As the directorial debut of Christopher Nolan’s regular cinematographer Wally Pfister, “Transcendence” invites all kinds of broad, zeitgeist pronouncements about the 21st-century human’s relationship to technology. Yet we know some relationships just turn out to be happily-never-after.
This still rings true even when one party in the relationship is the gorgeous Johnny Depp. He plays the role of Dr. Will Caster, a prestigious scientist and expert on artificial intelligence. After giving a speech regarding AI’s bright future, Will is shot by an anti-technology radical. Leaving his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) in desperation, Will decides to conduct the experiment that would upload his consciousness into an AI computer.
By integrating himself with Internet, Will evolves to an omnipresent and omnipotent force that can change the world.
Apparently, the only thing people feel can change the world is Superman, not a supercomputer. Thus the rest of the film is awash in yelling and radical actions to “Shut it down.” The question remains, “Is AI Will really a nefarious existence?” No one can say yes without hesitation.
The fact is, Will as a supercomputer does have the power to make the world a better place, including curing terminal diseases and controlling pollution. The reason to shut down is nothing about morality or humanity, but the threats in which humans are immersed. Therefore, the film delivers a biting satire about people’s fear of change and fear of losing control.
Based on the old touchstones of human vs. AI machine stories, it’s easy to associate “Transcendence” to the Oscar Best Picture nominee “Her.” While the latter focuses on how a human establishes a relationship with a supercomputer, “Transcendence” explores what happens after a human has been in a relationship with an AI machine.
In the way of articulating feelings, Spike Jonze does a better job than Pfister as he made “Her” a scary, sobering parable about the psychological toll of loneliness. Pfister failed to elicit any compelling emotions toward the film. The moral conflict is just attempting an ineffective solution and the characterization is not plump enough to resonate.
Surprisingly, the A-list cast doesn’t add much luster to the film. Hall is stingy in her expression of feeling. The way Evelyn talks to her beloved husband is less affectionate than the way I do with my Siri. Most of Depp’s scenes are set in a computer screen, but the distance and isolation he brings is more than what he should have to deliver.
This still rings true even when one party in the relationship is the gorgeous Johnny Depp. He plays the role of Dr. Will Caster, a prestigious scientist and expert on artificial intelligence. After giving a speech regarding AI’s bright future, Will is shot by an anti-technology radical. Leaving his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) in desperation, Will decides to conduct the experiment that would upload his consciousness into an AI computer.
By integrating himself with Internet, Will evolves to an omnipresent and omnipotent force that can change the world.
Apparently, the only thing people feel can change the world is Superman, not a supercomputer. Thus the rest of the film is awash in yelling and radical actions to “Shut it down.” The question remains, “Is AI Will really a nefarious existence?” No one can say yes without hesitation.
The fact is, Will as a supercomputer does have the power to make the world a better place, including curing terminal diseases and controlling pollution. The reason to shut down is nothing about morality or humanity, but the threats in which humans are immersed. Therefore, the film delivers a biting satire about people’s fear of change and fear of losing control.
Based on the old touchstones of human vs. AI machine stories, it’s easy to associate “Transcendence” to the Oscar Best Picture nominee “Her.” While the latter focuses on how a human establishes a relationship with a supercomputer, “Transcendence” explores what happens after a human has been in a relationship with an AI machine.
In the way of articulating feelings, Spike Jonze does a better job than Pfister as he made “Her” a scary, sobering parable about the psychological toll of loneliness. Pfister failed to elicit any compelling emotions toward the film. The moral conflict is just attempting an ineffective solution and the characterization is not plump enough to resonate.
Surprisingly, the A-list cast doesn’t add much luster to the film. Hall is stingy in her expression of feeling. The way Evelyn talks to her beloved husband is less affectionate than the way I do with my Siri. Most of Depp’s scenes are set in a computer screen, but the distance and isolation he brings is more than what he should have to deliver.
We are all in relationships with our digital devices in some ways, and “Transcendence” just gives a warning about what will happen if we rely too much on technology.
