The Reel Review
Set in a futuristic world where humans in an AI-outlawed West are at war with Asia because it co-exists with robots with artificial intelligence, an ex-special forces soldier is tasked with destroying a new type of robot with the ability to end humanity. The robot, however, is in the form of a sweet, innocent child. John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Allison Janney and newcomer Madeleine Yuna Voyles star in this sci-fi/thriller from director/co-writer Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Monsters).
First, the pros: Edwards does a pretty fantastic job of building a futuristic world that is both visually dazzling yet still plausible. And his premise is intriguing, a sort of script-flipping mashup of The Terminator and The Mandalorian, only with a child robot instead of baby Yoda. Ironically, it is Voyles, as the child robot, who brings the most emotion to the story, with Janney oddly playing against type, chewing the scenery as the ugliest of Americans – the head of the military invaders.
Then there are the cons, of which there are many. Edwards’ decision to make his film an allegory about evils of Western imperialism, while well-intended, beats that topic to death and reeks of Asian cultural appropriation. His weak, convoluted story doesn’t make much sense, doesn’t connect with its characters, and has some really feeble attempts at humor. Having the film rest on Washington’s limited acting abilities is also a mistake, making the final 45 minutes a slog to endure.
REEL FACTS
• Director Gareth Edwards says he wrote the protagonist character specifically for John David Washington after seeing his performance in 2018’s Monsters and Men.
• Nine-year-old Madeleine Yuna Voyles, who is of Thai, Cambodian, Lao and German descent, beat out hundreds of child actors for her first feature role.
• The Creator was filmed on location in Thailand and at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England.
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