TL;DR – It has a rough start, but kind of finds its feet, but probably long after most of switched it off.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid for the Netflix service that viewed this film.

Atlas Review –

Well, if there has been one technology that can define the 2020s, it is AI. As much as that affects behind-the-scenes in exciting but also exploitive and dubious ways, we are also going to see that come to the forefront of narratives. Today’s film does just that as we dive into the world on the edge.

So to set the scene, everything was going fine on Earth until one day, every AI robotic component on Earth rebelled, killing millions. All the damage was seemingly set off by one Robot called Harlan (Simu Liu) who helped kill millions before what was left of the world combined under the ICN and fought back. Harlan escaped the planet, but twenty-eight years later, he legacy of destruction is felt by all. No more so than Atlas Shepherd (Jennifer Lopez) who grew up with Harlan as a child. When one of Harlan’s top lieutenants, Casca Vix (Abraham Popoola), was captured on Earth, everyone knew he was ready to return, the one thing Atlas was fighting to stop.

Right from the start, I liked the scenario that they were presenting, but not how they presented it. The opening exposition dump was clunky and stilted and left too much information close to its chest. This meant that when we were first introduced to Atlas, we were missing the needed context to make her entire vibe make any sort of sense. It is a choice that undermines the entire first act of the film and creates distance between the characters that you are meant to forming some sort of bond with. You know it is likely to be a drip feed throughout the film about why Atlas is the way she is, but context is essential, and it was needed here. It’s an unfortunate error that I think might be a deal breaker for many.

Which is a real shame, because from the moment of the ambush onwards, the film becomes a much more interesting engagement. Her conversations with SMITH (Gregory James Cohan) and the growing comradery and antagonism made for a very interesting character piece. The religion AI and the atheistic pilot, the different layers of control and command, who commands who. Yes, the syncing might be better in Pacific Rim, the AI story worked better in The Creator, and there is a great deal of debt that this film owes to I Robot. However, here we have a more intimate exploration. Indeed, the film’s second act is its best, it also when Jennifer Lopez gets to shine.

The production, outside of the issues with the screenplay, is generally quite good. I liked the creation and implantation of the Ranger Mechs, even if they get shredded far too quickly. Even if it made no sense for them to be stuck on Earth and to be able to other galaxies, the planet itself was well designed with an almost Gensis Planet vibe with all its shifting biomes. I wish the music had more impact but it doesn’t get in the way at least. Also, it was good that Simu Liu works well as a villain, even if they dramatically underuse Mark Strong.

In the end, do we recommend Atlas? Look, it takes a long time to get going, and that first act is rough. I think it did find its voice halfway through, but then it is questionable if they had anything they wanted to say with that. I found something interesting here, but I would also understand if you wanted to give this one a pass. If you liked Atlas, we would recommend to you Finch.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Atlas
Directed by – Brad Peyton
Written by – Leo Sardarian & Aron Eli Coleite
Music by – Andrew Lockington
Cinematography by – John Schwartzman
Edited by – Bob Ducsay
Production/Distribution Companies – ASAP Entertainment, Safehouse Pictures, Nuyorican Productions, Berlanti-Schechter Films & Netflix
Starring – Jennifer Lopez, Simu Liu, Sterling K. Brown, Gregory James Cohan, Mark Strong, Abraham Popoola & Lana Parrilla with Briella Guiza, Adia Smith-Eriksson, Logan Hunt, Jared Shimabukuro, Ashley J. Hicks, Paul Ganus & Zoe Boyle
Rating – Australia: M;