Today’s quick review: Transcendence. After an attempt on his life leaves artificial intelligence researcher Will Caster (Johnny Depp) with only weeks to live, his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) spearheads an effort to upload Will’s consciousness into a computer. With the help of his colleagues Max (Paul Bettany) and Joseph (Morgan Freeman), the experiment succeeds, but Will’s new, digital mind poses challenging questions for the future of humanity.
Transcendence is a science fiction drama about the advent of the Technological Singularity. The upload of a human mind into a computer sparks a series of events that could save the world or destroy it, and in either case leave it forever transform. Transcendence aims high with its speculation, and it has the cast and production values to back its ambitions. However, the movie’s mixed execution keeps it from reaching its full potential.
Transcendence hinges on one question: Is the reborn Will Caster the same as the original? The question is philosophically compelling and consequential to the plot, but the film loses something crucial by exploring it. Without the ability to trust Will, the viewer cannot see the world through his eyes, robbing the film of its emotional impact. Transcendence gains a few interesting plot points from this ambiguity, but not enough to make it worthwhile.
Transcendence also doesn’t get much mileage out of its cast. Johnny Depp stars as Will Caster, a decidedly neutral personality both before and after his transformation. Paul Bettany, Morgan Freeman, and Cillian Murphy have supporting roles with minimal development, moderate plot significance, and little screen time. Rebecca Hall puts in the most work as Evelyn, the true protagonist, but even her solid performance cannot carry the movie by itself.
Transcendence has slightly better luck with its speculation. The movie exaggerates the threat and potential of AI, but the questions it explores are valid ones. Transcendence’s chief failing in this regard is its present-day setting, which clashes with the advanced technology shown and prompts several ham-fisted explanations that hurt the movie’s credibility. Setting the film just a few decades in the future would have given it the needed slack.
Ultimately, Transcendence toys with interesting ideas but fails to craft them into the cohesive, moving drama that it aspires to be. Fans of the sci-fi genre will get some value out of the ideas Transcendence presents. But the movie’s flawed plot, misused cast, and limited emotional payoff make it a subpar experience. For a better, tenser take on AI, check out Ex Machina. For an action movie that touches on robotic consciousness, check out I, Robot.
6.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for decent ideas executed clumsily.