Jenny From the Block Delivers A Solid Perfromance In Netflix Atlas, Despite Its Razor-Thin Script

Netflix's highly anticipated Atlas has finally arrived, and Jenny from the Block, aka Jennifer Lopez, actually found a way to deliver a solid performance despite the movie's razor-thin script, which at times completely ignores what rational behavior looks and sounds like. 

"Atlas" is set in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity has been decimated by a rebellious robot intent on eliminating mankind. This robot, named Harlan (Simu Liu), ventures into space with a promise to return to Earth. To stop his genocidal actions, data analyst Atlas Shepherd (Jennifer Lopez) embarks on a mission to capture him despite her deep mistrust of AI.

Lopez does her best to shoulder Atlas' huge scope, but this sci-fi spectacle buckles under the weight of a script that sometimes struggles to clearly tell the story between AI and the humans in the movies.

Despite the script's struggles, the movie is entertaining enough to keep your attention for nearly two hours. To be clear, this movie is not the best sci-fi movie you will ever see, but it is pretty easy to watch and should not be taken too seriously. 

For those critics who were expecting something in the order of T2, they will most likely pen negative reviews. The expectation that every new sci-fi movie has to be great to get a solid review seems outdated in the modern-day world of streaming services. At least Netflix is willing to take risks on sci-fi scripts.

Yes, the script should have been more refined before being green-lit, but if you're just looking to be entertained for two hours by a sci-fi film that attempts to expand on the use of artificial intelligence in a futuristic world, Atlas is really not that bad. 

WHAT SOME OF THE CRITICS ARE SAYING:
Ross McIndoe from Slant Magazine said: “Atlas seems like a story that should have been experienced with a gamepad in hand.” The Wrap’s William Bibbiani also shared a similar opinion by saying: “Hidden somewhere beneath all the generic dialogue, embarrassing plot, mediocre action and oddly ineffective performances, there’s a good idea in Brad Peyton’s Atlas. It’s a shame the filmmakers never found it.”

Todd Gilchrist from Variety didn’t enjoy the conventional structure that “Atlas” followed. It held a “dearth of original ideas that undercuts the appeal of Atlas, leaving Lopez to fend for herself in much the same way her character is forced to in the film’s formulaic story.” 

Matt Donato from IGN Movies said: “Atlas might not be the next groundbreaking sci-fi epic, but Brad Peyton’s humanity-vs.-AI saga earns points for entertaining us.”