The Creator

Gareth Edwards’ The Creator yo-yos so frequently between incompetence and borderline greatness that Duncan and Yomega should consider a joint lawsuit.

Gorgeous cinematography, slick special effects, and choice needle drops (hello, Radiohead!) serve as steadying forces in this tale of a future where the U.S. has wiped out nearly all of the world’s A.I. after the once-helpful tech exploded a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles. And yet the script by Edwards and his Rogue One writer Chris Weitz constantly threatens to undermine the technical gains, favoring clichés and convenience over engrossing storytelling.

Within this milieu, John David Washington can only do so much as Taylor, a former special forces operative pulled back into the field by Col. Howell (a miscast Allison Janney) for one last job — this one oozing with personal connections, back in New Asia where, several years prior, he became overly attached during an undercover mission.

Overseas, senseless killings on the ground and from above serve as largely effective Vietnam War parallels to remind viewers of atrocities committed by the U.S. Military — past, present, and future — and build to a ludicrous final act in which everything that needs to go right for a gutsy task falls into eye-rolling place.

Somehow, even within this series of overly-easy wins, just enough heart is present from the bond between Taylor and an unusually gifted child A.I. he dubs Alphie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles) to keep viewers invested. These cumulative successes aren’t quite enough to warrant an enthusiastic recommendation, but plenty to get one thinking what might have been with just a few revisions.

Grade: C-plus. Rated PG-13. Now playing at AMC River Hills 10, Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co., Carolina Cinemark, and Regal Biltmore Grande.

(Photo: 20th Century Studios)