A scientist's drive for artificial intelligence takes on dangerous implications when his own consciousness is uploaded into one such program.A scientist's drive for artificial intelligence takes on dangerous implications when his own consciousness is uploaded into one such program.A scientist's drive for artificial intelligence takes on dangerous implications when his own consciousness is uploaded into one such program.
- Awards
- 3 wins & 7 nominations total
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaContinuing his outspoken advocacy for the use of film stock over digital formats, cinematographer Wally Pfister not only chose to shoot the film in the anamorphic format on 35mm film instead of on a digital camera, but also finished the film photochemically, refusing to use a digital intermediate.
- GoofsWill Caster is killed by the highly toxic radio-active element, Polonium (the same one used to murder Alexander Litvinenko in true-life in 2006). Despite its toxicity (scientists estimate that 1 gram could kill 50 million people), his wife and friends are allowed to remain with him in close proximity until his death. Whilst intact skin is actually a barrier to the passage of alpha radiation particles to a nearby person (so we could let them off this goof), we later see Caster's cremated ashes being tossed into the breeze above a river for all to breath in. These are hardly actions that any homeland security or radiation expert would conceivably have allowed to happen.
- Quotes
Will Caster: For 130,000 years, our capacity to reason has remained unchanged. The combined intellect of the neuroscientists, mathematicians and... hackers... in this auditoirum pales in comparison to the most basic A.I. Once online, a sentient machine will quickly overcome the limits of biology. And in a short time, its analytic power will become greater than the collective intelligence of every person born in the history of the world. So imagine such an entity with a full range of human emotion. Even self-awareness. Some scientists refer to this as "the Singularity." I call it "Transcendence."
- ConnectionsFeatured in Half in the Bag: Transcendence and the Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
- SoundtracksGenesis
Written by Jorma Kaukonen
Performed by Jorma Kaukonen
Courtesy of RCA Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
Hey, we all know this day may be coming and this movie may be a harbinger of that. But for now let's see where this takes us. Keep in mind, it's only a movie.
We see the dangers of Will becoming godlike and controlling the world's internet. However all we actually see is Will doing good healing the earth and people. But, the opposing forces see this as too controlling and fear it could get out of hand and doom everyone including the earth itself. There is that but what is forgotten - in this movie - is the love Will has for Evelyn for whom Will does everything. He constantly cites Evelyn's dream to her. The problem is that later on Evelyn also sees the dangers of a too powerful Will. The ending proves this point.
Some things were not brought into this scenario: no government including those worldwide, no religious groups demonstrating against Will and what he has become in their minds, and no worldwide denunciation by other nations. No, this stays with the small opposition group and the love story with Will doing everything he can to further Evelyn's dream although it may not be as evident as it could have been.
There is some excellent CGI in the works. A good supporting cast of Paul Bettany as Max and Morgan Freeman as Joseph were under used, but still good in this context. Kate Mara as Bree, a leader of the opposition is the only one who is animated and urges the end of Will and what he has become.
When a Johnny Depp character is on the screen or in a monitor on the screen, he is still a force to behold and performs in Oscar-worthy mode all the time. Kudos.
This movie provides us with something to think about. How far will we allow technology to go?
The pacing is slow, and we are never sure where this is leading us, but we are attentive and hope for the best. We like what Will is doing but we don't want him to become a god or godlike. How can he be stopped?
Yes, now only a movie, but one day (7/10)
Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: No,Very brief soft stuff.
- bob-rutzel-1
- Aug 13, 2014
- Permalink
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Trascender
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $100,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $23,022,309
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $10,886,386
- Apr 20, 2014
- Gross worldwide
- $103,039,258
- Runtime1 hour 59 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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