Transcendence (2014)

A scientist's drive for artificial intelligence, takes on dangerous implications when his consciousness is uploaded into one such program.

Director:

Wally Pfister

Writer:

Jack Paglen

Stars:

Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Morgan Freeman

3 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Johnny Depp	...	Will Caster
Rebecca Hall	...	Evelyn Caster
Paul Bettany	...	Max Waters
Cillian Murphy	...	Agent Buchanan
Kate Mara	...	Bree
Cole Hauser	...	Colonel Stevens
Morgan Freeman	...	Joseph Tagger
Clifton Collins Jr.	...	Martin
Cory Hardrict	...	Joel Edmund
Falk Hentschel	...	Bob
Josh Stewart	...	Paul
Luce Rains	...	Roger
Fernando Chien	...	Heng
Steven Liu	...	Chiu
Xander Berkeley	...	Dr. Thomas Casey

Storyline

Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp) is the foremost researcher in the field of Artificial Intelligence, working to create a sentient machine that combines the collective intelligence of everything ever known with the full range of human emotions. His highly controversial experiments have made him famous, but they have also made him the prime target of anti-technology extremists who will do whatever it takes to stop him. However, in their attempt to destroy Will, they inadvertently become the catalyst for him to succeed-to be a participant in his own transcendence. For his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) and best friend Max Waters (Paul Bettany), both fellow researchers, the question is not if they can...but if they should. Their worst fears are realized as Will's thirst for knowledge evolves into a seemingly omnipresent quest for power, to what end is unknown. The only thing that is becoming terrifyingly clear is there may be no way to stop him.

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Plot Keywords:

scientist | artificial intelligence | technology | power outage | consciousness | 

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Taglines:

Yesterday Dr. Will Caster was only human

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action and violence, some bloody images, brief strong language and sensuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [Japan]

Country:

UK China USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 April 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Transcendence: Identidad virtual

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$100,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,886,386, 20 April 2014, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$23,022,309

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$109,322,309

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alcon Entertainment,DMG Entertainment,Straight Up Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Datasat Dolby Digital Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Evelyn enters the Internet cafe the individual on her right is playing World Of Warcraft.

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Goofs

In the beginning of the movie, Will Caster is putting up a copper-netting to create a zone where there's no wireless signals. This is called a Faraday Cage and would not work as depicted - it needs to be a complete cage of thin copper-mesh, not just a web that's hanging from some poles.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Max Waters: They say there's power in Boston. Some phone service in Denver. But things are far from what they were. Maybe it was all invevitable. An unavoidable collision between mankind and technology. The Internet was meant to make the world a smaller place. But it actually feels smaller without it. I knew Will and Evelyn Caster better than anyone. I knew their brillance. Their dedication to what they believed in. And to what they loved.

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Connections

Featured in Half in the Bag: Transcendence and the Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

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Soundtracks

Happy Birthday to You
Written by Mildred J. Hill (as Mildred Hill) and Patty S. Hill (as Patty Hill)

User Reviews

I gave it 10 as it is both novel and brilliant - though if I explained why I might spoil it for you

The writer has obviously thought about the challenge of building AI seriously. I have heard it before and will reiterate this shared insight - Transcendence (2014) is ahead of its time. In a way perhaps one's enjoyment of the film will be a function of what one most wants from a movie. If this is emotional support, intellectual ease, or philosophical certainty; then perhaps it is not the right film for you. It definitely leaves more than one door open; in the characters also. 

I did speculate over some apparent inconsistencies but these are folding the more I think about it. That is part of the fun with good movies; to try and work out why things happened the way they did. I won't detail these. I rarely rate a movie that doesn't draw me back and invite me to deconstruct it. If every single thing clicks the first time then perhaps it is too simple. I will end the review on that theme.