Galaxy-hopping starships, giant mechs, a rouge artificial intelligence, and J.Lo. Most of those things go together pretty well. But the one ingredient you might not have expected is ‘Jenny From the Block” herself, Jennifer Lopez. She stars in “Atlas”, Netflix’s new science fiction action thriller from director Brad Peyton that is positioned as one of the platform’s big summer blockbuster offerings. Sporting a budget of $100 million, the streaming leader is putting a lot into the movie. And for the most part their investment pays off.

Peyton, along with co-writers Leo Sardarian and Aron Eli Coleite, pull inspiration from a several pop culture corners including James Cameron’s “Aliens”, the Tom Hanks classic “Cast Away”, and the video game series “Titanfall”. Clearly a ton of effort is put into realizing the richly diverse futuristic setting. There’s impressive creativity in the cityscapes, technology, and weaponry, much of it presented through some pretty spectacular digital artistry. The visual effects really shine once the mech suits come into play and the action kicks into gear.

While Lopez has never ventured into the world of sci-fi (unless you count 2000’s “The Cell”), she’s no stranger to action films. With “Atlas” she gets to flex her muscles in both. And she has a really good supporting cast around her that includes Sterling K. Brown, Mark Strong, and Simu Liu. The story itself doesn’t break new ground, but it has a sturdy enough framework to make “Atlas” a fun and diverting popcorn movie, especially for lovers of genre and fans of J-Lo.

Lopez plays Agent Atlas Shepherd, a cynical and antisocial data analyst and counter terrorist specialist who has spent years of her life hunting a rogue artificial intelligence named Harlan (Simi Liu). Despite being created to advance humanity, Harlan is now intent on destroying it. He’s tried once resulting in the deaths of three million people. He was ultimately thwarted and fled the planet. That was 28 years ago.

After capturing an AI terrorist loyal to Harlen (Abraham Popoola), Atlas is brought in to question him. The information she gathers helps trace him to planet GR-39 of the Andromeda Galaxy where he is gearing up for another attack. General Jake Boothe (Strong), a friend and supporter of Atlas, reluctantly agrees to let her join the mission to take down Harlan. She’s put under the command of Colonel Elias Banks (Sterling K. Brown), a noble but overconfident leader of an elite squad of Rangers who pilot heavily-armed AI-assisted mechs.

As their starship enters the atmosphere of GR-39 they’re hit with a barrage of rockets from the planet below. With the ship critically damaged and on the verge of being destroyed, Elias seals Atlas inside of a mech and jettisons her into the clouds. As she is plummeting towards the surface, Peyton surrounds her with a jaw-dropping dogfighting sequence that sees the Rangers in mechs battling it out in the air against Harlen’s forces. The scene is a little cartoonish but exhilarating nonetheless.

The majority of the story follows Atlas after she reaches the surface – alone, stranded, and trying to navigate an unknown and hospitable planet that’s swarming with Harlen’s soldiers. To survive she’ll need the help of her mech’s AI program named Smith (voiced by Gregory James Cohan). But that will require her to overcome her intense distrust of artificial intelligence. Easier said than done.

Again, the story isn’t anything all that fresh or innovative. Several ideas and themes from the sci-fi side of the story have been done elsewhere in a variety of different ways. Yet the pieces, especially when joined with the wild visuals, still coalesce into something entertaining. It’s the personal stuff that doesn’t really work. The film tries to infuse a deeper and more emotional layer to Atlas through a thin backstory that explains her cynicism towards AI. Themes of haunting guilt and personal regret are touched on. Unfortunately they feel tacked on rather than essential to the storytelling.

While the well-meaning personal stakes may not land as planned, Lopez pours herself into her performance, earning our empathy while impressing us with her intense physicality. Liu makes for a formidable although fairly conventional villain while Strong and Brown (sadly) aren’t given much to do. So that leaves Lopez and the VFX team to carry the load which they manage to do with surprising proficiency. In the end, “Atlas” doesn’t challenge or provoke, but it does entertain. There’s some good action, cool world design, and even some wry wit to keep things light. So know what you’re in for. It might help you enjoy what you get. “Atlas” is now streaming on Netflix.

VERDICT – 3 STARS