Transcendence, the science-fiction artificial intelligence film stars Johnny Depp as a man who uses his own technology to save his consciousness and complete his lifework alongside his wife, played by Rebecca Hall.

In his directorial debut, cinematographer Wally Pfister, a longtime Christopher Nolan collaborator, tackles the frightening possibilities of technology. Transcendence, which has drawn ample comparisons to Spike Jonze’s Her, shows a mad scientist of sorts, who labors to create a sentient and omniscient super-machine that could change the world while existing as such a machine himself.

Critics Review ‘Transcendence’

Transcendence, despite having Depp and Hall onboard, as well as Morgan Freeman and Kate Mara, has failed to win over critics. It’s been criticized for having a lack of focus and a poorer execution of its theme than has been seen in Nolan’s Inception, the Oscar-nominated Her and the Matrix series. The few positive reviews felt that Transcendence transcended its sci-fi genre.

“Artificial intelligence isn't just the villain in the muddled techno thriller Transcendence. It's also an apt description of the film's script: a cockamamie mishmash of Big Ideas and TED Conference buzzwords that sound smart, but don't compute. […] Watching it all unfold and slowly go off the rails, you can't help but wonder what Pfister's mentor, Nolan, might have done with the same material. My guess is he would have sent the script back for a Page One rewrite for starters.” – Chris Nashaway, Entertainment Weekly

“Transcendence just can’t transcend Hollywood. What starts out as a fairly interesting look at the dangers and temptations of technology eventually devolves into a special effects-driven ridiculous ball of confusion. First-time director Wally Pfister, the cinematographer on Inception and the most recent Batman movies, working with first-time screenwriter Jack Paglen, simply lets things get too far out of hand.” – Tom Long, Detroit News

“Though its plot and premise are pure science fiction, "Transcendence" goes pleasingly against the genre grain. A story of the possible perils and pleasures of artificial intelligence that stars Johnny Depp, "Transcendence's" ideas are at least as involving as its images, if not more so. And as written by Jack Paglen and directed by Wally Pfister, this film is intent on not limiting itself to simplistic questions of pure good and evil.” – Kenneth Turn, Los Angeles Times

“Pfister and the screenwriter, Jack Paglen, grapple ponderously, sometimes oafishly, with the ethical and philosophical issues at stake in the film’s premise. But they grapple with them, and that earnest investment in the speculative part of “speculative science fiction” is what makes Transcendence worth watching, at least until it falls apart in a last-act barrage of nonsensical plot developments and soothing TED-talk wisdom. Transcendence is fairly ridiculous, but some may prefer its grand, loopy ambition to the small-minded sameness of so many futuristic thrillers.” – Dana Stevens, Slate

Transcendence, rated PG-13, is currently in wide release.

– Chelsea Regan