Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp) & his wife, Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) were largely involved in a project to develop a sentient artificial intelligence or in simpler words, a computer that could perceive & feel emotions. In their way was a group of terrorists who felt that the advanced technology may bring destruction to mankind. 

At first, I didn't want to watch this movie because of the hate it received. Most of my friends didn't like it & some even referred it as the downfall of Johnny Depp. 

Note to self: Don't trust reviews. Go watch and judge for yourself. 

I'm so glad that my brother in law persuaded me to watch this movie with him because I like it a lot. 

What to expect from this movie? Well, first of all, the pace is rather slow. You might fall asleep if you watch it while you're tired. I'm not saying that it's boring but it has many explanations. Almost every development in the movie requires attention & elaboration. I think it has a sort of documentary vibe to it.

Don't expect this movie to be in the same category as Terminator. Yes, both are sci-fi but Transcendence is not an action movie. It's sci-fi with a bit of action seasoning which is necessary. 

What I like about the movie is the story. I am quite geeky though not extremely. Just a bit geeky. I love the concept of nano-technology in cartoons & comic books thus I have no problem in understanding & embracing what's really happening in the movie. I love how rapid the development of the technology in the hands of computerized Will. I love the enigma of "Is it really Will or is it an evil computer impersonating Will?". What's Will's true intention? These questions managed to make me focus on the movie from start til end. 

I understand why people don't like Transcendence. Besides the slow pace, most people I know have trouble synthesizing the story & accepting that the things happening in the movie can really happen in real life. This movie is not for everyone. It's a movie for geeks like me. 

Acting performance wise, I must praise Rebecca Hall because she's excellent in portraying Will's wife, Evelyn Caster. She's so full of emotions. I bet many people can't accept how normal Johnny Depp is in the movie. Despite the absence of his signature quirks, I think Depp did good. Especially in showing the affectionate emotions of Will towards Evelyn. Besides that, Paul Bettany and Kate Mara also did a good job in their roles. I would love to see more of Kate Mara in movies.

Another thing worth mentioning is the beautiful visual effects. I love how they visualized swarms of nanobots attacking, vaporizing, and spreading.  

All in all, this movie is not for everyone. I love this movie because I love the concept of nano-technology & humanistic computer. Many people are not too fond of the concept. The pacing is very slow. Not an action movie. Acting performance is good. 

7 out of 10 stars