The sci-fi action film has earned particular praise for its imaginative vision of the future.
The Creator, one of the best sci-fi movies of the decade so far, has just been added to Disney+.
From director Gareth Edwards (2014’s Godzilla, Rogue One), the film takes place in a near future in which a nuclear warhead was detonated over Los Angeles, leading to humanity becoming embroiled in a war against robots with artificial intelligence.
Amidst the conflict, a former US Army sergeant and undercover operative named Joshua (John David Washington, Tenet) is approached by the military (fronted by Alison Janney and Ralph Ineson) to join a mission to destroy a new weapon engineered by the AI.
Travelling to New Asia – an area which has embraced artificial intelligence – Joshua and his strike team invade a compound believed to hold the weapon but discover only a robot in the form of a young girl (Madeleine Yuna Voyles).
Joshua is then ordered to kill the robot child but cannot bring himself to do so. As such, the former sergeant turns against his team and goes on the run with the girl.
Co-written by Edwards (who JOE interviewed at the time of the film’s release) and Chris Weitz, The Creator’s cast also features such as recognisable faces as Amar Chadha-Patel, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Marc Menchaca, Michael Esper, Sturgill Simpson and Veronica Ngo.
Released in Irish cinemas just last September, the movie was well-liked by critics for the most part – earning particular praise for its imaginative vision of the future, its incredible robot character designs and the epic scale of its set-pieces.
Those qualities are all the more impressive given that the sci-fi was made on the relatively low (for Hollywood!) budget of $80 million.
You can read samples of some of the positive write-ups for The Creator right here:
AV Club: “With few other comparable releases in play, The Creator is likely to stand as the most impressive and immersive sci-fi movie of the year.”
BBC: “Edwards’ ambitious, immersive film should prompt the intoxicating awe that you might have got from The Matrix and Avatar – the feeling that you’re seeing a rich vision of the future unlike any that has been on the big screen before.”
Empire: “An inspired, soulful piece of sci-fi, the endlessly stunning visuals all in service of a heartfelt, sensitive story. Gareth Edwards is the real deal — this is fantastic, enveloping cinema.”
Independent (UK): “An increasingly rare piece of mainstream cinema that proves CGI can be good for art when placed in the right hands.”
Little White Lies: “Not only does The Creator work as a good time at the movies, but it is also a reminder that mid-budget, (somewhat) original, crowd-pleasing stories can be told with aplomb.”
The Creator is now streaming on Disney+
Meanwhile, we here at JOE we’re also huge fans of The Creator, comparing it at the time of its release to Avatar and District 9 and writing:
“The Creator is exactly the kind of movie that people often complain Hollywood doesn’t make any more. An action sci-fi blockbuster that isn’t a sequel or based on any previously existing intellectual property, it features some eye-popping visuals, properly exciting set-pieces, and features and emotionality and intelligence that has become more and more rare as movies get more and more expensive.”
The Creator is streaming on Disney+ in Ireland and the UK right now. You can check out a trailer for the movie right here:
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