The Creator: This was a big budget sci fi feature that was also heavily advertised at it headed into the theatres. I think it was meant to attract those “big screen” movie watchers (like me) who want to see epic sights on the bigger screens. It stars Denzel Washington’s son, John David Washington as well as Allison Janney, looking older than I have ever seen her, and Ken Wanatabe. This futuristic tale centres mostly on one man’s journey but a world where there is an ongoing conflict with the US and other East Asia countries with the issue of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The proliferation of technology and AI was spreading throughout the world until there was a nuclear event in LA, California where millions were instantly killed. The US decided that AI was evil, and that it should be banned. Other countries, notably in southeast Asia did not agree and pursued using more AI. The US did not take kindly to this and viewed all countries continuing with AI development as “the enemy”. The story continues.

The AI robots/drones/droids have borrowed heavily from the look and feel of the robots in 2014’s Ex Machina with Alicia Vikander as the robot. There is a human-like face, with a rear of the head looking like technology. In this instance a circular spinning wheel, much like a gerbil’s wheel. The protagonist Joshua (Washington), on a personal level is in southeast asia, looking like Thailand with a pregnant Asian partner. An attack by Americans happen, and we learn that Joshua is involved in the intelligence side of the US efforts. They are searching for the creator of the advanced AI. Things happen.

This didn’t suck, but it wasn’t overly compelling either. In many ways I saw it borrowing from other similar stories like The Golden Child with Eddie Murphy or a little too of HBO’s The Last of Us. I think about questions like, why would an artificial intelligence make a child-sized robot? If there is a human element to the robot, does it grow? If so, how does the machinery grow with the human element? Clearly within the robot AI world there is aging robots (like Watanabe), but why would you add grey hair? How about why don’t you use your earth-based technology and shoot the monster, missile-firing mega-ship out of the sky? For an audience I think that more than a fewer in Southeast Asian countries like Viet Nam might have some PTSD watching US military attacks by air and tanks on their soil. In the end, this was okay. I am glad that I didn’t pay for it. It would have been disappointing in a theatre for me. I expect more. I suppose that I expected more truthfully. When an entire military complex seeks one individual, with seemingly another individual trying to protect it, it can become silly very quickly. I will leave it at that.

Minx: On Crave I was told about this comedy series, which definitely would be considered more adult entertainment. Specifically, there is plenty of full frontal nudity. Now that I have your attention, the series is set in the early 70s with a young woman who is looking to publish a feminist-based magazine to empower women. She is Joyce Prigger, played by Ophelia Lovibond who has struggled in her efforts and decides to go to a publishing convention. By happenstance she runs into Doug, played by Jake Johnson, who is a publisher of various pornographic magazines. Doug listens to Joyce and makes her a generous offer. Holding her nose, and feeling more like this is a final chance to get started, Joyce agrees. There is obvious creative tension as Joyce has to accept that naked men centrefolds will be part of her politically focused magazine.

This can be fun. There is no lack of nudity for both men and women, including the fireman cover on the premier issue. There are issues in creating the content, finding advertisers, and getting distribution. Oh yes, the mob is involved in the trucking of the magazines to the corner stores and porn shops. Joyce struggles at times, and her more mainstream sensibilities are challenged by the practical street smarts of Doug. I have finished four episodes and I look forward to more.