I'm glad that some of the reviews that I had read, even from fairly reputable and reliable sources like Bluray.com, were ultimately not accurate in their description of this film. For example, that site made it seem like this was a rather shallow movie that basically was about an Artificial Intelligence that typically goes amok. That is not true at all and completely misses the point.

Now that I've just seen it, I can understand why they named it as they did; this wasn't just some usual commercially catchy phrase to sell a film, but after all is said and done (and viewed) that SPECIFICALLY was actually the primary theme of the film. It will be a little difficult to 'talk' about this aspect of it without entering Spoiler territory, which I do not wish to do.

There are deeper themes running through this film than one may think at first. Without being specific, the final few scenes reveal that 'Transcendence' is indeed what is going on here. So, first and foremost, PLEASE do not be put off by those who say that this is just a shallow Sci Fi film about a machine taking over; if you like serious Science fiction that is done very well, then you should like this film.

One caution though... My impression is that this movie is the moral antithesis of a film like, say, 'CHILDREN OF MEN', which I also just watched recently before this one. That film too is very beautifully shot and technically well done; AND, it also would be considered very serious, adult Science Fiction. But, I personally ***ENJOYED*** this one quite a bit more; the themes and mood of it resonated a LOT more with me personally than the other film. I just mention these particular films as a comparison of two well done, modern Sci Fi films, but with almost TOTALLY opposite philosophies behind them. Whereas 'CoM' is what I would call much more gritty and 'Realistic' and even quite Nihilistic in it's tone, where basically just about bloody EVERYONE dies, Mankind is shown to be nasty, selfish, and brutal, and with the supposed exception of it's last minute ending, completely without any hope at all. This film though, in my lowly and wretched opinion, is MUCH more subtle and enlightened in the themes that it is emphasizing, and it may not be until the very end when you fully realize what the point actually is (I'll give you a hint... It has to do with one of the last things Rebecca Hall says) Don't get me wrong, BOTH films are very well done, but I just wanted to show the extreme contrast in tone, so that it might help you to choose whether you would want to watch this one.

Also, quite frankly, it is just a great film. It's a lot of fun, there is excellent suspense where you do NOT know what is going to happen next or whether what is going on is truly Good or Evil...

So, as I mention in a lot of my reviews: If you are a bit on the cynical side and are the kind of person who likes their entertainment, whatever the Genre, to be of the more brutally 'Realistic' type, and you don't care for more imaginative or Idealistic films, then this one may not do much for you. BUT... IF you do appreciate films where the underlying themes may cause you to question your own attitudes towards Hope and Faith (and I DON'T mean anything Religious at all - Just Faith or Hope in things or people in general) THEN you might, as I did, really find this film quite refreshing and entertaining.

That Rebecca Hall is a paragon of pulchritude is unarguable. She has this endearing overbite that lends her sibilants a lisp, so that "space" comes out "thpathe". Love it.

The imagery -- that is, what is seen on the screen -- is magnificent. No kidding. Raindrops in slow motion. Sunflowers opening and closing. Dark laboratories (too dark) and splendid vistas of landscapes that go on to infinity. Crisp closeups of glistening teeth and watery eyes. Applause for the photographer, Jess Hall.

Sadly, much of the story makes no sense. It begins coherently enough. Johnny Depp is a scientist who has his brain uploaded just before he dies. Then, in a quest for more power to do what he thinks is good for the world, he demands that his electronic brain now be permitted to take over the internet, and once that's achieved, the rest of the electricity in the entire world. His image appears on monitors and TV screens. He performs miracle cures with nanotechnology. He's going to save the earth.

So far, so familiar. We've been in this territory before. There was HAL in "2001", the movie "Frankenstein," the runaway zero-toleance computer in "Collosus: The Forbin Project", and other examples. It's kind of interesting, although drawn out and inexplicable to the ordinary mortal.

Then it shifts gears and pits a gang of Luddites against the neurologically altered community that Depp has created for himself and his wife, Hall, in the middle of some desert wasteland. These myrmidons are without emotion and evidently immortal. You shoot them down but their wounds heal in a few seconds. This too is familiar. There are the pod people from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," the zombies from "Night of the Living Dead," and countless others.

There is a big shoot out at the end. During this, the story leaves any familiarity behind and reaches for Terra Incognita, for the stars, for the galaxy.

It becomes utter nonsense with no explanation given for the events, not even the usual scientific-sounding mumbo jumbo you get in B movies: "Captain, we've activated the parabolic node of the epsilon warp indicator." "Some kind of nuclear power, I suppose." These little CGI wisps rise up from the ground and into the clouds and then pour down as nanotechnologically ripe drops that fall on everybody and everything. The nanocytes reproduce like a virus. But what the hell difference does it make? Nothing happens anyway.

There's a final scene in which the now dead Depp describes the earth of the future, "water so pure you can drink from any river," and we're treated to a cinematic tour of landscapes that have no freeways and no McDonalds. But what does this sequence MEAN? Depp is defunct, and the uploaded virus has killed all the programs, if that's the word, that he's created.

It looks like a thoughtful movie but I don't know what it's trying to say because it seems to be suffering from expressive aphasia or else I'm too dumb to understand it. Maybe it's a different language. Martian, maybe.

Directed by Ace Cinematographer Wally Pfister in his directorial debut, 'Transcendence' is an interesting watch! No, its not perfect, but it has a terrific concept & to an extent, it leaves an impression.

'Transcendence' Synopsis: A scientist's drive for artificial intelligence, takes on dangerous implications when his consciousness is uploaded into one such program.

'Transcendence' has a marvelous first-hour, with the drama unfolding most impressively. The second-hour loses steam. The narrative becomes abstract & the film overstays its welcome by at least 15-minutes. Also, the culmination is half-baked. The desired impact is missing.

Jack Paglen's Screenplay is innovative & offers some truly well-written sequences, but the mostly low second-hour, plays a spoilsport. Wally Pfister's Direction is good. Cinematography is appropriate. Editing lacks sharpness. Art Design is super.

Performance-Wise: Johnny Depp, despite limited screen time, leaves a mark. Rebecca Hall is excellent. Paul Bettany is very sincere. Kate Mara is natural. Cillian Murphy & Morgan Freeman are okay.

On the whole, 'Transcendence' isn't amazing, but it holds some appeal nevertheless.