Story
In a futuristic world where humanity has spent decades developing robotic Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help make things easier, machines have been integrated into every aspect of life. Many of them are so advanced that they not only behave and act like humans, they’ve begun to look like them too.
When the AI are blamed for detonating a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles that kills millions of people, the Western world goes to war against them in the hopes of completely eradicating AI from the planet once and for all. ‘New Asia’ does not believe the AI are a threat and they refuse to ban or destroy them, allowing all AI to live freely in their cities and communities.
Sergeant Joshua Taylor (John David Washington) goes undercover in New Asia, on a mission to get close to a woman named Maya (Gemma Chan) who he hopes will lead him to her father, a legendary AI developer called Nirmata. Joshua goes above and beyond in the line of duty, falling in love with and marrying Maya. The pair are expecting a baby when a US operation lands in New Asia with a space-age weapon, NOMAD, that is capable of targeting and killing countless AI. The operation blows Joshua’s cover and NOMAD kills his Maya, along with multiple other people. Joshua is taken back to the US where he is haunted by what happened to his wife and unborn child.
Five years later, when commanding officers ask him to lead a team back into New Asia to kill Nirmata and a new weapon rumoured to be so powerful that it can end the war between humanity and the AI, Joshua flatly refuses. He wants nothing more to do with those who ordered the attack that robbed him of his family. It’s only when he sees footage of Maya, taken only days before, that he agrees to go, provided he gets to bring Maya back safely.
Joshua is able to use his knowledge of New Asia to help the soldiers gain access to the secret facility where the weapon is kept. Things don’t quite go according to plan and Josh is the first one to locate the weapon – which appears to be a little girl called Alphie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles). Joshua’s first priority is to find Maya and he uses Alphie to help him find her, but he slowly comes to realise what Alphie can do and how important she is. With US forces closing in for the kill, and New Asia hunting him as a kidnapper, Joshua will do anything to find Maya and he will stop at nothing to protect Alphie and help her to fulfil her destiny.
Themes
War and rampant destruction; anti-Imperialism; artificial intelligence; a child separated from parents; death of loved ones
Violence
The Creator has frequent violence. For example:
- A nuclear explosion decimates Los Angeles, killing millions.
- An AI soldier repeatedly smashes an American in the face, kicking him and punching him while he begs for his life.
- Maya holds Joshua at gunpoint and then runs through a firefight between humans and AI.
- The US fires a bomb at the boat Maya and others are on, destroying it and causing massive damage.
- The charred remains of a mother and child are shown in the back of a car.
- Massive machines crush thousands of robots while they are still alive and trying to escape.
- A woman explains how her son was slowly cut up and killed.
- Scientists are shot at point blank range, and their bloody bodies are left lying on the ground.
- A US soldier prepares to cut a head off a body so she can use it for facial recognition.
- Multiple police cars are attacked and blown up.
- Joshua holds a gun on Alphie on a couple of occasions, struggling with the notion of whether to pull the trigger, especially when his orders are to kill her.
- A US soldier is shot in the backpack with a bomb that attaches to her person and explodes once she is in an aircraft, killing everyone on board.
- Missiles and bombs are dropped on numerous villages, causing mass casualties and complete destruction.
- A dog takes a bomb towards a bunch of AI police and it detonates, destroying them all. Body parts continue to move on their own, even after they have all been blown up.
- Police shoot into a crowd and at a car full of kids as it speeds past a checkpoint.
- Joshua threatens to get a crowbar and pry the information he needs out of Alphie’s head.
- An AI police officer is strangled and killed, and his cruiser is stolen by US operatives.
- Numerous guns are trained at the back of Alphie’s head as soldiers prepare to kill her.
- Joshua shoots at AI police and another soldier blasts an AI, whose face is blown off.
- A female AI is blasted apart and another character is devastated, crying over her inert body.
- A character rips off a robot’s head.
- Huge, US army machines bulldoze their way through a New Asian village, destroying everything in their path and killing civilians indiscriminately as they fight to save themselves.
- Police and soldiers are targeted and killed, while terrified children watch.
- A bomb runs into the village and detonates, causing mass destruction. Alphie intervenes with the next bomb and causes it to stop but, when she is shot, the bomb reactivates and Joshua is just able to get Alphie away before the second bomb detonates and further attacks destroy the city completely.
- A soldier pretends to help an AI reconstruct herself but once she gets the information she was after, she shoots the AI in the face.
- Maya talks about how she grew up in a village of orphans cared for by AI. When they were attacked and a friend was killed, the AI who acted as the mother turned herself off as she couldn’t bear to be without her child.
- Numerous soldiers and AI are shot, killed, or otherwise destroyed in a range of brutal ways.
- People scream as they are sucked out of an air hatch and fall back down into the atmosphere.
- Numerous AI villages are destroyed, one after the other, as missiles are launched by a mechanical station intent on destroying all AI life and anyone supporting them.
Sexual references
The Creator has some sexual references. For example:
- Joshua asks Maya if she’s sure that he’s the father of her child.
- One character comments on how humans raped and murdered Neanderthals out of existence.
- An AI says to the humans, ‘Please make love to yourself and also to your mother’.
- Alphie asks Joshua, ‘If you are not a robot, how are you made?’
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
The Creator has some substance use. For example:
- Characters drink at a club.
- Beers are seen beside guards playing a card game.
Nudity and sexual activity
The Creator has some nudity and sexual activity. For example:
- Joshua is shirtless as he and Maya kiss and caress each other in bed, admiring her bare, pregnant belly.
- AI are seen dancing in a provocative way while others watch.
- A human man and an AI appear to have a romantic relationship together.
Product placement
There’s no product placement in The Creator.
Coarse language
The Creator has some coarse language.
Ideas to discuss with your children
The Creator is a futuristic, sci-fi, action-packed drama. The movie boasts stunning special effects, excellent cinematography, and powerful performances. While it might appeal to younger teens, the content is best suited to older teens and adults.
These are the main messages from The Creator:
- No matter where we come from, how we live or what we look like, it’s our actions that define who we are.
- We are all connected.
Values in The Creator that you could reinforce with your children are empathy, persistence, compassion, courage and love.
The Creator could also give you the chance to talk with your children about real-life issues like these:
- Believing what others tell you and not questioning where the information has come from or what someone else’s agenda might be.
- Using violence as a means to solve conflict and attempting to eradicate an entire population, as opposed to trying to establish understanding and peace.
- Believing that some lives may be more valuable than others.
- Relying heavily on artificial or intellectual intelligence and forgetting that sometimes the most powerful intelligence comes from the heart.