 |
| Courtesy of Warner Bros. |
What’s
the biggest sin a movie can commit? If you guessed “being terrible,” better
luck next time. Awful movies can still be entertaining in their own weird way. The
most unforgivable error is boring the audience to death. As a filmmaker, if
somebody shells out $10 to see your movie, you have a responsibility to
entertain that person, or at least convey your message in a way that isn’t
preachy or pandering. But don’t put them to sleep. Naps shouldn’t cost money.
That’s
why Transcendence is so disappointing. Jack Paglen’s screenplay incorporates compelling
ideas about technology’s impact on our lives – specifically in the area of
artificial intelligence – but they’re executed in such a plodding, morose and ludicrous
fashion that it destroys any interest the audience might have in the material.
Johnny
Depp plays Dr. Will Caster, a brilliant researcher working to create artificial
intelligence that combines the collective intelligence of every human being
that has ever existed. When a group of anti-technology extremists carry out an
attack to stop his experiments, Caster finds himself with only a few weeks to
live. During that time, he comes up with a plan that will allow his
consciousness to survive after his body dies.
However,
his wife (Rebecca Hall) and best friend (Paul Bettany) find themselves at odds
on the moral implications of such an experiment. Over the course of several
years, the worst-case scenario plays out on a global scale, with Will (or
something pretending to be him) gaining access to massive amounts of knowledge
and using it to obtain practically unlimited power.
The
plot description makes it sound like a cool movie, right? Nope. Every actor in
the film sleepwalks through it, but Depp is particularly egregious. He only
appears on screen for 30 minutes or so (his performance is largely voiceover), usually
with an expression that conveys he’d rather be anywhere else.
But
I’ve gotten used to Depp coasting. Even more disappointing is how the film
squanders talented actresses like Hall, who mostly stands around looking sad or
scared, and Kate Mara, who has about 10 lines. Oh, and I just remembered that
Morgan Freeman and Cillian Murphy are in the movie, but I still can’t tell you
why – aside from the giant paycheck, of course.
Veteran
cinematographer Wally Pfister (he shot all of Christopher Nolan’s films) makes
his directorial debut here, so the movie looks fantastic. I just wish he
could’ve transferred some of that visual energy into the performances or the
story. Instead, the flick is reminiscent of technophobic cheese from
the 1990s like The Net, Hackers and The Lawnmower Man.
Transcendence is rated PG-13 for sci-fi action and violence, some bloody images, brief strong language and sensuality.
Grade:
D+
Comments
Post a Comment