THE CREATOR
Theatrical release: September 27, 2023
Duration: 2h13
Director: Gareth Edwards
Main actors: John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe
Synopsis: In the near future, humans and artificial intelligence (AI) are waging a merciless war.
An American soldier infiltrated in Asia, Joshua is separated from his wife Maya during an assault. Five years later, the army asks him to return to the field and wants him to find and destroy it.
There are films which have huge budgets for very average results, and sometimes films are released in cinemas which do better with a tight budget. This is the case with The Creator.
Directed by Gareth Edwards, known for his work on Godzilla And Rogue One, The Creator tells us the story of a war between humans and artificial intelligence, a war which began when a nuclear bomb fell on Los Angeles.
Carried by a John David Washington which we had already seen in Tenet, The Creator has the particularity of having a sublime artistic direction. The special effects are very accomplished and natural for a budget of only $80 million. This is remarkable for a film which has a digital effect in almost every shot. Moreover, this type of natural special effects which blend with the decor made me think of District 9.
Visually very successful, the film offers us a range of sets and costumes mixing tradition and modernity. Artificial intelligences wear costumes and shapes that allow us to perceive their function at first glance. Ranging from the classic soldier to the farm worker to the nanny, all this variety is pleasant to see.
Even if the film is artistically successful with many technological ideas, the scenario is not that innovative and sometimes predictable. The war between machines and humans has been exploited many times in the cinema, we think in particular of Matrix, Terminator and to a lesser extent I Robot.
But if the basis of the scenario seems warmed up, the scenario draws on ideas from the latest world conflicts with the United States as the great power. This symbol of all power is represented by a ship, the USS Nomad, capable of carrying out surgical strikes from space. This enormous ship is mainly there to flex its muscles and fly over civilian areas in order to detect rebel bases. This war in this film reminds us of recent conflicts, such as the Gulf War where the Americans justified their presence because they believed that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. Here, it's the same justification for using the USS Nomad and razing entire villages because they would not submit to American authority.
Gareth Edwards here points out the errors of the United States and the justifications for waging war without basis or discernment. Besides, there is also a political statement and a fear of man's own creations. Feeling overwhelmed by the intelligence and autonomy of simulants (or AI), the leading world power is fighting back and using all means to achieve its goal without retreat.
The film is therefore not perfect on all levels but The Creator can puff out his chest by succeeding in taking us on a journey into a palpable and realistic universe, while big productions like Marvel have special effects which no longer deceive the viewer. human eye.
