‘Atlas’ review: Jennifer Lopez indulges in sci-fi with disastrous results

In recent years, science fiction has become closer to man and, in particular, has become more interested in his relationship with technology. What led to names like Gravity, Former car And Creatorin complex fantasies with philosophical overtones. Atlas He attempts to do the same and in fact gives special attention to this topic in the first section. But in the Netflix film, what starts out as a fable about who or what to trust and why soon goes astray. The above ends up being a superficial premise that lacks imagination and inventiveness.

Moreover, director Brad Peyton (San Andreas), takes ideas from several films at the same time. And this is without in-depth development of any of them or, especially, with skills. Especially when the center of your plot is an ordinary character whose motives are not very clear. Atlas Shepard (Jennifer Lopez, in another failed attempt at breaking into the action genre) is a data analyst who believes there is a limit to what robots and androids can be allowed to do. This was due to an incident from his childhood where he lost control of his mind and ended in an unlikely tragedy.

However, the plot is developed so clumsily that it does not allow one to understand the hero. This is despite the story’s insistence on showing that its protagonist’s traumatic and painful past is its greatest strength. However, the screenplay by Aron Eli Coleite and Leo Sardarian chooses to generalize rather than explore the real issue. This will result in the plot being dependent on situations that are never fully fleshed out.

A complex topic that is poorly understood

Before this, Atlas Shepard appears to be a figure who believes, albeit in vague, general terms, that technology must be contained and limited. Which, of course, confirms the idea of ​​a feature film. Harlan (Simu Liu, from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings And Barbie) is an out-of-control artificial intelligence that keeps the city of Los Angeles under siege. The only one who can understand the information processed by the advanced device is Lopez’s character. Which puts her in a difficult position to stop the villain of the celebration.

But at the same time, this will lead to the fact that she will have to, whether she likes it or not, interact with the world of machines. Lopez tries to show conflict and moral dilemma, but seems to get tired of the most difficult moments. In particular, due to the need to work alongside safer AI, improved to avoid Harlan’s mistakes, and also possessing human-like intellectual qualities. The above makes Smith (Gregory James Cohen) the only means by which the character can successfully complete his mission. Something that involves both ultimately being connected on a mental level, despite Atlas’s concerns and resistance in this regard.

Of course, the film spends a lot of time making it clear that artificial intelligence is a risk, so Atlas’s decision is somewhat dangerous. The first scene explores that in this futuristic world, the idea that machines can rebel against humans is a reality. Which is apparently what happens to Harlan, who makes an effort to explain that his rebellion against man has obvious roots. This is to prevent the self-destruction of humanity.

Bad copy of the best films

One of the big problems Atlas, is the mixing of the premise of more developed and more complex films into the same script. There are more than obvious references – and all of them weak and poorly developed – to I am a robot and saga Terminator. But the big problem with the plot is that none of these ideas are realized. The film deals with a variety of situations without explanation. how you got there or why it matters matters.

So, there are entire episodes in which Harlan talks about the corruption and evil inherent in human nature without explaining the origin of this opinion. Or the conversations between Atlas and Smith, which talk about humorous and empty parliaments. It may not seem like much until the villain builds his vast plan for world domination around it. It is also an idea that the main characters must fight against. But the script fails to connect ideas smoothly or even coherently. Thus, in the middle of the film’s highlight scenes, the film turns into a visual mess that leads nowhere.

In the end, Atlas It limits itself to telling a story that almost immediately becomes predictable. And all this thanks to an endless series of clichés, which become more obvious and common as the plot progresses. It’s obvious that the film aims to humanize the science fiction genre, but it not only fails to do so. It also ends up being a story without personality that is easy to forget. Your biggest problem.