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At a certain point in time, we simply must accept that most dystopian fiction isn’t really so far out in the future as much as it may very well be the present. This can be very well said about The Creator, Gareth Edwards’s highly ambitious science fiction epic built around mankind’s relationship with artificial intelligence. Whether recent events have made The Creator and its aspirations feel like they’ve dated themselves already, perhaps what might catch most about it is that in an era where many major studio releases are based on a beloved property with the intention of starting a franchise. And I think on that ground, I can’t help but at least respect what Edwards is aiming for.

Set in a future where humans are at war against artificial intelligence following a nuclear warhead destroying Los Angeles, The Creator tells the story of the special forces agent Joshua (John David Washington). Disillusioned following the disappearance of his wife Maya (Gemma Chan), he takes on one more mission to hunt down “the Creator,” who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to destroy both mankind and artificial intelligence at will. But soon, Joshua finds his own commitment to the mission challenged upon finding out the weapon is an AI in the form of a child (Madeleine Yuna Voyles). It’s clear from here where Edwards’s own influences are present, but he still manages to assert this vision as one from his very own.

It might just as well be worth stating that what Gareth Edwards has created here truly is a visual spectacle. Given the film’s meager $80 million budget, it’s especially impressive to think about how Edwards has managed to make something that looks and feels much bigger than it actually is. From his impressive debut in Monsters, where Edwards excels is present in how he makes every moment feel massive just by a sense of scale – and it’s something that beautifully translated as he went on to make blockbuster films as shown in Godzilla. The Creator shows that he hasn’t lost any of that, and it’s enough for me to say he might as well become one of this generation’s more exciting blockbuster filmmakers.

Many can question whether the film’s originality is truly there especially when coming to note the films that Edwards has taken influence from. But I still think that Edwards carries enough heart with presenting the adventure between John David Washington and Madeleine Yuna Voyles together, first in part because of how well the two of them play off one another – in a dynamic that’s very reminiscent of that of Ryan O’Neal and Tatum O’Neal from Peter Bogdanovich’s Paper Moon. A lot of this movie essentially is a long chase, but it’s entertaining enough to sustain the length – even though it seems to come at the expense of what might have been far more immersive world building.

Gareth Edwards’s most prominent influences in The Creator have clearly come from Asian science fiction stories, but one that may catch many others happens to be none other than Apocalypse Now. This is apparent in the fact that many of the forces behind the artificial intelligence that the Americans are facing, or the characters themselves who are A.I. are prominently Asian. Unfortunately it seems like this is where many of the film’s biggest shortcomings are present, especially with many of the film’s notable images often feeling like they’re paralleling the Vietnam War.

These misgivings are present in the manner by which the worldbuilding at play starts with a montage that talks about the benefits of artificial intelligence – until we learn quickly enough that most of Asia has been consolidated into “New Asia.” We’ve learned so much as to what resulted in a war between humans and robots, but with how Edwards and Weitz create a world where humans have unleashed war against artificial intelligence, especially in the United States. But with how many Asian countries are flattened together as a single one, there’s only so much that it could imply and at best, it’s very misguided, and at worst it’s bordering on orientalist – especially with how so much Asian dialogue goes untranslated, beyond those who are already speaking English, namely Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, and Veronica Ngo. Watanabe serves well enough, but Chan and Ngo are sadly underutilized.

Despite my reservations, I can’t help but feel like The Creator deserves a chance to succeed. In this era for cinema history, where many of the most successful films end up either launching a franchise or are based on beloved properties, there’s something at least worth watching here. For the most part, the whole movie is very fun, but it also can’t be helped but you’re still feeling pieces are missing. With most of the film being a chase, you can at least admire that Edwards is trying to keep as much simple as possible, especially while he’s making the film with the same optimism that Steven Spielberg has. In this era of blockbuster filmmaking dominated with franchise hopefuls, The Creator feels like a breath of fresh air, but even a step in the right direction happens to be founded on baby steps.

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Watch the trailer right here.

All images via 20th Century Studios.

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Directed by Gareth Edwards
Screenplay by Gareth Edwards, Chris Weitz
Produced by Gareth Edwards, Kiri Hart, Jim Spencer, Arnon Milchan
Starring John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Sturgill Simpson, Allison Janney, Ralph Ineson, Marc Menchaca, Veronica Ngo, Madeleine Yuna Voyles
Release Date: September 29, 2023
Running Time: 135 minutes