At first glance, Netflix’s upcoming action thriller Atlas, starring Jennifer Lopez, seemed like it was going to be a rather serious movie about a mech pilot fighting to survive on an inhospitable planet. That could still be the case, but the movie’s latest trailer makes it out to be a bit more of a sci-fi buddy cop affair with an emphasis on human / robot alliances.
Netflix’s Atlas is looking more and more like a buddy cop movie about working with AI
The latest trailer for Netflix’s Atlas makes it seem like it exists somewhere between Blue Beetle and I, Robot.
The latest trailer for Netflix’s Atlas makes it seem like it exists somewhere between Blue Beetle and I, Robot.
is a reporter focusing on film, TV, and pop culture. Before The Verge, he wrote about comic books, labor, race, and more at io9 and Gizmodo for almost five years.
Though a maniacal machine (Simu Liu) dead-set on eradicating humanity presents the biggest threat in Atlas, the movie’s new trailer puts a spotlight on how an AI-powered battle armor will join Atlas Shepherd (Lopez) in her fight to save the world. With so many killer robots on the loose and doing a bang-up job of destroying cities, it makes sense that Atlas would be distrustful of thinking machines, regardless of how good-natured they appear to be. It makes a bit less sense that Atlas, someone who doesn’t know how to fully operate a piece of intelligent battle armor, would be sent on a mission requiring her to use one in order to stay safe.
Atlas seems set on refusing to work with her new mobile suit in the trailer as the two are first thrust together during an explosive attack. But once the pair crash-land on the surface of a dangerous planet, they both realize that working together is the only way either of them can hope to survive. Between all the jokey quipping, mindsharing, and hero posing, the trailer makes Atlas feel like it’s going to be a film somewhat in the vein of Warner Bros.’ Blue Beetle, which might not be the worst thing. But the trailer also sort of feels like it’s hinting at a twist about Atlas’ armor that would make for a pretty predictable turn of events (should it be the case) when the film drops on May 24th.
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