Highlights
- Jennifer Lopez stars as an AI-hating data analyst in the trailer for Atlas.
- The Netflix film hails from reliable action movie talent.
- Atlas drops on Netflix May 24.
Robo J-Lo
During last year’s Hollywood writer and actor’s strike, we heard a lot about how artificial intelligence could damage not only the livelihood of artists but the creative process in general. Nightmare scenarios involving studio execs typing prompts into ChatGPT to create film scripts were everywhere. And while there’s no proof that Atlas, Netflix’s forthcoming sci-fi action film, was created in this way, watching the trailer sure makes you FEEL like it was.
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You can practically see them lazily typing, “Give me a logline for a sci-fi action movie starring Jennifer Lopez with a plot about learning to love AI”. In seconds the program cobbles together this:
“Atlas Shepherd (Jennifer Lopez), a brilliant but misanthropic data analyst with a deep distrust of artificial intelligence, joins a mission to capture a renegade robot with whom she shares a mysterious past. But when plans go awry, her only hope of saving the future of humanity from AI is to trust it.”
Yep, that’s copy/pasta from Netflix’s YouTube channel. And, to be fair, when you watch the trailer that is exactly what you’ll get. Though, not much more. But let’s get into it anyway.
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In Atlas, Jennifer Lopez plays Agent Atlas Shepherd. She hates AI, especially one named Harlan (Simu Liu with shiny eyes) who was built to help mankind but, in a very familiar twist, ended up almost destroying it instead. Harlan has resurfaced somewhere… looks like another planet, because she has to take a spaceship there… and Atlas is off to hunt it down. But things go pear-shaped and our hero finds herself on the planet’s surface inside of a mech suit/power armor that is operated by… oh boy… an AI named “Smith”. How are they ever going to get along?!
What follows is Jennifer Lopez, who is still very much Jenny From the Block (like, she seriously looks the same, it’s amazing) engaging in sassy banter with a bland, calm artificial intelligence as they fight their way to the third act set piece, while learning to trust each other along the way. And if “badass lady in a mech suit” feels like a pull from Aliens, then you won’t be surprised to see a sweaty Ms. Lopez wearing what appears to be Ripley’s tank top in what looks like the final battle scene.
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If you don’t feel like watching the entire movie, jump to the end and watch the Atlas trailer. It’s all there.
Big Talent
For all of its cobbled-together plot and images, Atlas does appear to have been created by humans. The film is directed by Brad Peyton (San Andreas, Rampage) and was written by Leo Sardarian (Startup) and Aron Eli Coleite (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Locke and Key), all of whom have done excellent work and are verifiably living breathing homo-sapiens. Along with Lopez and Liu, the cast features Sterling K. Brown, Gregory James Cohan, Abraham Popoola, Lana Parrilla, and Mark Strong.
A Month Away
Look, judging by this Atlas trailer, the film does not look very original or very good. But that could just be a function of the trailer. Maybe when you view the entire thing, this film comes together. But even if that’s not true (and it doesn’t seem like it) perhaps Atlas could end up something okay to have something on in the background while you finish some work on your laptop. OR maybe this is the next great unintentionally funny cult classic. In which case you’ll have to wait until it drops on Netflix, May 24.
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Check out the poster and watch the Atlas trailer below and PLEASE tell us what you think in the comments!
https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/movie-review-the-ministry-of-ungentlemanly-warfare-guy-ritchie-henry-cavill/
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