Ken Watanabe, and other recognizable faces.

The Creator doesn’t break much new ground in the well-worn human vs. artificial intelligence science fiction genre. Previous films like Blade Runner and Ex Machina all seem to have due influence in director Gareth Edwards’s film. However, the fingerprints of James Cameron-helmed Aliens and Avatar are obvious, and those films feel like they are owed the most credit for The Creator’s aesthetic, which is stunning. The film has a gritty, grimy, realistic look that doesn’t lose itself in the visual effects.

The Creator is a breath of fresh air in a cinematic landscape that is, for better and for worse, laden with prequels, sequels, and spin-offs from nostalgia-tinged franchises of the past. This approach makes for an enjoyable time at the movies that never quite reaches “great” but settles quite nicely into “good.”