User reviews

Walking into the theater, my expectations were a mix of excitement and curiosity, especially given the film's intriguing take on AI.

From the get-go, "The Creator" impressed me with its use of the $80 million budget. The cinematography was nothing short of remarkable, reminding me of the visual flair seen in "Blade Runner" "Elysium", "I, Robot" and "A. I." The world-building was immersive, creating a believable and lived-in environment that drew me in.

The performances, particularly the dynamic between Joshua and Alfie, were the highlights of the film for me. Their interactions brought depth to the story, and I found myself genuinely invested in their journey. However, as the plot progressed, I couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment.

The story, which began with promise, started to unravel. The pacing felt rushed, and the plot became increasingly predictable. I noticed glaring plot holes that were hard to overlook, and the narrative lacked the depth I had hoped for. The ambitious theme of AI's humanity, which initially seemed thought-provoking, was undermined by the film's inability to maintain coherence.

While I appreciated the technical brilliance of the film, including the special effects and sound design, the script was a letdown. It was as if the movie wanted to say something profound about AI and humanity but ended up glossing over these complex themes, opting instead for a more superficial treatment.

The characters, aside from Joshua, felt one-dimensional. I struggled to connect with them emotionally, this emotional disconnect was particularly evident in the portrayal of the AI characters, including Alfie, who, despite being central to the story, lacked the depth to make their plight resonate with me.

While "The Creator" started off with great potential, it ultimately left me feeling underwhelmed. The film excelled in its visual storytelling but fell short in its narrative execution. It was a visually captivating experience, but the lack of emotional depth and narrative coherence made it a disappointing outing for me. I walked out of the theater feeling that the movie, despite its grand aspirations, missed the mark in delivering a fully engaging and thought-provoking sci-fi experience. It could have been a masterpiece, but a missed opportunity at best.

The Creator is an original sci-fi movie written, produced and directed by Gareth Edwards (commonly known as director of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story).

Lets start with the positives first. The Creator looks visually superb. They have really imagined a interesting future earth and used the production budget wisely, not over extending what is possible, and creating a curious mix of retro and future looking technology. The cinematography and location shots featuring the spaceships and battle scenes are really well done.

On the negative side, the script is not very strong and we are not fully invested in what is going on or the characters involved. We neither see the bigger picture of this post nuclear reality, nor are we given significant smaller details and depth regarding the people and what they are fighting for.

It is a bit of a mish-mash of seeing robots caring for children and animals and dressed as buddhist monks and US style imperialism (think post cold war foreign policy), with marines massacring indiscriminately while looking for 'the weapon'. We are given a nugget of thought when the Human / Neanderthal analogy is dropped in but it is never followed up with any real substance to carry the idea forward. Therefore we don't know who to root for and the viewer is left hanging.

The acting is average and not great, perhaps reflecting the reality of the budget more than the excellent effects do. John David Washington feels out of his depth with the emotional range he is asked to give, and is eclipsed by the child actor playing 'Alfie'.

Overall, it's not awful, it's a bit disappointing as the potential was there and perhaps another draft of the script could have taken it to another level.

6/10.

This is a lesson to the movie industry on how to use a budget. 80 million dollars was used splendidly. The cinematography was amazing, (Not terribly surprising because Rogue One) acting was great, and the story was decent.

It wasn't without problems though. The story moves at an increasing pace and at some points you lose track of what's happening. Suspension of disbelief will be needed in some moments.

The theme of the story was to make AI to be more than just robots. I think they succeeded there, but at the expense of the humans. Most of the humans in the story ended up being one faced - except for Joshua.

The dynamic between Joshua and Alfie was by far the best part of the movie. The acting was great between the two.

It was a good movie. Not great by any means, but I'm all for supporting a movie that is trying something new.

Overall, I think Gareth Edwards should be given some more projects. AND filmmakers everywhere should learn how a budget should be used.

If the script had been as good as the special effects, then this movie would've scored a Perfect 10. That's because the special effects were absolutely beautiful and aesthetically unique. It's the type of sci-fi I love watching and which inspires my thinking on topics of the future and technology. Back to the script though...

The script for this movie felt uninspired and I didn't care about any of the characters at all. None of them had any unique qualities, and the dialogue was all totally predictable. It was definitely written by a professional though, but it just felt flat and it took no real risks. Towards the end of the movie, however, it seemed to pick up a little bit, but by that stage I wasn't invested in it anymore. Also, the movie went on for faaaaaar too long, considering I didn't care about the content.

So huge props to the special effects team for making me finish watching this film and not thinking it was a total waste of time, and that's the only reason it won't be unforgettable.

Oh dear. I was really looking forward to this, and managed to get a ticket for a pre-release showing. I left disappointed.

One fact that too many film-makers have failed to grasp is that CGI alone does not make a film. Effects can make a good film better, but they can't make a mediocre film good. Marvel, I'm looking at you.

It's not enough to string a few action scenes together and finish with some really big explosions. You have to have a story - preferably one that hangs together coherently. This is what's missing from this film, whose plot-holes are more pronounced than the holes where the AI characters' ears would be. Just one example - our hero is on the run in an unspecified Asian county, where it's established that he doesn't speak the language. He breaks down. A van stops, and he's asked if he needs help. Asked in perfect English. That's bad enough - but then for no explored reason, our good Samaritan progresses from giving a stranger a lift to helping him through a police road-block, risking the lives of his five children in the process.

Why are there gardens on Nomad? Why, if it's the last word in military technology, is it as easy to blow up as the Death Star or a Bond Villain's lair?

The child-McGuffin is portrayed by an excellent young performer, but makes no logical sense. The nuclear blast in Los Angeles (seen in the trailer, so it's not a spoiler) is cited as the reason for the war against AI. There's one throwaway line about this late in the film - but it's just that: a throw-away line. Following it up would've led to a much more interesting film.

I've heard it suggested that this should be seen as a metaphor for America's involvement in Vietnam, If so, it's a tired re-hash and forty years too late. Also, that would mean regarding it as an intelligent film, which it absolutely isn't

Just one more big-budget wasted opportunity.

My friend told me if I saw this in theaters some of the gaping plot holes would stand out more - but as it is I saw it at home and frankly I could care less if there were some plot holes this is a very good film with incredible world building.

It tells the story of human v AI and our hero is a former soldier who is sent to track down the AI's ultimate weapon. Turns out the weapon is a child AI - who may or may not have the secret to his seemingly dead wife's location - and now our hero betrays his people to keep the AI safe and try to find his wife.

His journey with the AI takes him deep into the heart of this world, and he eventually grows to care for the AI and rebels against his own people. It may sound cliche, but these kinds of stories need to be told again and again.

By no stretch of the imagination is this corny like Avatar, this was a very good by the numbers sci-fi movie. Well acted, great special effects, good action scenes, and a big heart with a cool final showdown.

Def recommended, too bad I didn't watch this in theaters.

Right away, this is a must watch film. If you love cinematic imagery, this is po*n.

The production is incredible. All the visual creative departments went ham on this, and it's incredibly beautiful, intricate and interesting.

However, the writing was, at times, terrible; even some of the acting, mainly the character named Josh wasn't good enough (the kid was great tho)

It felt like some of the scenes were "forcefully" inserted just for the sake of illustrating something, even though they had no logic or necessity (a robot bomb that's running? Really? Why not just shoot the bomb like you've already done dozens of time?)

And also let's not get into the philosophical opportunity that's missed here. I wished they would tangentially hit more some of the existential issues about AI vs humanity.

Anyway...Go watch the movie It's solid.

First of all, lets get to the good....

The visual effects are truly world class. Likewise, both the musical score and Dolby Digital sound effects were top notch! Hans Zimmer and the effects teams did a fantastic job.

The acting was also fantastic throughout for relatively known actors. Particularly the lead child actor/actress!

Now let's get to the bad.... As a Sci-Fi lover and aficionado, I can't tell you how annoyed I became as the storyline progressed. It's like it was written by a 10 year old. A 10 year old that wanted to cram every conceivable twist and turn into one movie, which became increasingly unbearable. Completely devoid of reality. It felt like the screen writer had never really watched, or been truly into Sci-Fi. Do they not understand films like this are the bread and butter to nerds around the world (like myself)?

The plot had more holes than all the cheese in Switzerland! Completely unbelievable from start to finish. Devoid of any actually research or basis in medium term science, which for a film set just 32 years in the future is crazy!

Having not read the book, it's hard to say if this is the directors, screen writers or authors fault (maybe all 3?). Long story short, they completely dropped the ball.

Both hero's and the villain's make it through countless and increasingly unrealistic ordeals, which simply take the edge off the great stuff in the film I mentioned above.

If it wasn't for the great visuals, sounds and acting, this would be a 4/10. However, given those part were great, I've given a 6/10.

It is such a shame. It could have been so much better if they hadn't tried so hard and simplified the plot. I hope future Sci-Fi screen writers take note!!!

In a world where a mess of a film like Oppenheimer is praised as a masterpiece and a genuinely well told story like The Creator is torn apart for minor flaws, one thing is clear: You can't trust reviews anymore. I avoided this one for a while thanks to other reviewers, but it turned out to be one of the better movies I've seen in a while. Yes, it's predictable, but so is everything else if you've seen more than 10 movies in your life. This isn't the Sixth Sense. It's a moving and generally well told and acted story of redemption that takes place in an impressing array of settings in a thoroughly detailed and imaginative world. If you've been avoiding this one due to the lukewarm reviews I'd recommend giving it a shot. For reference other movies I love include Gattaca, Bladerunner, The Fountain, Fearless, and Edge of Tomorrow.

With stunning visuals reminiscent of Blade Runner and the more recent Rouge One this movie is stunning to look at. Unfortunately the script falls far short of living up to its inspired cinematography. It's full of plot holes and cringe worthy moments from it's extremely one dimensional villains. The plot twist are telegraphed from miles away and there are no real surprises to be had. Everything plays out exactly like you would expect it to. Which is a shame. The look and mood of this film is almost enough to save it. But in the end it falls flat and its potential is wasted. See it for the visuals. Forget it for its script.

The Creator seemed to promise so much through its trailer, and although it is still a very enjoyable film it feels a little too safe and run of the mill.

It's story follows the familiar tropes of humanity against AI, super weapons, chosen ones, and the reluctant guardian. None of these are overly original but they are decently executed in this film nonetheless.

The emotion of the piece is a bit hit and miss. Even though the performances are good, particularly Madeleine Yuna Voyles in the role of Alfie, I just didn't really connect to any of the characters. This lack of connection and emotion is one of the biggest things missing from this film.

There is no denying however that this film is beautiful. The natural landscapes are used well and the grainy camera style really adds a nice element. It also has a good score and the direction is very solid.

Ultimately The Creator is a really solid sci-fi film, but it just feels a little safe and derivative. Perhaps my expectations were too high as the trailer suggested this was potential a more high concept and emotionally gripping sci-fi, when I don't think that is the case. Still a good film though.

The reviews of this movie are more misleading than I have EVER seen. Everything that is said is the opposite of what I actually saw. The 2nd or 3rd review in featured (at the time of this writing) didn't even get the gender of the child right, even though it's stated several times (despite the short hair, she's a girl!). Underwhelming? Void of emotion? I felt overwhelmed with emotion the entire film, and had tears streaming by the end. It wasn't just me either. I heard whimpering from a grown man a couple seats over, despite obviously trying to hold it in.

Granted, I'm fairly emotional, so maybe not everyone will feel as strongly. But, this is essentially a war movie. It is a war between AI and humans in the future, but science is not really the underlying theme. It has a definite Vietnam feel, and America is not the good guy (hence the probable reason for political reviews). There's also innuendo of anti-terrorist (read anti-Islamic) violence in recent wars. Take that and the lead is a Black man, his costar a young Asian girl, and the entitled demographics might feel a tad sensitive.

With that out of the way, I went into The Creator with very little info. As sci fi is one of my favorite genres, it was on my watch list for the Fall. I saw and loved Gemma Chan on Humans several years back and was so glad to see her, in sci fi again nonetheless. If you like this film, I recommend that show, as the theme is very similar. She is so perfect that she was convincing as a robot. It added a bit of depth to this film, I thought, too, if you knew she had that role history. And, without giving anything away, Allison Janney made a great female version of the stereotypical stalwart military general.

This is an anti-war film. It has some nice bits in there for those interested in natural history as well. The soundtrack is a little campy at moments, but is a huge part of the impact of the film. Speaking of camp, there is a little fun at parts (ie the dog), but it never outshines the serious tone. This is not an action flick that's going to make light of the violence. But, it's not depressing. On the contrary, it has heart and an optimistic message underneath it all. Plus, it was visually stunning. Everything from the aircraft to the people (including the robots) are perfectly designed and cast.

The Creator is a fantastic addition to its genre, both sci fi and war movie, driving the culture forward.

While the film boasts spectacular cinematography, breathtaking scenery, and top-notch special effects, it's truly disappointing that the storyline is painfully inconsistent. Despite the promising concept, the narrative fails to maintain a cohesive flow, leaving viewers grappling with disjointed plot points. The movie's visual elements, from stunning set designs to captivating photography, create a visually immersive experience that almost compensates for its narrative shortcomings. It's a regrettable case of missed potential, where the brilliance of the visuals struggles to salvage a story that lacks the cohesion necessary to make it truly memorable.

Gareth Edwards proves himself to be an astoundingly brilliant director with The Creator, as he crafts a visual and auditory world rich with layers of detail, and characters that we quickly understand and naturally grow over the course of the story.

He made an $80 million movie that looks like it cost at least twice that. This cost less than half of what Thor: Love and Thunder cost. Let that sink in.

Edwards shows he's a better director than writer, as the film is far from original, borrowing concepts and themes from plenty of old classic sci-fi stories. And it's also burdened with some clunky dialogue and rushed, convenient crucial plot points.

Yeah, it's imperfect. But it's made with a confidence and care that goes beyond the degree of admirable. It's an earnest expression of love, redemption, sacrifice, and forgiveness put out by a filmmaker who really cares for the characters whose story he's telling.

It's a work of art that, even with its flaws, deserves to be seen.

I do like a good sci-fi story. The sheer number of cringeworthily stupid details here makes it hard to watch?

A few examples of an extensive list: So there is this almighty KI developing the ultimate weapon in a secret laboratory. Its security consists of a couple of black-and-white monitors and a couple of human morons watching a sitcom instead while on duty.

The KI thinks that hand grenades with a counter of 10sec are a good idea. Of course they will come back, giving the robots a slapstick moment of comic stumbling into each other head- or limblessly after being blasted.

The escape in a rusty old pickup of undoubtedly american 60ies design souped up with incredible interior technology.

The robots you can sneak up to and deactivate with an off switch conveniently placed on the back of their heads.

Etc. Etc.

The Creator is an all too rare piece of original epic sci-fi that's built on very familiar foundations and uses them to create something that's as visually exciting as it is emotionally investing, completely unafraid to show American military might for the soulless monster it is.

John David Washington plays his reluctant father figure in terrific fashion, closed off at first but those barriers are all successfully worn down by the end. In her screen debut Madeleine Yuna Voyles is amazing, adorable and undoubtedly the main reason any of this works on an emotional level.

Supporting them is Ken Watanabe being as effortlessly stoic as always and Allison Janney as an antagonist with a solid amount of depth all thanks to just one scene which efficiently explains her viewpoint in a believable fashion but she's also just plain ruthless in her relentless pursuit.

Gareth Edwards once again proves he doesn't need established franchises to create epic imagery or fascinating worlds on a blockbuster scale. Between the stunning cinematography by Greig Fraser & Oren Soffer and the ridiculously impressive CG it outdoes the majority of the competition on a fraction of the cost.

Uncharacteristically for Gareth Edwards there's a fair few needle drops early on, the choices can be obvious but always effective and the music by Hans Zimmer is solid. It's mostly just fine up until the third act where it really comes to life and avoids feeling wasted.

7 years on from his last big screen venture with the phenomenal Rogue One, The Creator isn't quite the comeback I had hoped for director Gareth Edwards. Visually, it's stunning with all of Edwards' 1980s science fiction influences on full display, but it often feels conflicted in tone and the subject matter it's trying to tackle, especially in today's world. Edwards pushes the relatable ordinariness of the androids and hybrid "simulants", but the potential menace of A. I. inescapably looms over the movie's head. For all its spectacular set pieces, detailed depth in its design and jaw-dropping imagery, the writing pulls the rug out from what could have been a modern sci-fi classic.

I watched this from start to finish without being drawn into the story at any point.

I think John Washington is miscast here, I had the same exact experience when i watched Tenet... found myself very disconnected as I he didn't seem to make a proper connection with the role he was portraying.

That is not to say the film isn't without issues. They have been fairly well documented by other reviewers so I'll not labour the points here.

My main issue is with the lack of emotional involvment with the characters. The film measures zero on the emtional richter scale, but more, the screenplay just doesn't manage to get you excited or involved with anything that is unfolding. Additionally, the characters seem to have little connection to each other. In fact it is only at the end of the movie that Joshua and Alphie seem to have any tangible emotional cohesion.

Contrast this with The Golden Child 1986 where Eddie Murphy plays Chandler Jarrell and the connection he makes to The Golden Child played by J. L. Reate. Here you can see what a great connection is established on screen and the massive difference in outcome it produces. Both films have two similar sets of pairings in almost identical scenarios with a stark contrast in outcome.

Additionally Thought the film is incredible to look at, much of what unfolds makes no sense. I'd liken this film to an iconic fashion show where the crowd Oohs and Aahs at the fantastic creations that unfold on the runway, that no one (bar Lady Gaga) would ever be caught dead in at a normal social event.

Anyway, for me the film was a big dissapointment, I can't say John David Washington was the cause of this since the Movie has many other problematic aspects, but the ones I've mentioned were particularly significant for me.

5/10 sadly.

Before, I was curious if the movie would delve into thought-provoking internal dilemmas, whether the story would be good or not, if it would be an indie sci-fi or a grand, epic spectacle... because the trailers already teased at impressive visuals as a given, so I hoped that the rest of the movie would live up to them. Ideally, it's better to get into the movie without watching trailers, but I couldn't avoid them, the cinema had been playing the Creator trailers as previews for other movies for a while.

I wasn't getting myself too excited for this because it could've easily been a cliche and unimaginative, but it wasn't and still had an original feel to it. The short background was nice, especially since the human vs. AI theme has been explored before. It was good that the movie didn't dwell on developing plot points that didn't bring anything new to the table. The world-building was well done and gave the film a sense of familiarity.

I thought this was gonna be an indie sci-fi flick, but the sheer vastness and visual splendor put away any concern of the "small" budget it had being restrictive. It's remarkable, especially when you compare it to many other big-budget TV shows and movies that don't achieve this level of visual excellence. The explosions were cool and plenty; while still not being overdone. Visually, everything was executed perfectly; it was a true spectacle. I liked the slightly grainy texture it had, instead of the smooth shiny CGI feel like that seen in MCU films.

I liked the storytelling approach of breaking the movie into chapters. It gave the movie a sci-fi narrative or dramatic feel rather than being purely action-packed, although there was plenty of action as well. As I mentioned earlier, there were a lot explosions, but they were handled sensibly and maturely, yet still managed to bring that childlike excitement in me that likes seeing things go boom.

It was funny in a subtle way, they weren't trying to sneak them in and it's not getting big belly laughs. The pacing was good, and overall, it was was just a well-crafted film. The world-building was gradual, allowing you to learn about this world as the movie unfolded, rather than through an upfront introduction to it all. This world was well crafted, showed depth and thoughtful design.

Why would a war vet have an alarm clock that triggers his ptsd???? That was the one unintentionally funny scene, literally burst out laughing at that. Anyway, Sound track music score was great, different from what I usually remember Hans zimmer for, but I should say I don't have a keen ear for that sorta stuff. I was only paying attention because I knew it was zimmer.

It somewhat felt like a breath of fresh air, of course the human vs AI trope isn't new, but this was done right and didn't feel like a repeat or rip-off. It's a sci-fi film with heart and genuine emotions. As far as the plot, it reminded me of Hugh Jackman's solo Wolverine film, Logan. And the cast did well too, a very decent cast who put in wonderful performances, from both antagonists and protagonists sides. Standout was Madeleine Yuna Voyles, who portrayed the character Alphie exceptionally well. I was also impressed by Allison Janney's believably ruthless portrayal; Washington and Ken Watanabe once again showed their acting prowess.

The plot and its twists and turns weren't mind-bending, there were several moments where you could piece things together before the movie officially unveiled them or before the characters caught on. But, I consciously tried to avoid predicting where it was heading. The final act was a pleasant surprise, at one point in the movie, I thought it was reaching its end, but that it was just the beginning of the final stretch. So for me, it felt like a bonus lol.

I was curious as the movie went on if it was going to end a full story arc, or simply just a set up more sequels. I loved that it felt like a natural ending to the story while also leaving the door open for potential sequels. The ending seemed inevitable but I wish it was different, but as I said it felt natural so mixed feelings. The pacing was impressive, and the plot was lean, without any unnecessary stuff. Despite its simplicity, pretty significant events unfolded throughout the movie, keeping the narrative interesting.

This movie is emotionally evocative; beyond sci-fi, it carries the weight of a war drama, which naturally comes with emotional impact. The storytelling is told in a way that tugs at your heartstrings, particularly sympathizing with the AI robot side, but when it comes to the "bad guys," the Americans, you can understand their logic but don't necessarily side with them. The American military personnel are portrayed as very typical, following the textbook design. They view the other side not as people but as enemies, which makes them ruthless and seemingly heartless in their pursuit, all in service to their country bla bla bla.

One aspect I wished the movie had explored further is the theme of emotional dilemmas, particularly whether AI can be considered as beings with feelings. It attempts to touch on this with the "who gets to go to Heaven" theme, but the rest of the movie didn't delve as deeply into these themes as I had anticipated.

Unfortunately, I don't think it's a movie for everyone; it's more enjoyable if you're already a sci-fi fan. This is one of the reasons why I wouldn't rate it a 10/10. For me, that would place it on the same level as "Interstellar," a sci-fi movie so exceptional that it transcends genre preferences. Nonetheless, I still think it's one of the best scifi movies in years. While I'm tempted to say it's the best since "Interstellar," i think that sparks comparisons and I think it's more comparable to films like "Rogue One." Better, maybe, but I haven't watched that movie in years.