‘The Creator’ is Being Hailed as One of the Best Sci-Fi Movies, But Is it Really?

Gareth Edwards' The Creator is currently being hailed as one of the best sci-fi films in recent times. Although the film has yet to hit the theaters for the general audience, it has had multiple screenings until now for media persons, critics, and influencers. The common thing among all of them is they all went with low expectations and came out surprised. We'll find out how much truth they're telling in the coming days, but for now, let's analyze the first reactions and reviews from different critics.

‘The Creator’ is set amidst a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence. Joshua, a tough ex-special forces agent grieving the loss of his wife, is hired to track down and assassinate the Creator, the elusive creator of sophisticated AI who has created a mystery weapon with the capacity to end the war... and humanity itself. Joshua and his team of special operators penetrate enemy lines into the dark core of AI-occupied territory, only to discover that the world-ending weapon he's been tasked with destroying is really an AI in the form of a little child.

AI is the main subject of this film, so the timing of this film is perfect as this is what we are discussing in real life as well. 20th Century Studios is also promoting the film by highlighting the impacts of AIs and showcasing the Androids from the film and this seems to going down very well with the audience, but is it going to turn into good box-office numbers? Only time will tell.

Coming to the first reactions - everyone is of the opinion that The Creator is the best sci-fi of the year and also one of the best works by Gareth Edwards who has directed films like Rogue One, Godzilla, and Monsters. Below are some of the reactions:

Gareth Edwards’ #TheCreator is the kind of big, bold original sci-fi we don’t see much of anymore. It’s refreshing & exhilarating entertainment that combines visceral action spectacle w/ emotion & nerdy thought-provoking sci-fi elements. John David Washington & Madeleine Yuna Voyles are terrific. Among my favs of the year for sure - this one gets a BIG recommendation from me. - Erik Davis

#TheCreator is a masterpiece & one of the year's best movies. It hits on so many levels with AI being such a hot topic. Gareth Edwards does a masterful job of keeping the audience engaged every step of the way. Madeleine Yuna Voyles has to be in the conversations for The Oscars pic.twitter.com/n8XSTiNqcm

— Joseph Deckelmeier (@joedeckelmeier) September 19, 2023

Visually #TheCreator is PHENOMENAL. If you want a cinematographer on the rise to keep your eye on, it’s Oren Soffer. This movie is one stunning frame after the next. pic.twitter.com/s1swupvGfN

— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) September 19, 2023

Apart from these Twitter / X reactions, I was also able to get a proper analysis of the film from someone who went to the screening - Madeleine Yuna Voyles has done a really great job as the little girl and her bonding with John David Washington making their relationship sound alive and real. The visual effects in the film are quite good considering the film only has a budget of $82 million, in fact, it is better than most of the films released this year, like The Flash and Ant-Man 3. The androids shown in the film seem to be quite real and it is probably because practical effects have been used instead of just only VFX.

The story of the film was quite refreshing, it starts very well and builds the story at a good pace, but the third and final act seemed a bit rushed making the film just a bit above average. The ending of the film leaves the possibility of a sequel open if the film succeeds. The final rating should be 6.5 or 7 out of 10.

The first reaction by celebrity journalists could be deceptive sometimes. The Flash is a perfect example - it was hailed as the best superhero movie of all time in the first reactions, but as soon as the first reviews were out, it became clear where it was heading and when the audience reached the theaters, it surely became one of the worst films of the year and later it flopped badly.

However, in this case, we have our review, and this film is watchable, especially because it has good visual effects and practical effects like Ex Machina and the lead actors have done a really good job in portraying the characters of a post-apocalyptic world.

‘The Creator’ stars John David Washington as Joshua, Madeleine Yuna Voyles as Alfie, Gemma Chan as Maya, Ken Watanabe as Harun, Sturgill Simpson as Shipley, Allison Janney as Howell, and Ralph Ineson as Andrews. Directed by Gareth Edwards, who co-wrote the screenplay with Chris Weitz, ‘The Creator’ will be released on September 29 in theaters, worldwide.