【電影簡介】

威爾卡斯特博士（約翰尼·德普飾）是人工智能領域首屈一指的研究者，他致力于開創有史以來最人性化的有感知的機器人，全方位結合了人類情感和智慧。雖然威爾極具爭議的實驗令他一舉成名，但同時也讓他成為反科技極端分子的眼中釘，這些極端分子開始極盡一切阻止他。然而沒想到的是，他們對威爾的摧毀行動，卻在不經意間成為了威爾人工智能人實驗成功的催化劑——成為了他“超驗”的參與者。威爾的妻子伊芙琳（麗貝卡·豪爾飾）和他最好的朋友馬克斯（保羅·貝坦尼飾）同是這個實驗的研究員，但問題不在于他們能不能……而是他們應不應該繼續著這項研究。伊芙琳和馬克斯最擔心的是，他們逐漸察覺到，威爾已經不再是單純的進行探索研究，而是逐步演變成追求一種權力，他無所不在，讓人無法預料在他的掌控下未來的結局是什么，唯一越來越清晰的可怕事情是沒有人能夠阻止他。

【音頻文本】

The path to making a successful science fiction film is one filled with many a traps and pitfalls. The storywriters must be vigilant not to mess with the laws of science, at least not too much; the fictitious elements must be carefully managed so they don't infringe on the story; and above all, the story must be guided by an idea that most viewers could relate to. But even if all these requirements were met, there is always the chance that the old folks at the Academy wouldn't appreciate the effort.

Wally Pfister doesn't have to worry about Academy recognition with his directorial debut "Transcendence"; he's got smaller fish to fry.

His chicly-named thriller is written by Jack Paglen, who is not widely known indeed. But Christopher Nolanis also on board the project as executive producer, so it is a bit hard to tell who masterminded the brainy script.

The story centers on artificial intelligence, nano-technology, mind control and cyborgs. A computer scientist manages to develop a sentient machine before he is assassinated by anti-science activists. In an attempt to save his life, his partner in research and life uploads his consciousness to the AI, which gives thelingering soul unlimited power in an age of information technology. Now, with great power comes great responsibility, but also greater danger, because he is still hunted by his murderers, who seem pretty determined to end his existence as many times as necessary.

When I said it is hard to tell who was responsible for the story, I mean it contains the sophistication commonly seen in Christopher Nolan films: the kind of sophistication that programs your mind to think about prescribed questions. It is difficult not to, but if you play along, you are in for answers that totally deviate from what you've been warmed up to expect.

From this side of the argument, "Transcendence" is intellectually satisfying. But on the other hand, due to some small, but obvious mishandling of common sense, the film can also be quite annoying. To explain this, we must reveal a little spoiler: when the anti-science activists seek to destroy the AI's internet-based dominance over the world, they plant a virus on a real person and send her to the den of their foe. But the AI practically lives on the internet; the easiest way to reach it is by connecting the virus to any internet interface.

But that would mean lack of spectacles, which in turn means a more boring movie. The investors put money on a cinematographer-turned-director to make spectacular, money-making films, so Pfister is compelled to deliver the visual thrill at the expense of common sense.

輕松調頻EZFM 微信mrweekly