The Creator (2023) movie.

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Star – John David Washington (Denzel’s son) Director – Gareth Edwards 133 Minutes 6.7 IMDB rating 67% Rottentomatoes 2 Oscar nominations AWARDS - 13 wins & 49 nominations My Rating 7/10 The Creator is the best Science - Fiction film for a while. Not because it’s something special but because it’s subtle. Too many of these big screen films are digital effects happy and all too busy and over-the-top on the big screen, a droid here, a spaceship there or a monster over there where you clearly don’t need them, what finally done for the superhero genre. It’s from director Gareth Edwards, he of the low budget breakthrough film Monsters (2010), that one done entirely big studio free with off the shelf special effects kit, way ahead of his time. His talent was recognised and he was unleashed on Star Wars: Rogue One, where, ironically, he too indulged too much in the digital effects as George Lucas had done previously with the Star Wars re-launch and made an underwhelming movie, recovered well with the Godzilla re-launch. As with many new Sci-Fi genre movies these days the protagonists is required to be black or female to headline the movie to maximise the world–wide gross with a diversity sharpened blade and John David Washington up front here, ex American football star and son of Denzel Washington, of course, both of those things helping him to get here. The female love interest is also ethnic, as are most of the cast but still an English language movie. The basic setup is A.I. has got out of control - Terminator style - in the dystopian future and the A.I systems have built human looking androids and powerful technology and taking over the world from the humans. There is normal interaction in most places but A.I leaders looking to go that next step ahead with a new weapon. Cast Joshu (John David Washington) Maya (Gemma Chan) Madeline (Yuna – Voyles) Colonel Howell (Alison Janney) Harun (Ken Watanabe) Plot Amid a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence, Joshua( JDW), a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving the disappearance of his wife Maya (Gemma Chan), is recruited by US army hardass lady, Colonel Howell (Allison Janney), 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. Mi: What do you want, sweetie? Alphie: For robots to be free. Kami: Oh. We don't have that in the fridge. How about ice cream? They infiltrate the evil complex but the weapon is not what they expect but the order is to still destroy it. Joshua is not keen on that idea and takes it with him instead, especially as it may help him track down his wife who may or may not be dead. This pi**es of the US army and now he is on their hit list as Joshua works out what to do through various alliances and groups. Any good? You look forward to these big movies getting to normal TV in the summer and they become a treat. I don’t pay for a movie package in the summer so this was a welcome arrival to Channel 4. I had heard and read good things about it. It proved to be a solid watch although a tad long at 2-and-half-hours and some originality on show. Not totally convinced JDW has his dad’s presence and acting skills but did make Mr & Mrs Smith a great watch. BlacKkKlansman was his big winner and playing a similar role here to his one in Tenet. The story is by-the-way and the acting so-so but what I like best about it, as I did Monsters, is the look and feel and the restraint in special effects. Obviously anything set in the future needs a lot of C.G.I. to create the future and its machinery but this gets it bang on. Edwards is the U.Ks next Ridley Scott, that there is no doubt, nearing his Oscar not too long from now. Here he uses the natural beauty of the world and applies a sprinkling of lasers and scanners and just the one mother ship to get the balance right. Too many explosions and over-engineered kit ruins these films. It just got the right look and feel about it as our hero moves through those landscapes like his conscious does over what to do. The ending is predictable as it is perfunctory in those movies and does set up the sequel with a look to camera but good fun getting there. Definitely one to watch for those tired of the genre. It’s not quite as original as District 9 or distinctive as Blade Runner but an enjoyable watch. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11858890/trivia/?ref_=tt_dyk_trv