Transcendence

Starring: Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Morgan Freeman, Kate Mara, Cillian Murphy, Clifton Collins Jr.
Directed by: Wally Pfister
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Science Fiction
2014

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A scientist (Johnny Depp) uploads his consciousness into a computer program, which creates unforeseen consequences.

Review:

Tim: It's hard to say exactly where it all went wrong for Transcendence. This is a film that seemed to have it all- absolutely incredible cast, fascinating, timely subject matter, great special effects. The only concern was that Cinematographer Wally Pfister was making his directorial debut. But, the guy's worked on a ton of Christopher Nolan films, so he has to be qualified, right? Not according to these results. Sure, Transcendence looks beautiful. The problem is that I can't remember the last time I watched such a dull, lifeless movie, especially one that was released in the summer.

Transcendence features a very interesting story- a computer scientist is shot with a poison bullet. As he faces impending death, he uploads his consciousness into a computer. Now, he "exists" in the computer, but starts behaving oddly. There are hundreds of exciting places this story could go. It's a timely topic, as technology continues to advance rapidly and more and more incredible feats are possible. The film, however, just plods along with no apparent desire to create an interesting or memorable viewing experience. A lot of this has to do with first-time director Wally Pfister, but first-time writer Jack Paglen is equally deserving of blame and scorn. This movie takes fascinating, exciting ideas and prevents it in a bland, soulless film.

Johnny Depp does a good job of restraining himself in this film, but I wouldn't say he does anything special. He seems to have forgotten how to deliver a good performance that's not completely over-the-top. I can't point to one truly great thing he did in this film. Rebecca Hall turns in an average performance. I've seen her do great things in roles and I've seen her do completely average things. She doesn't do much to get excited about here. Paul Bettany was better, giving one of the best performances of the film. While he's hampered by the script as much as anyone else, he comes out looking better tha most. Morgan Freeman felt completely wasted outside of one or two good scenes. Kata Mara likewise had a minute or two of compelling screen time, but not much more than that. Cillian Murphy is likewise underutilized. For a cast as impressive as the one assembled here, the performances are quite disappointing across the board.

The visuals are impressive, as you might expected from Pfister. The movie looks clear and crisp. The cinematography is one of the best aspects of the film, and the special effects are fairly memorable. Unfortunately, this is a film will all style and no substance. Underneath that shiny exterior is a poorly made, poorly executed movie in nearly every other aspect. I felt no connection with the cast, never felt any sense of excitement, dread, suspense, or intrigue. The movie was boring and generic. It offers nothing particularly new or exciting to the conversation.

It's a shame Transcendence was such an opposite experience to what it promised. There was nothing transcendent about this film- it was completely ordinary. At the start of 2014, this was a movie I was very intrigued and excited about. Midway through the year, it's a film that I've already forgotten. This is definitely a big casualty of 2014- it's a shockingly dull, disappointing film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 5.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Interstellar, Inception