Smart AI sci-fi thriller has intense war violence, language.
“The Creator” is writer-director Gareth Edwards’s sci-fi thriller about a near future where artificial intelligence and humanity are at war. A former special forces agent (John David Washington) is convinced to help track down the creator of an advanced AI weapon before it can destroy the one thing that might be capable of defeating the AI. Expect many scenes of intense war and action violence, including military-grade weapons that cause catastrophic casualties. There are countless deaths (many large-scale), explosions from bombs and grenades, tank artillery, guns used in close combat, and a futuristic warcraft that can obliterate its targets. Strong language includes a couple of uses of “f—” and “f—ing” (including by a child AI), as well as “d–k” and “s—.” Several scenes show a married couple meeting, flirting, kissing, embracing, dancing and caressing each other (occasionally in bed, partially undressed). A human-AI couple is shown, as are AI partnerships. The movie has a diverse cast, with Black and East Asian main characters and a strong representation of disability. The story has themes of empathy and perseverance and naturally lends itself to discussion about the ethics of AI, futurism and more. (133 minutes)
Love at First Sight (PG-13)
Formulaic rom-com has some language, drinking, innuendo.
“Love at First Sight” is a sweet if predictable rom-com, with all the usual clichés found in the genre but no content that’s especially mature. Hadley (Haley Lu Richardson) and Oliver (Ben Hardy) fall for each other after meeting at an airport and ending up on the same flight, only to become separated, with no easy way of finding each other again. Expect occasional strong language, including “s—” and “pissed,” and some drinking — though not to excess. One of the central characters is dealing with their divorced father’s remarriage; the other, their mother’s lung cancer. There’s flirting, innuendo and a few kisses on the lips. Characters learn the importance of honesty and communication and show courage and empathy in working through their difficulties. (90 minutes)
Fun pirate romp has positive themes, some violence.
“One Piece” is a pirate fantasy TV series inspired by the long-running anime and manga series of the same name. Although it’s a live-action show, the violence and villainy have an exaggerated “cartoon” style. The show is bloody and has lots of fights (with weapons, fists and special powers) but avoids gratuitous gore. All characters fight, but there are clear villains; some even discuss how violence isn’t always the right answer. The show also touches on violence related to self-harm, murder, captivity and government-sanctioned executions. Language includes “a–,” “s—” and “damn,” and a character gives someone the middle finger. Characters (including older teens) casually and frequently drink alcohol, sometimes to excess. The show has strong positive messages about friendship, helping others and pursuing your dreams. This adaptation is set in a world that has a lot of cultural and racial diversity, and the main cast is a diverse group of actors that includes Mexican actor Iñaki Godoy, who plays lead character Monkey D. Luffy. (Eight one-hour episodes)
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