The recently released, Brad Peyton’s, sci-fi movie ‘Atlas,’ now available on Netflix, has a reminiscent feel to the movies produced in the ’90s. Coming out May 24th, Atlas is perhaps the video game movie for a game that wasn’t actually created as a game at all, borrowing elements of ‘Titanfall’, ‘Mechwarrior’, and ‘Armored Core’.
Thus, “Atlas” combines elements of these movies with elements of popular games and the measure of the action film “Pacific Rim” offering the viewer fun and dynamic combat of mechas and a powerful and so necessary at the present time, people-pleasing script. In today’s overly critical world of ‘critics pick one thing apart’, ”Atlas” gives a breath of fresh air to every moviegoer by presenting phenomenal performances, creative actions, and remarkable visual effects.
The plot of the movie starts in 2071, after AI has revolted against humans and Earth is rather uninhabitable due to the android terrorist known as Harlan (Simu Liu). Harlan, built by the main character’s scientist mother (Lana Parilla) escapes to the planet GR-39 in the Andromeda galaxy, where he is discovered twenty-eight years later. A spin off from ‘Sleepless’ it revolves around Atlas Shepherd played by Jennifer Lopez, a data analyst, with a history with Harlan, in joining forces with special operation commander Colonel Elias Banks portrayed by Sterling K Brown to capture Harlan.
To succeed in the lethal context and her endeavor, Atlas has to conquer her fear of AI by building a connection with battle mech’s active intermediary persona, Smith (Gregory James Cohan). The relationship of Lopez and her AI friend enriches the story’s presence of action and imposes the themes of trust and cooperation to the audience in the context of the technologically advanced society.
They often take place within fantastic settings and exist as both thrillers and heroic adventures: “Atlas” is a film that fits both of these definitions, carrying fans of the fantastic together with the well-known motifs of action movies of the golden age. Having a good cast, interesting storyline, and great graphics, “Atlas” is a movie that will interest both fans of “Cinemax” of the eighties and lovers of modern sci-fi.
