Once upon a time, I respected Jennifer Lopez, actress. That seems like 10 Giglis ago. The actress who made Selena, Angel Eyes, and Out of Sight knew what she was doing. She knew that acting was a game, a contest to make the audience like you (or dislike you depending on role, of course – not that JLo would ever embrace such a role).
The current version knows where the camera is.
I won’t call that “not a skill”; there are some actors who haven’t mastered that part yet. But the Jennifer Lopez who embraced subtlety and humility doesn’t really exist any longer, and the version who replaced her is someone that seems to be living off a legacy.
Today we take yet another weary look at the Terminator future while JLo scowls at the camera for two hours. The year is who-the-Hell cares and the machines have been defeated. Woo. The “leader” of the AI revolution, Harlan (Simu Liu), has retreated off the planet to an unknown destination to plot revenge and takeover. 28 years later, analyst Atlas Shepherd (JLo) exists. Good for her.
Atlas Shepherd is an analyst who HATES the AI so much so that half of her life is hypocritical. For instance, she makes a combat team read a physical, tangible copy of a mission ops manual for fear of AI interruption, but she has no problem playing chess against a computer. On the latter, look, we’ve
been here before: I see how cool it is to counter “check” with “checkmate,” but -while possible- it’s just stupid. This isn’t how chess is played by adults … or at least those of adult intelligence.
A throwback to the violent AI past has been captured after creating havoc; luckily JLo knows just how to outsmart the computer to get it to give up the whereabouts of Harlan. Then it’s time for a little ranger invasion. And the whole time, JLo is just angry about crap. She doesn’t like AI. She doesn’t like her boss. She doesn’t like the mission. She doesn’t like tech. She doesn’t like neurolinking with a combat-ready exoskeleton. Well, heck, she’s got a point there; I mean if you’re gonna be fighting AI machines, do you really want your soldiers hooked up with AI tech? All I can say is this woman ain’t gonna be any more pleased when the soldiers screw up the mission.
Atlas resembles a vanity piece in which there’s nothing to be vain about. Was the film mature enough not to show off JLo’s body? Kinda. But, if you’re selling Jennifer Lopez, why wouldn’t you? This is a picture that wants to show off the intellect and growth capabilities of the hero yet ignores exactly how off-putting JLo’s character is and how derivative the plot is. I won’t call it a terrible film. There are worse Terminator films; but Atlas is empty and forgettable, which is unfortunately EXACTLY HOW THE MACHINES WANT IT.
They win again.
There was once an actress, JLo
Who starred as an anti-bot pro
She snarled every scene
Pitting self v. machine
Cause why not let the mediocrity flow?
Rated PG-13, 118 Minutes
Director: Brad Peyton
Writer: Leo Sardarian, Aron Eli Coleite
Genre: Our screwed future
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Terminators, maybe?
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: If you don’t have a high opinion of Netflix, this ain’t gonna help
