Atlas: A Fun, Futuristic Adventure
Understandably, Netflix picked this project up. With ASAP Entertainment and Safehouse Pictures backing them up, we had a chance to get a good movie. We didn't get a great film, that is for sure. And to be honest, we didn't get a good movie either. It was fine. However, what shocked me the most was how this film looked and some of the acting. Some of the action was nice, too. There isn't much to talk about. But there is enough:
Let's talk about the cast—the movie stars Jennifer Lopez, who plays the main character and produces it. Many people and their reviews say she overreacted. I agree. She does tend to do that. However, she played this role quite well. She is in distress the whole movie. So, of course, she will overreact, cuss a little, and be a little dramatic. Jennifer is starting to get back into her movie run these days. Coming out with Marry Me, The Mother, Shotgun Wedding, and the Hustlers, she has some hit-and-runs here. J-Lo pulled a whole new role that she hadn't been in before. The closest she got was her 2002 film, Enough. Anyway, she overacts here in some scenes. However, she did okay, especially toward the end. I enjoyed her in this. She was funny as well, which helped with the dramatic part. Several other big-name celebrities, including Sterling K. Brown, Abraham Popoola, and Mark Strong, took the stage. Of course, they were not the surprising group in this cast. Simu Liu takes the villain role; honestly, he is pretty decent. I enjoyed his performance, and he became a pretty interesting villain. Then there is Gregory James Cohan, who plays the AI Smith, who joins Jennifers' character. He is good, and he is another comedic relief in the movie. Overall, this cast is why I liked this movie a bit better.
I could go into detail about the story and everything, but I will keep it brief. Let's talk about the camera work. It was nice. Every shot was good to look at. In a way, this world looked like something from Star Wars, and most sci-fi movies these days are inspired by Star Wars. Some of the camera work also helped the action, which is nice. Sometimes, the camera can get away from the action. But, here, the camera worked in most instances. And it helped the action look better. Some shots are also in slow motion, which is not always the best choice. But, when you have giant robots at work, they are sometimes the best decision. Most of the action was great, especially towards the film's end.
Andrew Lockington is the composer of this film, and my first indication was that this soundtrack sounded like a hero movie score—big horns with emotional strings. For some reason, he didn't use many, if at all, synthesizers—or electronic basses. I'm sure he did because this is a robot movie. But I haven't listened to this soundtrack closely enough yet. Andrew is best known for Journey and Journey 2, San Andreas, Rampage, and Paramount+ Mayor of Kingstown. So he is well known among those who watch these films. As I said, being a robot movie, I am surprised there aren't many electronic sounds in this score. But, like I said, I haven't listened to it close enough.
This movie is better than people make it out to be. As I said, I encourage people to watch these films and make their own decisions. I enjoyed this movie. It was fun, and some parts were exciting. No, it's not a game-changer for a film like most people look for on Netflix. But this film had the #1 spot for the last week of May. It reached Netflix's top 10 in 93 countries and ranked #1 in 71 countries. This is big for Netflix. Super big. And I hope this made the company open its eyes to the fact that these types of movies draw a crowd. And even though critics didn't like this movie, the general public, including myself, enjoyed it. And in my book, that is the only way a movie can make money. Enjoy this movie. It is fun, exciting, and funny in some areas, and the cast is good in most areas. Acknowledge the flaws because there are some. But more is needed to take the joy of watching the film.