Review: The Creator

The Creator takes place in a world where AI robots have declared war on humans. But their secret weapon is the last thing Josh Taylor was expecting. Stars John David Washington (Tenet) and Gemma Chan (TV series Humans). Directed by Gareth Edwards (Rogue One, Monsters).Before English director Gareth Edwards was seduced to the dark side by Hollywood for films like Godzilla and Rogue One, he made his name with an ingenious, low-budget sci-fi film called Monsters about a road trip through alien-infested Mexico. Now he's returned to those roots with The Creator which dives into the topic-du-jour this year, AI.The Creator opens with a potted history of robots as they become more and more sophisticated - not just useful, but increasingly human. Until one day, predictably, they declare war on us. Goodness knows machines have been attacking us in movies for decades - most famously in The Terminator films. Our hero Josh Taylor - John David Washington - has been sent undercover to investigate the enemy in New Asia. Unlike the noble heroes of the West, determined to defeat robots and human look-alikes called "simulants", perfidious New Asian humans are actually in league with them.Josh is about to uncover the rogue architect of simulants. To that end he's even married the Creator's daughter Maya, played by Gemma Chan. But after a botched invasion, the AI robots and Maya get away before Josh can discover The Creator's new secret weapon.So an anti-AI squad led by a hard-nosed Allison Janney is set up to capture the secret weapon, and Josh goes along with them to try and find his wife Maya.And as we watch the patrol cross the paddy-fields of New Asia, we're reminded of every Vietnam War movie ever made - particularly Apocalypse Now.But as the Western squad blasts the enemy - not just robots and simulants but peasants, old and young - we're given uncomfortable reminders of some real-life, questionable invasions.It's like the old Mitchell and Webb sketch of the two SS officers wondering "Are we the baddies?"Nowhere is this underlined more than when Josh discovers that the secret weapon devised by The Creator is in the shape of a child. But is it just "in the shape of" a young human? How human has AI become? Is this still handy equipment or evolution? As far as Josh's troops are concerned, Alphie the super-robot must be captured, or destroyed.Josh succeeds in getting Alphie out of the simulants' camp, but then starts to have more doubts. This is shadowy territory. Who's a human, who's a robot, and what's the difference now? …Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details