Dune 2 was unfortunately postponed to 2024, but we were able to look forward to a completely new sci-fi story that few had on their radar and surprised many with its dark mix of Apocalypse Now and Blade Runner.
The Creator is the brainchild of Gareth Edwards, who made a name for himself in the science fiction genre with the 2014 Godzilla reboot and Rogue One. Rogue One in particular showed that Edwards can combine serious sci-fi with impressive images and a strong story.
For his latest work, the Welsh director was inspired not only by Star Wars, but above all by the genre veterans E.T. and Blade Runner and the gripping war hell from Apocalypse Now. Now that The Creator has been released in cinemas at the end of September, you can already rent it cheaply from Prime Video. Sci-fi fans should not miss out on this surprise hit
If you would prefer to add The Creator to your collection as a physical home cinema edition, you can already pre-order the 4K version *, Blu-ray * and DVD *. But then you’ll have to wait until the home theater release on January 19.
This is the best sci-fi film of 2023
The Creator sends us to the year 2070, where there is a fierce battle between man and machine – between the Western world, led by the US military, and android robots that have retreated to the new continent of New Asia. The United States is bombarding the continent with a terrifying superweapon, NOMAD, in search of Nirmata, the legendary mastermind behind the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence. In the midst of this conflict is ex-soldier Joshua (John David Washington), who is tasked with tracking down Nirmata. But Nirmata is not what Joshua had imagined.
A mixture of Star Wars, Avatar, E.T., Blade Runner, Terminator and Apocalypse Now
Of course, Edwards quotes Star Wars when he has the gigantic Nomad weapon of mass destruction hovering over New Asia with its blue targeting laser. According to the director, E.T. was also one of his main influences, which is reflected in the emotional relationship between the soldier Joshua and Nirmata.
But above all, I see a lot of Blade Runner in Edward’s work. The question of whether artificial intelligence will one day develop a consciousness and be able to express its own thoughts and feelings has preoccupied mankind for decades and is more topical than ever. Edwards didn’t necessarily want to profit from the current AI hype, as the film was already in development before the breakthrough of Chat GPT.
Rent The Creator on Prime Video
Apocalypse Now is also often cited by Edwards as an inspiration. And indeed, with the fierce battle between man and machine, he created his very own dark war epic that barely gives you time to breathe. Terminator should also be cited as a role model when it comes to legendary man-machine blockbusters.
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Edwards’ sci-fi thriller looks like a best-of of its great role models and yet creates something new. A world of its own, which, thanks to grandiose worldbuilding similar to that of James Cameron’s Avatar, seems incredibly credible. It’s not just the worldbuilding that plays in the A-league, but also the visual power of the images, which Edwards stages with an 80 million budget in such a way that you could easily expect twice that amount.
Watch the trailer for The Creator here:
However, The Creator is not entirely perfect. While the subject matter, effects, camerawork and action sequences are almost universally praised by critics, there are weaknesses in the screenplay in particular. The sci-fi epic only achieves some of the depth of its role models and the plot also feels very familiar and is very predictable in parts. Despite its weaknesses, The Creator is great sci-fi cinema that deserves great praise, especially for its courage in telling an original story and not simply expanding on a franchise.
