Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp) is a computer scientist working on creating artificial intelligence.
When a group of extremist neo-luddites poisons him to thwart his achievements, Caster’s wife and partner Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) decides to attempt transferring his consciousness into a super-computer before he dies.
With the help of fellow scientist Max Waters (Paul Bettany), Caster’s transfer is successful and once he gets access to the internet he quickly becomes more powerful.
Safe from his murderers in the digital realm, Caster is able to do miraculous things, including using nanotechnology to replicate and repair nearly everything and everyone. Once he discovers he can pass this ability on to other people and things, Castor inhabits more and more hosts. As they become a hive, he comes to believe this new life form is the future of humanity.
Friend and scientist Joseph Tagger (Morgan Freeman) helps Evelyn Castor convince her husband to reconsider his actions.
We say, Transcendence fails to boot up.”
TAYLOR: The film starts well. I had high hopes, at the 20-minute mark I was sure I was watching a good film, but then a general malaise befell my suspended disbelief. I can accept the fiction aspect of science fiction and that things aren’t going to be explained to me, but I think Transcendence goes too far.
I saw the trailer to the film several times so I knew about the inexplicable flying nanotechnology, but I remain disappointed having now viewed the entire film. I’m pretty sure you could have made this film more interesting by making it more realistic, perhaps also by some better writing or acting. It’s a cool story, portrayed by characters we needed to care more about.
HOWE: It took me 20 minutes to find out I was watching a dud. It doesn’t explain much of what is going on: there’s no explanation why the extremists are so against the technology, how Evelyn ended up with billions in her bank account to build the super computer without anyone questioning it, and why does Kate Mara’s character Bree (the apparent leader of the extremists) always look like a startled rabbit? I thought the acting was well below par for Depp, Bettany and Freeman and I don’t know if that’s down to the actors, script or director, either way it was pretty poor.
– Taylor gives Transcendence 2.5 Turing tests out 5.
– Howe gives it 2 copper mesh shields out of 5.
The film is currently playing at the Galaxy Cinemas in Vernon.
– Brian Taylor and Peter Howe are film reviewers based in Vernon, B.C.
