The near future techno-thriller Transcendence marks the directorial debut of celebrated cinematographer Wally Pfister. A long-time collaborator with Christopher Nolan, Pfister sets out on his own with Transcendence, much as 2001: A Space Odyssey effects wizard Douglas Trumbull did with Silent Running. Alas, Pfister’s film is not in the same league as Trumball’s eccentric but engaging 1972 feature. Transcendence is so narratively and thematically muddled that its scientific silliness and leadenly generic action are unfortunately pushed to the forefront.
The script by newcomer Jack Paglen concerns Dr. Will Caster, a renowned mathematician working to create a true artificial intelligence. However, a Luddite terrorist group has different ideas, and Will is nicked by an assassin’s radioactive bullet that spells death in a few weeks. However, his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) and friend Max (Paul Bettany) are brilliant scientists as well, and they successfully copy the dying Will’s mind to a computer. Before you can say “Skynet,” Will v2.0 has distributed itself online and convinced Evelyn to flee to the desert to create a digital utopia. Things get sinister from there, as Will 2.0’s power expands, Evelyn grows disillusioned, and Max is recruited by the anti-tech terrorists.
Transcendence wants to be a sobering exploration of technology and humanity, but it’s hard to take it seriously given its wooly screenplay, ungainly editing, and laughable cyber-gobbledygook. What’s left is a dumbed-down amalgam of The Forbin Project, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Michael Crichton’s novel Prey. Transcendence feels stale and distracted; intriguing possibilities such as the gray goo doomsday scenario are raised and quickly discarded. Most disappointing is the film’s look, which is slick and shadowy, but also surprisingly anonymous given that Pfister lensed the striking Batman Begins and Inception. It’s a pity that his talents were wasted on a misfire like Transcendence.
