The Creator

 

After an atomic bombing of Los Angeles by AI, the United States is in a war with Japan to destroy all the intelligent robots.  Whereas the Japanese live harmoniously with the robots, the United States is hellbent on their destruction.

Some of the robots aren't that different from human beings. They feel and possibly suffer, and mourn each other when they die.  

Sergeant Joshua Taylor is sent on a mission to capture a new AI weapon, and this weapon turns out to be in the form of a little girl.  Taylor begins to bond with it and he is also on a side quest to find his wife behind enemy lines and uses the "girl" to help find her.  This creates a conflict with his commanding officer who is a little too gung-ho about killing robots.  She is trying to hunt down both Taylor and the girl.

This movie has shades of Blade Runner and the film A.I. Artificial Intelligence.  Both movies make you question what it means to be human and if a machine can have human qualities.  The ending is reminiscent of Elysium.

The film shows the suffering, destruction, and utter pointlessness of war, which is emotionally powerful for the audience.

The Creator received positive but mixed reviews.  Some criticized the overall tone and the complexity of the story.  However, the movie was made on a shoestring 80 million dollar budget, and it deserves credit for looking gorgeous, like a much bigger budget production.  It is visually impressive and unique.

This is an epic story that I think will age very well.  It could be remembered alongside Blade Runner.  However, the movie's ideas are better than their execution, and the complicated story feels a bit messy.

Rating A-.

The Creator is available for streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.