The Mosley Review: The Creator
There was a brilliant storyteller in the 80's that crafted a story that nobody believed could come true. It sparked a bit of fear in the real world and slowly over the course of 40 years, we've come to the point where it actually is coming true at a terrifying rate. That genius created a film franchise and an iconic character known as The Terminator. Sure, James Cameron's revolutionary tale is a bit far fetched with time travel being a factor, but it does paint the picture of humans becoming their own destructor. Well, here we are with another film that paints a very bleak, scary and emotionally driven possibility of what could happen. The sci fi genre is known for tackling the themes of advancement in technology and showing how quickly mankind uses it and then demonizes it. This film does that and asks that question of what is the difference between humanity and robotics? If we make them to be like us, feel like us and live like us, are we the enemy for trying take the lives we've created even if they're robotic in form? That is only a fraction of the many layers this film fantastically tackles in a brilliant and satisfying way. What I really loved is the integration between human and machine and how it reflects the earlier years of our genocidal history against ethnic groups. The real villain was not only technology, but humanities desperation for control and superiority. All of this is conveyed beautifully from a stellar number of characters and all their layers of humanity on display.
John David Washington leads the film as Joshua and he does an exceptional job. The amount of heartbreak and pain the character goes through in just the opening minutes of the film, set the stage for the eventual growth of the man. He truly became disconnected from any form of emotion to the robots in the film and for good reason. Its a classic emotional journey of forgiveness the character goes through and it felt more real thanks to Washington's stellar performance. Madeleine Yuna Voyles as Alpha-O was outstanding and through her eyes, you start to see the horrors of war. I loved that she was constantly and quickly learning what it is to be human even though she is not. Her chemistry with Joshua comes to life mid way through the film when there is actually a moment for them to connect. The power of her performance comes from the innocence in her eyes in the middle of the violence around her. Gemma Chan was fantastic as expected and brings the heart of Joshua to life as Maya. I loved the scenes we got with the two of them together and even though they were short, they were impactful. Ken Watanabe was awesome and strong Harun. His fighting spirit and willingness to protect the lives of his fellow cyborgs made my heart heavy. Allison Janney was intense and strong as Colonel Howell. She represented the always on mission and brutal nature of a soldier that can't see past the violence. She knew what she was doing was rough, but it was her programming in a sense. I liked that her and Joshua had at least one bonding moment that showed that she does have a heart. Ralph Ineson was cold and cunning as General Andrews. The typical high ranking military characters are always portrayed as the ultimate enemy and here he was just that. He took pleasure in the killing of the cyborgs and that's what made him even more menacing. Now another character in the film was not human at all, but its presences was ever looming. The NOMAD was terrifying and acted as the constant reminder of time running out and immediate destruction once activated. I was instantly on edge as soon as its light blue targeting out line was activated.
The score was equally looming, intense and emotional and it is all handled by legendary composer Hans Zimmer. He really knows how to evoke the feeling of pain and love in just a few notes and I loved every minute of his score during the latter half of the film. Visually, this film was stunning. I loved the Vietnam War feeling the sweeping shots brought of brutal human and cyborg alike violence that could make anyone feel uneasy. This is a darker world that is reminiscent of films like Blade Runner, Terminator and even Apocalypse Now. The visual effects were some of the best I've seen in so long and it reminded me of the seamless work of District 9. There are problems with the conveniences of characters showing up in certain places and some scenes were a bit disjointed in the editing. At times it felt like there was another plot point missing and there was a bit of rushing to the next scene that sometimes took me out of it. There really isn't that much space for down time in the film which helped with the tension, but the film could've benefitted from a short breather at times. Other than all of that, this was another fantastic entry into the sci fi genre that not only speaks to the current technological climate we're in right now, but acts as yet another painting of what our society could turn into. Gareth Edwards has directed another stellar film and I can't wait to see what he does next. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
