There’s a lot to like about The Creator, though it could be argued it’s a little too slow. There seems to be an intentional parallel between the battle between Artificial Intelligence and the Vietnam War, as the film sees America involved in a war with New Asia, not the people, but those they are harbouring, Simuloids and robots automated and governed by Artificial Intelligence which the American government, which was happy to use them as labour turned against them after a nuclear strike.

Joshua (John David Washington) was working undercover to infiltrate a group with A.I. affiliations hoping it would lead him to their creator when tragedy struck taking the woman he loves and his unborn child.

Five years later, Joshua finds himself recruited by Colonel Howell (Allison Janney) to return to New Asia to track down a weapon that has been created by the A.I. community which could pose a threat to all of making if used against them. He’s spurred on to join the mission when it seems that his wife, Maya (Gemma Chan) is very much alive and heavily involved.

And the weapon is not anything Joshua is prepared for, coming in the shape and size of a small girl, Alphie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles).

Against fantastic-looking backdrops, jaw-dropping visuals, and stunning production design, the narrative forces the viewer to wrestle with Artificial Intelligence and its place in the world. Is it friend or foe? Or is humanity its own worst enemy?

There’s a lot to unpack throughout the course of the film in terms of themes and ideas, and while the ending may have been a little too neat and tidy for me, I like a lot of the things that showed up in the film.

I love the way films, televisions, and narratives are exploring the growing idea of A.I. and what it could mean to us as a species, and if this film helps generate healthy discussion after the credits roll, and you’re done reveling in the visuals, then so much the better.

Washington turns in a solid performance, and is becoming increasingly one of those actors that I love to watch do their thing. Throw in some Ken Watanabe and I was completely sold on this film, every film needs some Ken Watanabe.

What will A.I. mean for us, our species, and our planet? I love puzzling over these ideas, and the film does it as well, hinting at the fact that whether its programming or not, sometimes it seems A.I. may be more compassionate than those who created it, and we are probably not the best example for them to follow.

It was a solid film, an interesting watch, but I would have liked something a touch stronger in terms f pacing and action beats. I love the big ideas though!