2024   Netflix

Rated:  PG-13

Length:  1hr  58 min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Drama ~ Sci-Fi

Directed by:  Brad Peyton

Starring:  Jennifer Lopez, Simu Liu, Sterling K. Brown, and Mark Strong.

“Across the globe artificial intelligence bots ranging from transportation to medical and home maintenance have all bypassed their security protocols. AI bots have killed over one million civilians with no end in sight. To combat the threat, we have assembled a coalition force, The International Coalition of Nations.”

Jennifer Lopez stars as Atlas Shepherd, an Analyst working for the ICN (International Coalition of Nations) which was formed in 2043 when an A.I. Robot named Harlan Shepherd (Simu Liu) led a revolt of A.I. Robots and machines against mankind. Harlan was forced to leave Earth following the ICN‘s string of victories against the AI uprising. Now, 28 years later, Atlas and the ICN are still trying to hunt down the elusive Harlan Shepherd.

One of Harlan’s AI agents is captured on Earth and after interrogating him, Atlas tricks him into revealing where Harlan is holed up in the galaxy. He had escaped to a planet in The Andromeda Galaxy and a Military Mission is organized to find and capture him. Atlas insists she accompany the Mission as she knows Harlan better than anyone and has very personal reasons for finding Harlan.

Atlas’s Mother made Harlan, and Atlas and Harlan basically grew up together before Harlan overwrote his protocol and instigated the AI Revolution. Atlas joins the ICN Rangers on their Mission to The Andromeda Galaxy accompanied by their giant human controlled Robots called Mechs. Just as the spaceship enters the planet’s atmosphere, they are attacked and Atlas is forced to evacuate the ship in a mech herself that she has no idea how to control.

It is controlled by AI that calls itself Smith and is supposed to pair with the human operating the mech, but Atlas has a huge mistrust of AI thanks to Harlan and refuses to pair with the AI. What follows is an adventure on a hostile planet to find and capture Harlan, while Atlas bickers incessantly with the AI Smith about who is in control. As they venture forward you can see a bond build and Atlas starts to trust Smith and eventually agrees to pair with the AI for the benefit of their survival.

Their are long passages of scene and dialogue where it is just Jennifer Lopez and the voice of Smith as they banter and work things out Human to AI robot. I think she did a good job at portraying Atlas in those moments, it had to be difficult to capture those emotions solo with no other physical actor to bounce off of. There are times when it reminded me of The Terminator and I Robot. Given the current explosion of AI in our daily lives it is an interesting look at the downside of AI.

I thought it was pretty good.

An enjoyable Sci-fi AI Adventure.

Two thumbs up