Gareth Edwards’ The Creator may be a great looking disc, but as a movie it’s a complete mess.
The Production: 3/5
The year is 2055, and the United States has blamed the detonation of a nuclear warhead in Los Angeles on Artificial Intelligence, launching an all-out war between the United States and “New Asia” (a conglomerate of Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Japan, Bangladesh, Bhutam, Nepal and India), a society that has embraced AI. The US believes that an operative going by the name of Nirmata (Nepalese for “Creator”) is behind the technological advances of AI in New Asia. A weaponized space station called NOMAD has been developed to exterminate instances of AI, and Joshua Taylor (John David Washington) has been working undercover to find Nirmata and believes that his pregnant wife Maya (Gemma Chan) may be Nirmata’s daughter. But his cover is blown when US forces move in to extract Joshua minutes before NOMAD launches a strike on their seaside home, seemingly killing Maya and their unborn child in the process. Five years later, Joshua is working in Los Angeles assisting in the cleanup effort from the atomic strike when he is approached by General Andrews (Ralph Ineson) and Colonel Howell (Allison Janney). They believe that Nirmata has developed a weapon designed to destroy NOMAD, and want Joshua to join them on a covert mission to find and destroy that weapon, using the possibility that Maya could actually still be alive as bait. Joshua agrees to join the mission, but when he is confronted by the weapon that turns out to be an AI child named Alphie (Madeline Yuna Voyles), and that Alphie may hold the key to finding Maya, the two embark on a journey to find his wife while being chased by Howell and her squadron.
The Creator, directed by Gareth Edwards from a script he co-wrote with Chris Weitz (the two had previously teamed up on Rogue One), tries awfully hard to be a morality tale, but its message often gets lost in the visuals and action set pieces. The movie also takes itself way too seriously, never really bringing in any comedic relief to its dystopian material. I really wanted to like this movie, which had been highly recommended by a friend, but found myself mostly bored and confused for much of its 133-minute running time.
Video: 5/5
3D Rating: NA
The Creator was captured in 4K resolution using DJI Mavic 2 drone, Sony ILME-FX3 and Sony PXW-FX9 cameras and completed as a 4K digital intermediate in the 2.76:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Vision HDR for its premium format theatrical exhibitions. Disney’s 2160p HEVC encode may only provide HDR10, but this is a reference-level picture with deep blacks and strong shadow detail, particularly during the many night-time sequences. Detail is exceptional, providing an often razor sharp image with artificial grain that has been applied minimally enough to give it a more gritty look. Colors are natural and vivid where intended, but never appearing oversaturated.
Audio: 5/5
The default Dolby Atmos track does not disappoint. This is a very immersive mix, with sounds emanating all around you and moving seamlessly. Heights are used to good effect for flyovers and atmospherics. LFE is beefy to give explosions and such a much-needed wallop. Dialogue is clear and understandable throughout.
Special Features: 3/5
The included Blu-ray edition contains a single featurette. As usual, the UHD disc is movie-only.
True Love: Making “The Creator” (1080p; 55:47): This is a surprisingly detailed look at the making of the film, presented in the movie’s same 2.76:1 aspect ratio.
Digital Copy: A Movies Anywhere code is included to redeem a 4K digital copy in addition to Disney Movie Insiders rewards points.
Overall: 3.5/5
The Creator is a great looking and sounding disc, but the movie’s storyline is a convoluted mess
Creator, The [4K UHD]
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Todd Erwin has been a reviewer at Home Theater Forum since 2008. His love of movies began as a young child, first showing Super 8 movies in his backyard during the summer to friends and neighbors at age 10. He also received his first movie camera that year, a hand-crank Wollensak 8mm with three fixed lenses. In 1980, he graduated to "talkies" with his award-winning short The Ape-Man, followed by the cult favorite The Adventures of Terrific Man two years later. Other films include Myth or Fact: The Talbert Terror and Warren's Revenge (which is currently being restored). In addition to movie reviews, Todd has written many articles for Home Theater Forum centering mostly on streaming as well as an occasional hardware review, is the host of his own video podcast Streaming News & Views on YouTube and is a frequent guest on the Home Theater United podcast.
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