“The Creator” is the latest sci-fi, action, thriller of 2023 that hit theaters on Sept. 29. This latest adventure was directed by Gareth Edwards, most famously known for directing 2014’s “Godzilla” and “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” in 2016.
The story follows an ex-military special forces agent who is sent on a mission to stop a new weapon created by artificial intelligence to end the war between man and machine. Sadly, this movie falls short as the script is very bland with little to no intrigue that leaves audience members wanting more or just feeling straight-up confused at other times. The dialogue is generally very bland and has little to no depth or personality for the characters, instead, it is more like listening to a funny audiobook that is almost so bad that it becomes funny at points.
The story is very reminiscent of “Blade Runner (1982),” a movie of similar design based on the book, “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” by Philip K. Dick. Both movies tackle the ideas of humanity and what it truly means to be human and to live. Additionally, an underlying element of West versus East culture is heavily intertwined in both films as a very secularized society of corruption and capitalism clashes with the ideas of socialism and unyielding peace of the other side.
Overall, the elements of the story that stood out were no match to previous films, like “Blade Runner,” which arguably did the story so much better with more interesting dialogue and depth to the characters that made a memorable and thought-provoking understandings in the viewers. “The Creator” does not deliver well on this front and ultimately drags the movie from a visually pleasing masterpiece to another mediocre film about man versus machine with the slightest touch of a theme about what it means to be human.
Despite the lacking story and script, “The Creator” easily provides a visually pleasing adventure that captures the eyes and imaginations of audiences with its unique settings and extraordinary CGI and special effects. The sets are easily traced through cinematic history, paying homage to films like “Blade Runner” with dystopian, futuristic cities along with other films like “Avatar” with beautiful landscapes and natural scenery that truly allows the viewer to feel a part of the diverse world in almost every scene. It is in these elements of mise-en-scene, the elements of a scene that planned for exact placement onscreen, that makes this movie a wonder to watch.
The costumes and overall design of many of the characters and androids are so well-done that they really make the film pop and stand out from other films that have come out this year so far. The film is so aesthetically pleasing with strong contrasts that draw the viewer’s eyes to key pieces of the set and truly feel as though they are a part of the world of “The Creator.” The special effects also play into this to make parts of the film feel so tangible as though it could truly be an example of our future as machines and artificial intelligence continue to grow more advanced. This is easily one of the strengths of Gareth Edwards as he succeeds once more at creating a unique world that captivates viewers and keeps them entertained and wondering what else will happen and what they will see next.
“The Creator” by Gareth Edwards, while being a visually stunning adventure, sadly does not hold a candle to the other films that inspired this film. From the lacking story and dialogue to the shallow characters, “The Creator” is a slight disappointment following the director’s success on “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” but also highlights the value of arduous work as the small budget, $80 million, easily looks three times better than other films of the same budget to create one of the most visually pleasing movies of the year so far.
While this movie may be good for the causal movie goer for a one-time showing, it lacks the ability to keep viewers engaged and coming back. With little to no thought-provoking aspects, the themes of the movie can be better found in other forms of entertainment more successfully than in “The Creator.” The movie is a solid two and a half stars or three stars out of five at best, that being heavily carried by the stunning set pieces and CGI.