Movie Reviews
Atlas Movie Review: Middling sci-fi that leaves much to be desired
Director: Brad Peyton
Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Simu Liu, Sterling K Brown, Mark Strong
Streamer: Netflix
Atlas is centred on Jennifer Lopez’s character, Atlas Shepherd, an analyst with a deep distrust of artificial intelligence, stemming from her childhood experiences. The plot also introduces the world’s first AI terrorist, Harlan (Simu Liu), who leads an AI rebellion that aims to wrest power and control from humanity. The film reminds us of a time when sci-fi films with aliens and robots were dime a dozen. The premise too is as old as the hills.
Even Atlas’ main trauma from her past on account of an AI mishap isn’t necessarily original. This is a protagonist we have already seen in films like I, Robot where the central character suffers from similar trauma, and grows to resent sentient robots. We needed to see a lot more of Atlas’ melancholy beneath the veneer of determination and toughness. Jennifer Lopez’s performance too doesn’t necessarily embody the supposed complexity of this character.