Jennifer Lopez battles rogue AI in Netflix's explosive "Atlas

Netflix's new production has devoured a hefty amount of money. "Atlas" with Jennifer Lopez is so flashy that it's easy to forget that the film about artificial intelligence lacks intelligence. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Ah, what times we live in. As more is said about the use of artificial intelligence and the problems associated with its widespread adoption, filmmakers can't help but create their productions on the topic, likely trying to warn us about what might happen if we unquestioningly believe in AI. Such productions have already been made to mention "The Matrix," which best showed what will happen when a machine rebellion occurs. You could say the Wachowski sisters had a sense of taste when envisioning a post-apocalyptic world left to humans by machines.

In Netflix's new production, the machine rebellion is shown much more directly and brutally. "Atlas" starts quite promisingly.

In Brad Peyton's film, people heavily use robots in everyday life. Even housemaids were robots. But only for a time. Thanks to Harlan (played by Simu Liu), a higher form of AI, all security measures were broken, leading to the reprogramming of robots and their massive rebellion. The machines, which were supposed to help people, started killing them. On Earth, a vast massacre occurred, which seemed to be stopped by humans. Harlan escaped somewhere into space, and the humans created the Worldwide Coalition of Nations to counter-attack the rebels made of wires and steel.

Harlan leaves a sinister message. He says he knows people will look for him, but he will return and complete his work of destruction. Does it sound scary or funny? Instead, it must be admitted that the beginning of "Atlas" looks quite good, assuming it’s just another action movie watched while ironing, without expecting miracles from it.

What happens next? Jennifer Lopez finally appears. Her character, Atlas Shephard, is an exceptional agent fighting against AI terrorists. Her mission is to track down Harlan, with whom she has a personal vendetta. There's more personal stuff in this matter. Proud, undeterred by the massacre carried out by robots, people utilize a neurotransmitter designed by Atlas's mother to fight AI. The same device allowed Harlan to reprogram himself. Atlas wants to join the exceptional team tasked with stopping the terrorists on another planet, using lots of advanced technology. They quickly realize that besides pride, they have nothing else.

The entire film rests on the shoulders of its titular heroine. However, Atlas is not a strong, well-written character. There are plenty of contradictions. At first, she's presented as a cold, relationship-unconcerned agent, and then we get a kaleidoscope of scenes where she acts hysterically. Sometimes, it's unclear whether "Atlas" is a thriller, sci-fi, or comedy. These "funny" threads mainly come from Atlas disliking robots and artificial intelligence.

There may be no logic in this movie, but there is money and flashiness. There are a few exciting shots – including, at the very beginning, a view of a technologically transformed Los Angeles. It's a bit like the famous meme with Elbląg, which developed cosmically after the excavation of the Vistula Spit. Here, Netflix's money has changed the City of Angels so much that you can take a screenshot and hang it as wallpaper.

"Atlas" will undoubtedly be in Netflix's TOP10 and attract millions of viewers in the coming days. It's good to see Jennifer Lopez in another action movie and not in a romantic comedy. It's just a pity that her character is written with a comedic touch. But maybe, thanks to this, the production is digestible. Anyone with a teenager inside who loves science fiction, action scenes with robots, and many explosions on the screen will be satisfied. The rest will continue ironing to the sounds of fights and Jennifer's screams.