Atlas Movie Review

Atlas (2024)

Watch Atlas on Netflix
Written by: Leo Sardarian and Aron Eli Coleite
Directed by: Brad Peyton
Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Simu Liu, Sterling K. Brown, Mark Strong
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
In a bleak future, an A.I. soldier has determined that the only way to end war is to end humanity.

Verdict
Past mentioning AI often and a few mindless action sequences this doesn't offer much. The characters are boring and the story is predictable. The world is superficial. This had the chance to look at how AI and the threat of AI would affect the world, but it's content to use it as a gimmick and not consider how technology and an imminent threat would impact the future. With the sheer amount of entertainment in various forms that consider the vast possibilities and repercussions of the future, this doesn't even make an effort.
Skip it.

Review
A humanoid AI robot, Harlan (Simu Liu) starts a robot revolution before fleeing the planet and vowing to come back. It feels like pointless fear mongering by bank on AI. The action is mindless.

Twenty-eight years later we follow Atlas Shepherd (Jennifer Lopez) in an automated future. It's a tepid version of the future. Atlas hates technology. Her apartment could have conveyed that, yet despite being against technology, she freely uses it and works in the field. She's called in to interrogate a robot. This part is the best scene in the movie as the robot's damaged head is connected to a suitcase for questioning. Atlas tricks the robot to extract information.

Jennifer Lopez plays Atlas

Earth wants to attack Harlan before he attacked them. Now they have his location, Atlas wants to join the mission despite all the reasons she shouldn't. We get that through a bunch of exposition. I'd imagine the best reasons that prevent her from joining the mission is that she's not a ranger, has no training, and hasn't prepared for this mission. The movie doesn't care and they agree to let her go. I forget how they were going to attack Harlan since they didn't know his location until Atlas revealed it.

This movie is style over substance. This isn't far from images flashing on the screen. The movie's goal is to entertain you just enough so you don't choose another option. This movie is devoid of ideas, instead focusing on action. I'm left with nothing better to do than start picking apart the science and logic or lack thereof.

Atlas is forced to team up with an AI mech suit. Who didn't see that coming? The movie uses a nebulous orb to represent the AI, Smith. In a tactical mech suit, I don't think it's necessary, but the movie wants to have Jennifer Lopez interacting with something. This mech suit does it all. It's a regular Inspector Gadget, though it does provide some nice comic relief as the AI imitates Atlas and learns from her. The underlying mission is undercut in that she has no training or knowledge about this mission. I get why she was added, she's the main character. The movie has created this tension between a human and AI just to set up a payoff later. They're forced to rely on each other, though I don't think the AI needs her. Somehow the AI can access her memories. We discover she hates AI robots with good reason. She even has a past with Harlan. I'd think her hate for Harlan alone would disqualify her from this mission.

Jennifer Lopez plays Atlas

I wonder if part of this is Jennifer Lopez. I'm not sure if it's the way she plays the character or the fact that she's acting by herself. The script certainly doesn't provide any favors. There's an idea in this movie, but this world isn't fully realized. It's treated like a prop when it should be a character. The movie could have explored how a society afraid of an AI attack yet reliant on technology would progress. It doesn't even try.

The movie is just so typical. The narrative forces blame on Atlas for the AI revolution. It's flimsy, but it's a way to manipulate us into caring for the final fight between Atlas and Harlan. It's also why it presents Atlas as against technology just so it can push a developing friendship. It's easy to see where this is going as the narrative is so typical.