As someone who is deeply immersed in the rapidly evolving world of AI, I am always intrigued by how Hollywood tackles this complex and increasingly important topic. Unfortunately, Netflix's latest action blockbuster, “Atlas,” starring Jennifer Lopez, isn't the groundbreaking sci-fi blockbuster it hoped to be. Instead, it's a stale, outdated relic that's content to reuse well-worn tropes about artificial intelligence rather than grappling with its nuanced realities.
In the film, Lopez plays Atlas Shepard, a lonely data analyst haunted by a past AI rebellion. Though the premise is promising, Lopez unfortunately feels underqualified for the technology-warranty protagonist, and her usually engaging screen presence is held back by a script that veers between robotic exposition piles and awkward attempts at buddy-comedy banter.
In the story, after a mission to capture her robot “brother” Harlan (played by Simu Liu) goes awry, Atlas reluctantly teams up with an advanced AI named Smith (voiced with a predictably affable voice). We're led to believe in a budding friendship between woman and machine, a testament to the film's insistence on hammering home its message that “friendship conquers all.” But the execution is hollow, lacking any truly resonant emotional depth or narrative sophistication. The dialogue, reminiscent of that produced by first-generation chatbots, does little to elevate the material.
Visually, Atlas is a mixed bag. While some of the action scenes are certainly impressive in scale, they're often awkwardly edited and rely too heavily on CGI spectacle. The overall aesthetic is strangely dated, lacking the visual ingenuity you'd expect from a big-budget sci-fi movie in 2023. The film's vision of the future, both on Earth and in space, is unimaginative, resembling a low-res video game more than a credible extrapolation of our technological trajectory.
Perhaps the most frustrating thing about Atlas is its simplistic, almost naive take on AI. At a time when the ethical and societal implications of artificial intelligence are at the forefront of public debate, the film chooses to retreat into a simple dichotomy of good vs. evil, human vs. machine. This feels like a missed opportunity, especially given the film's clear intention to explore the complexities of AI and our relationship with it.
Ultimately, Atlas feels like a contradictory film. The movie is desperate to be a crowd-pleasing, popcorn-munching blockbuster but has no heart in it. It's desperate to convey a message of hope and friendship but stumbles with its clumsy execution. Instead of pushing the boundaries of the genre and addressing the very real anxieties surrounding AI, Atlas opts for a safe, predictable and ultimately forgettable experience. It's the kind of film where mass-produced algorithms try to pretend to be human ingenuity, technically brilliant but lacking soul.
