You'd think a sci-fi movie in which Jennifer Lopez partners with a smart-ass, sentient mech suit to fight against her evil AI brother would be a little more fun. Sorry, Atlas — Netflix's latest attempt at a hit streaming action movie — takes itself far too seriously. It also fails to delve into the complexities of the AI debate, despite the doomsday scenario of conflict between friendly AI assistants and machine intent. There are some funny moments, especially the confrontation between Lopez and his mechanical companion, but every other part of the film seems to be fighting against them. Atlas'True form. It's a buddy comedy that's trying too hard to be a serious action movie.
Atlas Taking place nearly three decades after The Rebellion, an advanced AI bot named Harlan (Simo Liu) helps free the other machines, who then bypass their own safety protocols and start a war with humanity. . It's a setup that echoes many real-world concerns. Except in this case, the AIs lose, and Harlan leaves the planet to lick his wounds – but not before unleashing a dire threat to the human population. Atlas (Lopez), the daughter of Harlan's creator who essentially grew up with him as a sibling, spends the next 28 years trying to figure out where Harlan went in order to escape the danger. can be eliminated in a good way. The film begins with him discovering the location after interrogating the severed head of an AI chicken.
The most important thing you need to know about Atlas is that she absolutely hates AI and, by extension, most futuristic technology. He has the same fears that many of us do (along with sci-fi characters like Will Smith I, the robot), which is exacerbated by the fact that the technology surrounding it can be hacked and exploited by Harlan and his colleagues. At one point, while briefing a group of soldiers, she says, “You can't trust AI,” handing over plans printed on paper.
This fear especially extends to a device called NeuralLink (not to be confused with the Elon Musk-backed NeuralLink), which allows the human mind to connect directly to an AI companion. It's a nice idea, but the film never slows down enough to explore it in depth. Inevitably, Atlas has no choice but to use a neural link to connect himself to an AI named Smith (Gregory James Cohen) who looks exactly like Siri and is housed inside a Mac suit. Titanfall.
Be that as it may, the relationship between Smith and Atlas is easily the best part of the film. Atlas is cynical and sarcastic, and due to his adaptive learning abilities, Smith soon becomes exactly the same. The AI swears and makes jokes, making it up to Atlas as she does to him. The banter is genuinely funny, even though you can see it coming a mile away, their inevitable friendship still feels touching. It's worth watching the whole movie just for its heart-wrenching finale.
The problem with Atlas Not so much that it's predictable (though that doesn't help, nor does his painfully general vision of the future of sci-fi). It's that the film doesn't lean into that power. Outside of Smith and Atlas, everything else Atlas Self-serious and lazy. Harlan is the ultimate criminal, played by Leo with a stilted effect that makes him more boring than scary. In a future where AI bots can perfectly mimic humans, it's troubling that the latest machine gives directions like an old GPS. Overall, there is a lot of wasted potential. In particular, the film's premise is a perfect framing for current AI debates — Siri vs. Skynet — but doesn't take the opportunity to say anything new.
There are already a number of recent films that explore possible AI futures with a heavy dose of sincerity, be that as it may The creator, Dead reckoningor even Netflix's own War_E. Atlas Nothing adds to this vast body of work. Worse, it fails to capitalize on one of its defining aspects. The comedic moments are the best part of the film, and yet they can feel buried under everything else. Atlas It was an opportunity to have an instant AI conversation and explore it in an accessible Hollywood package. It could have been fun And Smart – Instead, like a lot of AI right now, it's not.
Atlas It starts streaming on Netflix on May 24.