The concise critics

Transcendence

Year : 2014 Director : Wally Pfister Running Time : 1 hour 59 minutes Genre : , , ,
Movie review score
4/5

What’s it about?
If you could save the love of your life, who happens to be one of the greatest minds in history, do you? Should you?

What did we think?
Stephen Scott says: A visually sumptuous film with huge philosophical questions tied up in the not-so-impossible science-fiction theme of digitising a human brain. There are some obvious plot holes, but as a “what if” to spark conversation about the future of humanity it is an equal to Blade Runner (from the opening shot the “tears in the rain” quote ran through my head regularly).

Unlike The Lawnmower Man, which this has been unfairly compared to, the deep love between the two lead characters is the crux of this story – driving it towards its devastating conclusion.

5 Responses so far.

  1. Transcendence would have been a pretty good movie 10 years ago. As it is, most sci fi fans will find it laborious and derivative. Uninspired even. Left me wanting less transcending and more ending.

  2. Warren B says:

    I didn’t mind it. It sucked me in and I cared about the characters so the ending had a big impact on me. 4 stars for me too.

  3. I’m not ashamed to admit I love a good story about AI. A moody, brooding self aware set of ones and zeros going through digital puberty and deciding to destroy the world (Skynet) or turn himself into a human (Bicentennial Man) really appeals to me. Transcendence appealed to me in trailer form, but the full length version had way too many holes, drags you down one path which for a while which has you looking forward to what happens next, then skips tracks for a disappointing ending.

    Much like an AI going through puberty, this film doesn’t really know what it is.

  4. Mel D says:

    It was awesome! And not just because of Johnny Depp! Beautiful to watch and I lost myself in it.

  5. Dan Beeston says:

    It’s so nice to watch a film that’s all about it’s story. It played like a great episode of the twilight zone. Four and a half stars. Most satisfying film I’ve seen in years.

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