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Movie Review: Transcendence (2014)

“Transcendence” is the kind of movie that thinks it’s really smart, when in fact it’s actually quite dumb. To be fair, the film has impeccable production values, and that’s no surprise given that first time director Wally Pfister has collaborated with Christopher Nolan on numerous occasions, and even took home an Oscar for best cinematography for his work on “Inception.” This feels very Nolan-esque in that it tackles big ideas, has similar music, a similar cast, and everything is filmed on a grand scale. The problem is that many of the film’s ideas are very half-baked and come off as silly. For a movie that takes itself so seriously, it doesn’t have the logic to back it up. Oh, and Johnny Depp is pretty bad in it, too.

Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp) is passionate about creating an omniscient AI that can help solve many of humanity’s problems, but his enthusiasm isn’t shared by everyone. When a radical anti-technology organization poisons Dr. Caster, leaving him with a few weeks to live, he and his longtime partner and wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall), along with the help of Max Waters (Paul Bettany), successfully transfer his consciousness into a high-powered computer, giving him the ability to live on long after his physical body has perished. As Will becomes more powerful, his reach becomes limitless, which begins to pose a big threat to the rest of the world.

So yeah, while I admire the film’s not-so-subtle message that the unchecked evolution of technology can be very dangerous for mankind, I do think that Pfister could have been a tad more elegant. The film looks and sounds like something right out of Nolan’s filmography, but it’s trying so hard to seem smart and grand that it falls flat on its face at times. The technology honestly makes no sense, there are massive plot holes, and there’s a severe lack of logic.

There performances are fine for the most part, although I thought that Johnny Depp gave an unnecessarily awkward performance, which didn’t do much to help the film. He’s probably just detoxing from all the Jerry Bruckheimer/Tim Burton crap he’s been churning out recently. Rebecca Hall was pretty solid as Evelyn; her character can be extremely conflicted as she’s often blinded by her love for Will. Paul Bettany arguably gives the film’s strongest performance, although there’s nothing show-stopping about it. Nolan alumni Morgan Freeman and Cillian Murphy reunite once again as Joseph Tagger and Agent Buchanan respectively, and they’re obviously as dependable as ever. The film sadly feels odd, cold and detached, and coupled with some pretty stupid ideas, it doesn’t make for very compelling viewing.

The Verdict:

Not nearly as smart as it thinks it is, “Transcendence” is a pretty solid bore. It wastes an interesting premise, a talented cast, and beautiful production values over half-baked ideas that go nowhere. I couldn’t wait for it to end, and that’s a shame.

Numerical Score: 4.5/10

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