This tense, sci fi-action film is enjoyable, so long as you can suspend disbelief and withstand an overly sentimental final act. You also need to appreciate Lopez, who is in most scenes, often as the only human, in the titular character role of Atlas.
It's a shame the film's creators felt the need to fashion a happy ending -- especially considering the dire stakes of artificially sentient robots attempting to eliminate humanity (even if it is to save the planet from our selfish ways). The idea of neural links between humans and AI bots is frightening enough to call for at least a more ambivalent closure.
Instead, the way Lopez and her robot Smith bond is all human sentimentality, including some metaphysical philosophizing about the meaning of life and death. Their bonding leads to several awkward lines and moments in the film's final act. Other dialogues throughout the film can also feel a little clunky, but if you focus mostly on the nonstop action, Atlas makes for a fun watch.
Read the full review at Common Sense Media
Images courtesy of Netflix
Comments