I saw Atlas

Atlas, now streaming on Netflix, is a cyberpunk jaunt that falls into the Robotech/Robo Jox subgenre. Directed by Brad (Journey 2: The Mysterious Island) Peyton and written by Leo Sardarian and Aron Eli (Heroes) Coleite, the movie also touches upon the pros and cons of A.I., as it weaves themes from the works of Philip K. Dick, Isaac Asimov, Harlan Ellison and William Gibson. 

The premise: In the not-too-distance year 2043, Atlas Shepherd, portrayed by Jennifer Lopez, is a terrorist expert who's on the hunt for a renegade android named Harlan, played by Simu (Chang-Chi) Liu. Harlan was, in fact, created by Atlas' well-meaning mom, Pam (Lana Parilla), but he came to betray her, tricking young Atlas (Briella Guiza) into giving him a significant, dictatorial advantage, which, in turn, led to Pam's death. Harlan has since set forth to terminate the human race (or at least the majority of such), who he believes to be too reckless to govern on its own. To perpetuate his horrendous plan, he uses a distant planet in the Andromeda Galaxy as an imperial hub from which he can decimate Earth. Atlas, along with a troop of space rangers, is dispatched to the source to stop the genocidal Harlan, but things don't go quite as planned, as Atlas crashes on treacherous, alien terrain and must fight to survive.  

Through her exploit, Atlas becomes involved with Abraham (The Marvels) Poopola's android henchman, Casca Decius; Sterling K. (Black Panther) Brown's honorable Colonel Elias Banks; Mark (Shazam!) Strong's supportive General Jake Boothe; and Gregory James Cohan who voices Atlas' faithful, A.I. robot-vessel, Smith. 

Smith is an important character in Atlas' journey, for "he" establishes a symbiotic bond with our protagonist, which stand in contrast to Harlan's cold, calculating behavior. Through Atlas and Smith's banter, we learn more about her, while her concerns and quirks impact Smith's positronic psyche, thus shaping his personality. From there, an unlikely allegiance blossoms.   

Lopez's character is an essential reason why Atlas succeeds. Her sadness adds depth to her quest, making her all the more identifiable as the distressing phases progress. For certain, she's no cinematic Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel who, whether by accident or plan, does wrong and yet sees fit to take her sweet time fixing it (i.e. enjoying song and dance on Planet Bollywood while others suffer). Atlas, in contrast, does all she can within the intense, time constraints she's allotted, daring to risk her own life to save humanity, and this is all because she acknowledges and appreciates the allegorical weight that's been placed upon her shoulders. 

I bet that Atlas would be amazing to behold on a RPX screen, but that it's gaining fans through a smaller venue holds its own respectable relegation, since the movie offers an at-home intimacy among its heavy, CGI hardware. It's a glitzy, action film with a heart, that is, but even if taken at special-effects, face value, it'll more than draw one's admiration for its swift and compelling breadth.