- Title: Atlas
- IMDb: link
Born from tales of robots rising up against their creators explored in countless science fiction novels and films over decades, Atlas is a lacking entry in the genre that offers so little in terms of original ideas one begins to wonder if the script might have been AI generated. Set in a distant future where AI have risen up against humanity we then jump to an even more distant future where humans are hunting the AI leader having escaped them decades prior.
Earth’s best hope is the hostile Atlas Shepherd (Jennifer Lopez) who doesn’t trust technology (except when she does) and whose mother (Lana Parrilla) was the creator of the AI (Simu Liu) who killed millions before fleeing to the stars. Now an advisor to soem kind of world task force, Atlas hitches a ride with soldiers using BattleTech-inspired suits to an inhospitable planet to to locate an intelligence that will continue to be one-step ahead of them.
Atlas can best be described as as a lackluster computer video game with some fine cut scenes but whose actual story and gameplay are sorely lacking. Far from a warning about technology, the film centers around the prickly Atlas being forced to give up her preconceptions and trust technology to become partners with the AI of her battlesuit in order to stay alive long enough to complete her mission. Of course we’ll also get plenty of internal turmoil, childhood flashbacks, and an emotional catharsis which will help her work through her lifelong issues as well.
Lopez isn’t bad in the role of Atlas, and this movie needs every bit of her star power, but there’s only so much she can do to try and save the script. Aside from her there’s really not much here other than the CGI and effects which provide some momentary distraction from how dumb much of this movie truly is. The other humans are little more than canon fodder and the evil AI are less boogeymen than B-movie action baddies with questionable motives. There are plenty of movies and classic sci-fi novels that offer more imaginative versions of this story which would be better use of your time.
Watch the trailer
