“Simu Liu’s fall off needs to be studied”: Despite a $100 Million Budget, Jennifer Lopez’s Atlas Gets Nightmare Verdict From the Critics
Sci-fi lovers were hyped for Netflix’s big-budget movie Atlas, starring Jennifer Lopez and Simu Liu. With a cool $100 million price tag and promises of an exciting future adventure, it seemed like a sure win. But since its release on May 24th, critics haven’t been kind about it.
Netflix’s new sci-fi movie is set in the future. Lopez plays a technical analyst who has to stop a robot named Harlan (played by Liu). Harlan is the world’s first ‘AI terrorist,’ meaning he’s a super smart computer program that turned evil and killed a bunch of people. Now it’s up to J.Lo to take him down!
Jennifer Lopez’s Atlas Faces Harsh Criticism Despite $100M Budget
The new sci-fi movie Atlas, directed by Brad Peyton, tried to be a real showstopper with amazing visuals and special effects. Peyton himself said he wanted it to be totally new and different for audiences. Even, fans were excited to see Jennifer Lopez in action-hero mode this time.
However, critics stated that her usual charm doesn’t shine through in the film. Apparently, the movie relies heavily on special effects and green screens, meaning the pop star spent a lot of time acting by herself in front of nothing.
The director even admitted it was tough for her, saying she was basically stuck in a big robot suit for weeks with no one to act with. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the 45-year-old director said:
I think she was in that thing for like six or seven weeks or seven or eight weeks. There was a lot of time where she’s just acting in the suit by herself.
Check out some fan reactions:
Simu Liu’s fall off needs to be studied
— Zay⚡️ (@rollupmywrist) May 24, 2024
Oh it's a bad time to be J-Low
— 🌷 (@Mutant_Menace) May 24, 2024
cause jennifer lopez can barely act or sing. she was just good at pretending to be selena. lol.
— Luis Perez (@1uisper3z) May 24, 2024
Haven’t seen any trailer or anything but based on that poster it really does look like the worst movie ever
— Logan Tamlyn (@spikedcinema) May 24, 2024
Thats what happens when you try to make Aang: The Legend of Avatar and you not follow the history line of the cartoon, book
— T🐉 (@t_ta01985) May 24, 2024
Critics also pointed out that the movie goes overboard on the fancy effects and forgets to tell a good story. There’s so much computer-generated action that it gets tiring to watch after a while. They say the movie would have been better if it focused more on the characters and the plot itself.
Director Brad Peyton Defends Atlas Despite Negative Reviews
Director Brad Peyton remains optimistic about the film. He hopes Atlas will get people thinking about how humans will interact with future technology. After all, AI is coming, and it won’t be a simple good versus bad situation. The San Andreas filmmaker said in the same interview:
“It’s not going to be all bad, all good, it’s going to be a lot in the middle. And this movie sort of tackles the AI component in a much broader, more nuanced way.”
Despite the bad reviews, Atlas might still be fun for viewers who just want a mindless escape with cool visuals. The special effects are undeniably impressive, and the action sequences are intense.
Watch Atlas on Netflix!
