John David Washington stars as a mercenary assigned to track down a dangerous AI figure in “The Creator.”An intelligent dystopian blockbuster that addresses AI technology and our fear of it, along with a delightful human dramedy about an Irish mom trying to help her always in-trouble son.
Those films top our list of must-sees, along with a cute animated feature aimed for wee ones who love puppies and a cheeky Coen Brothers homage.The acceleration of AI technology continues to astound and inspire us, but also fuels trepidation and fear. Will AI supplant workers? Will it reduce us into lazy oafs? Those legit, and sometimes not so legit, concerns abound.
The serpentine plot hinges on former American mercenary Joshua who gets summoned back into action five years after the death of his wife Maya . His assignment is to chase down the enigmatic Creator, an architect of AI intelligence that American politicians and military officials blame for a nuclear bomb that wiped out much of downtown L.A.
Joshua hesitantly joins a military mission — Alison Janney is unforgettable as a rabid vengeance-seeking colonel — with a goal to eradicate the architect, and AI, overall. Joshua’s search propels him deep into East Asia, where townspeople have been terrorized by soldiers — those scenes serve as a powerful metaphor for the Vietnam War and how history often repeats itself. When Joshua learns that the assassination target happens to be an child , he questions the ethical boundaries being crossed.
While “The Creator” does lack the gut punch of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” it’s merely a few rungs below that film in narrative vision. It’s a visual head trip that will move you and begs to be seen more than once — and on an IMAX screen.Watching a film from Irish director John Carney is akin to falling in love with a soulful yet sweet song about the beautiful messiness of life.