Myriam Nys "Transcendence" is, for the most part, a science fiction movie about the birth of artificial intelligence. It's not the most successful member of this category, mainly because the story tends to wander and meander to the point where the message (if indeed there is a message) becomes unclear. The movie is also pretty superficial when it comes to dealing with some of the underlying societal, philosophical and religious themes. It is slightly more moving and gripping as a story about bereavement and the ravages of grief. The distraught widow belongs to a very recognizable type : the kind of person who cannot face the cruelty of her loss and begins to erect an enormous, stupendous funeral monument, Because This Is What He Would Have Wanted. Of course the deceased never expressed such a wish, but this won't keep the widow from building an 800-feet tall pyramid surrounded by sphinxes, lighthouses and canals. Seasons come and seasons go but the widow never recovers : even years later she is still there, burning incense to an idol which requires every second of her time and attention... On the other hand I quite liked the visual style and aspect of the movie. To me it felt as if there had been some genuinely original and inventive persons on the payroll. In a better movie, with a tauter story and screenplay, this could have made for memorable scenes.Johnny Depp, I am happy to say, delivered a fairly good performance, without resorting to tics and tricks. In short : a fairly average and unremarkable movie, to be watched mainly if you want to kill an hour or two.

slightlymad22 Continuing my plan to watch every Johnny Depp movie in order, I come to Transcendence. This is the movie equivalent to phoning it in. It has an interesting premise, if just don't think too much about the logic. But it's ruined by lame dialogue being spouted by actors phoning it in, and it ends with an all too predictable ending!! I complain when a film develops a semi intriguing story and then dissolves it with a routine and boring action sequence. And this is a prime example of such a thing!! I guess it must be contractual that every director who makes a thriller these days must blow his sets to bits. This movie was better when the story scales down and let's you think about things. How much freedom and security have we already given up to the internet in the last 10 years?? We get Facebook adverts tailored to what we have discussed in messages or searched for on eBay?? And on and on. And we are ok with this?? There is a current investigation about Facebook selling private info. How much more will we sacrifice in the next 10?? The movie worked better, when it was on that level.The acting is really nothing special, Depp (in nothing more than a supporting role) appears bored and seems his mind was elsewhere (maybe counting the $20 million he was paid) possibly spent less than 7 days on set. Morgan Freeman is also in phone it in mode too!! Transcendence grossed $23 million at the domestic box office.

robbierehman As scientists are on the verge of a new breakthrough in A.I. technology, the line between Humanity & Humanity's evolving into something much more is clearly waning.Though the movie doesn't show too much of the potential of an AI, but it does show us a lot of perspective and views on the idea, and what misunderstanding and doubt could lead to. That's where fear of AI originates.If a intelligence such showed in the Transcendence is made, no amount of human effort can alter the course of it; that's final. And in actuality the process is already going on, just look around you.

micke-bystrom Not even Depp can save this script, which is almost completely in the pathetic, mixing some elementary ideas from movies like "Lawnmover Man" (1992) and also a storytelling style from not so well-done movies like "Independence Day" (1996). Unfortunately the storytelling is at par with the latter, full of logical errors, totally overblown exaggerated technical assumptions based on very little if anything, twists that leave the viewer without explanation and plot holes big enough to fly a Boeing 727 trough. It's sad that the makers, when having a chance to address the relevant and very real problems and virtues with AI and Nano Technology, they allow this opportunity to be wasted on a tepid story where alleged highly intelligent people acts more or less like some buffoons. The actors do what's necessary, but not more and in most cases less. Paul Bettany ("Max") does the better job, while Rebecca Hall ("Evelyn") is not convincing at all. Morgan Freeman has a somewhat smaller role as "Joseph Tagger", but there are too many stupid moments to render his interpretation as anything else as ridiculously mediocre considering how good an actor he can be. Probably not his fault. Granted he wasn't the focus here, but nevertheless. Depp also disappoints as "Will Caster" going through the motions, but somehow feeling almost absent on the screen, also when in physical form. One main gripe I have is that Evelyn's behavior as an highly intelligent woman when exposed to the fate of her boyfriend is overshadowed of her alleged love for him, driving her to illogical decisions. This may be acceptable if only her love had been believable. It's not. As it is presented now the audience have to assume this is how she felt, which is never a good sign. Compare this to how the love between "Neo" and "Trinity" in "Matrix Reloaded" is presented and where I think you can feel and more importantly understand their love for each other in the more dramatic moments of that movie. It's more than skin deep, which is not the case in "Transcendence". A big disappointment in short. I wanted to give this a "2", but I add one point for a somewhat poetic attempt of an ending.