The future of artificial intelligence has been the theme of several movies. In The Terminator series of movies, AI seeks to destroy humankind. 2001: A Space Odyssey had a similar prediction for AI. WALL-E by Pixar Animation Studios offered a different view of AI. While the navigation computer, AUTO was reminiscent of HAL 9000 from the previously mentioned space movie, both WALL-E and EVE portrayed a positive view of artificial intelligence that even developed feelings.
Now another movie hits the screens just as the topic of AI is not only in the news but a hotly debated topic among people worldwide. Will AI take people’s jobs? Will it increase the economic divide between classes? Will it take over the world? While it may not answer all of these questions, The Creator provides an interesting and thought-provoking view of what the future of AI, and human reaction to it, might hold for us.
What Is The Creator?
The Creator is an epic sci-fi action thriller set amidst a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence. In the movie, Joshua (played by John David Washington) is a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving the disappearance of his wife Maya (Gemma Chan). He is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war… and mankind itself. Joshua and his team of elite operatives infiltrate behind enemy lines, into the dark heart of AI-occupied territory, only to discover the world-ending weapon he’s been instructed to destroy is an AI in the form of a young child (Madeleine Yuna Voyles).
The Creator is presented by 20th Century Studios, New Regency, and Entertainment One. In addition to the actors mentioned above, the film stars Ken Watanabe, Sturgill Simpson, and Allison Janney. Gareth Edwards directed and produced the movie, wrote the story, and co-wrote the screenplay with Chris Weitz. Other producers include Gareth Edwards, p.g.a., Kiri Hart, Jim Spencer, p.g.a., and Arnon Milchan. The executive producers are Yariv Milchan, Michael Schaefer, Natalie Lehmann, Nick Meyer, and Zev Foreman. The Creator releases in US theatres on Friday, September 29th.
Director Gareth Edwards on Making The Creator
Gareth Edwards has previously directed Monsters (2010), Godzilla (2014), and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016). He started out in visual effects before becoming a director. As director, writer, and producer, he is truly the creator of The Creator. In a press release for the movie, Edwards shared some of his thoughts on making this movie.
I truly believe the way you make a film is just as important as the actual idea. It was important to me that we approach this film completely differently, or not do it at all. But trying to convince a major studio to do an original sci-fi epic in this era is very difficult, if not impossible. It was clear our only real hope would lie in making it for a lot less money. It was up to me to find that holy grail of filmmaking, where we get all the benefits of big- and no-budget filmmaking. I contacted the producer of Monsters (his first feature film) and tried to explain “We aren’t making a low-budget blockbuster; we are making the most ambitious indie movie ever!”
It’s easy to say that kind of thing, but what does it really mean? We explained to the studio that we were going to do everything backward. Normally in a big studio film, you first sit down with artists and design the whole world, then realize you can’t possibly find these locations and must then build giant sets in a studio and shoot everything against a green screen. I didn’t want to do that, so we went about it the other way around. We wanted to shoot in real countries, in real locations, with real people. Then once the film was edited together, that was when I would sit down with the designers and paint over the shots to create the science fiction world on top. It was the total opposite of how you normally do this. The studios were skeptical—would this work? It all sounded a bit of a crazy gamble. So, we set out to prove it.
Under the guise of a location scout, we secretly took cameras and shot a short film with just myself and my producer Jim Spencer. We went to the best locations around the world for each sequence in the film. James Clyne, one of our production designers, painted on top of the shots and fortunately Industrial Light & Magic agreed to add all science fiction on top as part of a test. It was all done incredibly quickly and for way less money than it looked. The studio was blown away, we had the green light and were off making the movie!
Why Should You See The Creator?
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is one of my favorite Star Wars movies. It had the grittiness of a war movie, combined with a great story (which led to another wonderful story) and a strong emotional piece of love and sacrifice. When I first saw the trailer for The Creator while watching another movie earlier this year, I was intrigued. When I learned Gareth Edwards wrote and directed it, I knew I needed to see it. I had the opportunity to attend an advanced screening of the movie along with a fellow teacher and friend who works at the same high school. Previously we had discussed with other educators the impact of AI on education and other aspects of life. As we watched the movie on a large IMAX screen, I was immersed in a world of the not-so-distant future.
The Creator begins in the aftermath of a cataclysmic disaster, the decimation of Los Angeles by artificial intelligence. Governments in the West respond with a complete ban on AI, while Eastern nations continue to develop the technology to the point where robots have become human-like and are embraced as equals. This sets into motion a war between the West and the East, America against Asia. Filmed in Thailand, the scenes of soldiers, both human and AI, fighting in the high grass and rice paddies reminded me of movies set during the Vietnam War.
As in his foray into Star Wars, Edwards once again masterfully weaves love and sacrifice into an emotional story of war with a theme of technology and humanity. I will admit my eyes moistened at times during the movie, and when the credits began to roll, I sat there for several minutes contemplating the message of the movie. As I asked my friend his opinion, he said “I want to see it again!” I reflected that the story of the movie reminded me of Joseph Conrad’s novel The Heart of Darkness and the movie Apocalypse Now. I later learned they were an inspiration to Edwards along with other movies.
I really enjoyed The Creator. While it has a wonderful story and great acting, the visuals are beautiful. The way Edwards films the real people and locations and then adds the futuristic structures and effects maintains the natural beauty. The cinematography is incredible and really pulls the audience into the film. This is definitely a movie you want to see on the big screen and I am glad I was able to watch it on a huge IMAX screen. While there is so much more I want to share about this fascinating movie, I don’t want to give away the story. It needs to be experienced firsthand as you view the movie. Though it focuses on humans and AI, this story can also have deeper meanings and interpretations and is definitely thought-provoking. I highly recommend The Creator and look forward to seeing it again when it releases in theaters on Friday, September 29th.
Here is the official trailer for The Creator.
