My disappointment after watching Transcendence was compounded by the lingering feeling that it could’ve been a lot better due to its intriguing premise. The concept of a human conscience being transferred to an AI system can be taken in various interesting directions, but here it’s squandered by bland characters and a script that gives trite, cursory treatment to themes of human identity and technology’s effects on society. This is a movie that’s nowhere near as smart nor profound as it tries to be. At least it’s a great looking one. If there’s one positive it’s the top-notch visuals that inject some interest into the otherwise lifeless proceedings. Maybe cinematographer-turned-director Wally Pfister won’t be let down by the screenwriter next time.
I got tired of Johnny Depp’s “Captain Jack Sparrow” schtick by the third Pirates movie and at first scientist Will Caster seems like a good change of pace. Unfortunately, it’s a move too far into the opposite direction. He’s so understated that there’s nothing compelling about Will or his wife. Their limited chemistry greatly undermines the tragic element of his transformation. Morgan Freeman and Cillian Murphy are given little to do, rounding out a waste of a good cast.
Without proper execution, good ideas just aren’t good enough, and the result is a thoroughly mediocre sci-fi film. Not much of anything is transcended here.
Dogomon 