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Apr 17, 2014 · A science fiction film about a dying computer genius who uploads himself in computerized form and achieves a problematic digital afterlife. The film explores its ideas with sincerity, curiosity and terrifying beauty, but also fails as drama. Read the review by Roger Ebert, who praises the film's imagery and themes, but criticizes its weaknesses.
Tomatometer 228 Reviews. 37% Audience Score 50,000+ Ratings. What to know. Critics Consensus. In his directorial debut, ace cinematographer Wally Pfister remains a distinctive visual stylist, but...
- (229)
- Wally Pfister
- PG-13
- Johnny Depp
Apr 18, 2014 · IMDb RATING. 6.2 /10. 238K. YOUR RATING. Rate. POPULARITY. 2,561. 1,196. Play trailer 2:34. 34 Videos. 99+ Photos. Action Drama Sci-Fi. A scientist's drive for artificial intelligence takes on dangerous implications when his own consciousness is uploaded into one such program. Director. Wally Pfister. Writer. Jack Paglen. Stars. Johnny Depp.
- (236K)
- Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
- Wally Pfister
- 2014-04-18
Apr 16, 2014 · Apr 15, 2014 9:00pm PT. Film Review: ‘Transcendence’. Christopher Nolan d.p. Wally Pfister takes a spin in the director's chair for this heavy-handed sci-fi cautionary tale. By Scott Foundas.
- Siri on steroids.
- Verdict
By Roth Cornet
Posted: Apr 16, 2014 8:53 pm
Transcendence is an ambitious film; both visually and thematically. It seeks to address one of the fundamental issues of our time – the potential cost of explosive technological advances – with a quintessentially human story as the backdrop. Mistakes are made by those fighting both for and against the tide of change in this tale. Some are motivated by fear, others by love, but all are blinded by their own desires, rigid perspectives, and limited vision - in short, by human frailty.
First time director and Academy Award-winning cinematographer Wally Pfister (Inception, The Dark Knight Trilogy) uses Jack Paglen's 2012 Blacklist-featured script as his foundation. The story follows Johnny Depp as Dr. Will Caster, an artificial intelligence researcher who calls what many refer to as the Singularity (the moment when a machine becomes self-aware) Transcendence. Caster’s wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) is a vocal advocate for the good that sentient machines can do in the world; while their close colleague and dear friend Max Waters (Paul Bettany) has strong reservations about unrestrained technology and the wisdom of endowing a computer with its own consciousness, specifically.
When anti-tech extremists shoot Will in a coordinated attack against “Transcendence”, Evelyn and Max upload his mind into a pre-existing A.I. system in an attempt to preserve a version of his life. Things move fairly quickly after that in what becomes a paradoxically kinetic and plodding tale; the focus of which is Will’s evolution into a near omnipotent digital deity whose goal is to “heal” the world. The price for Will's powers of rejuvenation is individual autonomy. In other words, the entirety of nature, including the men and women who inhabit it, must come under Will’s control in order to benefit from his beneficence.
Transcendence asks interesting questions; questions that are to some degree answerless. That can make for a nuanced story that sparks discussion. However, this film evokes more of a disjointed than purposefully elliptical feel. It’s structured like a classical Hollywood offering, so the viewer is primed to expect a definitive stance. As such, the mixed messages that Transcendence presents often read as flaws rather than purposefully evocative open-ended conversation starters.
If you are a fan of the genre, the concepts explored in Transcendence are evocative, even if the ideas are imperfectly expressed. Ultimately, the film is a missed opportunity, though; long on ideas and short on execution. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Roth Cornet is an Entertainment Editor for IGN. You can chat with her on Twitter: @RothCornet, ...
- Roth Cornet
Apr 17, 2014 · ‘Transcendence’ movie review. By Michael O'Sullivan. April 17, 2014 at 12:00 p.m. EDT. In his onscreen digital manifestation, Will Caster (Johnny Depp) grows difficult to deal with for his...
Apr 21, 2014 · April 21, 20145:02 AM ET. Heard on Morning Edition. By. Kenneth Turan. 2-Minute Listen. Playlist. Transcendence is an ambitious and provocative film about the perils and pleasures of artificial...