20th Century Studios
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On a reportedly only $80-million budget,The Creatoris one of the best-looking sci-fi movies ever made. Edwards shot the movie entirely on location, using CGI to enhance shots rather than to build them from scratch. Not only does this make every shot of the movie much more tangible, but it grounds the audience in the turmoil in a way that recent big budget MCU entries have resoundingly failed. Gareth Edward’s sense of epic scale is on full display here, using every trick he knows to make the imposing ship, The Nomad (as seen in all promotional materials) as strikingly awe inspiring as possible. As I said in my initial social media reaction, Gareth Edwards really knows how to create a shot that makes you go “oh damn”.
You can find out more about the tricks Gareth Edwards uses to give a sense of scale in his movies in our interview below:
It’s so easy to get engrossed in the world and plight of these characters, but the film stumbles at its core emotional hook. I’m not the only person to say this, as initial pre-embargo social media reactions resoundingly highlighted that the third act emotional beats that aim to squeeze every tear from your face, end up bringing nothing but a feeling that something in the story didn’t quite stick to produce the desired reaction. This is no reflection on the cast; John David Washington brings his A-game and commands every scene he’s in. Gemma Chan (Maya), too, does her best with the screentime, and the young Madeleine Yuna Voyles (Alfie) is an absolute showstopper – showing emotional range and talent that is so incredibly rare from actors her age. I’ll be shocked if she doesn’t at least get a nomination this award season.
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20th Century Studios
It’s such a shame that the emotional depth doesn’t quite hit the lofty heights of everything elseThe Creatorhas to offer. Walking out of my screening, I couldn’t help feeling I’d witnessed somethingalmosttruly special. If one takeaway should come from this movie, it’s that epic scale and intimate stories can be produced with only a portion of the budget we’ve come to expect from blockbusters, and that Gareth Edwards and his team should be applauded for creating something this visually incredible on such a tight budget.
The Creator may not be the perfect sci-fi movie, but it is a bloody good one. An homage to all the best sci-fi movies, and one that on its own merits comes so very close to standing up next to them. I’ll say it again:The Creatoris destined to be the next cult sci-fi classic, and I really hope it succeeds at the box office, as right now we’re in a desperate need of new and original stories – especially ones like this.
The Creator is exclusively in cinemas 29 September
Topics:Star Wars
