The Creator (2023) 

Madeleine Yuna Voyles as Alphie in The Creator (2023) dir. Gareth Edwards

"You gotta be a good person to go to heaven."

My choice for the Live-Action Toph is Madeleine Yuna Voyles from The Creator. She is currently 10 years old and is of Southeast Asian descent so she fits with the age and ethnic description of Toph. What do you guys think?

Best Young Actress

Madeleine Yuna Voyles in The Creator

Elle Graham in Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret

Storm Reid in Missing 

Jenna Ortega in Scream VI 

Kristen Cui in Knock at The Cabin

Brooklynn Prince in The Marsh King’s Daughter

Kyndra Sanchez in Theater Camp

Calah Lane in Wonka

The Creator

directed by Gareth Edwards, 2023

. She looks like a little girl now, but she's growing. Whoever has that kid, wins the war.

The Creator, Gareth Edwards (2023)

This is apparently a good sci-fi movie that went completely under the radar.

"The Creator takes place in a future world where the American government has declared war on AI. When a former special-forces operative (John David Washington) learns that his late wife (Gemma Chan) may be alive and well in enemy territory, he signs up for a military mission to infiltrate a research base and destroy a weapon that could end the war for good. The weapon, it turns out, is an extraordinary AI in the form of a little girl (Madeleine Yuna Voyles)." -- Via AvClub

The Creator

The Creator    [trailer]

Against the backdrop of a war between humans and robots with artificial intelligence, a former soldier finds the secret weapon, a robot in the form of a young child.

Tonally difficult, with a mish-mash of influences, and a story that often didn't make a lot of sense.

I was tempted to turn it off midway. The disconnect between the jingoistic US military action and the rest of the story is just too vast.

Has someone counted how many times the characters say "Oh shit"?

The Creator: Review

Rage against the machine 

7 years have passed since Gareth Edwards last made a film, but it’s been even longer since he’s been able to unleash an original vision on the world. But after years dealing with atomic lizards (Godzilla) and Star Wars rebellions (Rogue One), The Creator finds him on much more, well, creative ground. Free from studio control, his latest sci-fi film is practically bursting with interesting ideas and weighty topics, but just falls short with its execution. 

Exploring themes that feel eerily close to home, The Creator is an ‘AI film’ that was conceived before CHATGPT and creepy AI music covers were even a thing. In a handy newsreel montage, we learn how mankind has created AI replicants to do human jobs, and even take on the likeness of real humans (à la Blade Runner). But when an AI atomic bomb drops on LA, war breaks out between AI and the humans, leading pockets of replicants to hide out in Asia.

Fast forward to 2070, and we follow Joshua (John David Washington), an ex-soldier who lost his wife Maya (Gemma Chan), an AI sympathiser, and his unborn child during an undercover raid on an AI base. After years of grieving, Joshua is reluctantly recruited by the US army to locate and destroy a deadly weapon created by the mysterious AI ‘Creator’. But when the weapon turns out to be a small replicant child (Madeleine Yuna Voyles) who might have info about Maya’s disappearance, things start to get a bit complicated. 

If that sounds like a lot to take in, it is. From a script written by Edwards and Rogue One co-writer Chris Weitz, this is an ambitious film that explores big topics like AI sentience and what it means to be human, while also featuring earth-shattering scraps of an unprecedented scale. That it works is largely down to the human story that holds it all together. 

As Joshua and his unlikely charge ‘Alphie’ elude the pursuit of the androids and the US army (led by a ruthless Alisson Janney), the film settles into a bit of a road trip groove, as Joshua is forced to confront his anti-AI convictions. Despite all of the man on robot carnage on display, some of the best scenes simply bask in the chemistry of this central relationship, While Washington oozes paternal charisma and longing for his lost love, Voyles is unbelievably good in her debut performance as ‘Alphie’, an innocent child already wise to the brutalities of the world.

Just like with Rogue One and his debut film Monsters, this also profits from existing in a world that feels grounded and lived-in. You can completely believe Edwards stowed himself away for 7 years to realize all of the hidden details, from his futuristic vision of real-world locations like LA and Thailand, to the fascinating design of the android craniums. It’s so convincingly done that you won’t even bat an eyelid when you see some androids watching an AI strip show, or a cool scene where a human consciousness is momentarily plugged into a replicant corpse. 

If The Creator excels when it goes small, the opposite is true when it goes big. The action is gorgeously shot by cinematographers Greig Fraser and Oren Soffer, but the big battles feel strangely stilted, lacking the imagination on display elsewhere. The same can also be said for the film’s rushed final act, which doesn’t seem to know what to do with the ideas at its disposal. But thankfully, this won’t do much to hamper your enjoyment. With more imagination and fascinating details than your typical studio film, there’s plenty here to keep you invested throughout. With any luck, the wait for the next Gareth Edwards film won’t be so long.

Though it runs out of steam near the end, The Creator is a smart and frequently dazzling look at a maybe not-too-distant future, with a heart to match the scale of its ambition.

★★★

Everything was great. Until the last act. Then, all the contrivances come out to play. A great example of a movie that did everything right, except land the ending. Sigh.

The Creator is a 2023 American science fiction action film produced and directed by Gareth Edwards, who co-wrote the screenplay with Chris Weitz. The film stars John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Sturgill Simpson and Allison Janney. 

The Creator will be released on Digital on November 14 and on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD on December 12 via 20th Century Studios. The 2023 sci-fi thriller is directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story).

Edwards co-wrote with Chris Weitz (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Golden Compass). John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Sturgill Simpson, Allison Janney, and Madeleine Yuna Voyles star.

The Creator is presented with Dolby Atmos audio. Special features are listed below.

Special features:

True Love: Making The Creator - 55-minute behind-the-scenes featurette with cast and crew

Amidst a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence, Joshua (John David Washington), a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving the disappearance of his wife (Gemma Chan), 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 humankind. Joshua and his team of elite operatives journey across 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

Pre-order The Creator.

Time 27-Sep-2023 19:45 Day Wednesday Where Cineworld - Rushden Lakes Screen 7 Seat J15 Price £6.47

- What is the purpose of your travel ? - To be free. [Alfie]

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!

The Creator Final Trailer

There is an all-out war between AI and humans. Joshua is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the architect of an advanced AI who has created a weapon with the power to end the war by destroying mankind. Joshua and his team travel across enemy lines and discover that the weapon is an AI in the form of a child.

The Creator stars John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Sturgill Simpson, Madeleine Yuna Voyles, and Allison Janney. The film is directed by Gareth Edwards.

20th Century Studios, New Regency, and Entertainment One’s The Creator releases to theaters on September 29, 2023.