Transcendence (2014)

Will Caster (Johnny Depp) has been developing a self-aware AI for many years, with the help of his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall). He has relied also on the groundbreaking work of several colleagues in the field, such as personal friends Max Waters (Paul Bettany) and Joseph Tagger (Morgan Freeman), among others.

When our story begins, Will is giving a presentation to potential investors about the future of AI, and how it can advance not only the human race, but also technology in general, and indeed the wider world.

However, there is also a vigilante group who have been targeting AI researchers across the country, and even around the world. One of the members of this group - present at the event - shoots Will in the foyer after the seminar.

Will is fortunate that the bullet merely grazed him, so at first it seems like he will be okay and make a full recovery. However, the bullet was laced with polonium, so slowly but surely, his internal organs and nervous system begin to shut down, and he is told he has only a few months left to live.

Will Caster (Johnny Depp), Evelyn Caster (Rebecca Hall) and Max Waters (Paul Bettany).

As he faces the end of his life, and Evelyn faces the rest of her life alone, they come up with a 'terrible' - at least it is terrible to everyone who knows them, the two of them see no issue with it - plan; that is, to upload Will's consciousness to the computer they have been developing the AI system on, so that he can not only continue to live on - in a digital form - but AI as a concept can continue to develop.

The vigilante group, however - led by a young intern named Bree (Kate Mara), who had worked with Max in the past - continue their campaign against all advancement of AI technology.

Their crimes - they have already killed a number of researchers - are investigated by FBI Agent Buchanan (Cillian Murphy), with assistance from Joseph Tagger.

I'll leave the plot description there for now, you can experience it for yourself if you so choose.

Joseph Tagger (Morgan Freeman).

The screenplay, by Jack Paglen, is clever enough. The characters are reasonably well-defined, and there are plenty of plot twists to keep you guessing and keep you interested until the film's conclusion. That being said, a lot of the plot points are relatively standard for a film in this genre, so there aren't a lot of surprises for anyone used to films of this nature, but it is still interesting enough to keep you watching.

Mychael Danna's score likewise is relatively standard for the genre. It's not bad, in fact, it's fine for what it is, but there isn't anything too adventurous or outlandish in the score or the instrumentation. The music is suited well to the film, however, with all the major significant emotional points highlighted well by the addition of music. The film doesn't feel overscored at any point, either, which is good.

The production design, by Chris Seagers, is excellent, transporting the viewer directly into the middle of the film's world and environment. From tech servers to a post-apocalyptic world, everything has been created to suit the film, and it does so to a tee.

Agent Buchanan (Cillian Murphy).

Cast performances are again standard for the genre. Johnny Depp is perhaps not as good in this film as he has been in others, then again, he doesn't have a lot of screen time, so it's harder to judge for certain. While there may not be a lot of emotion or rise and fall in his voice for most of the film, for most of the film, he is nothing more than an AI interface, so this actually works well.

Rebecca Hall gives an amazing performance as Evelyn, particularly in the more intense emotional moments, when one assumes she is delivering her performance to an empty room - without the benefit of another actor to 'bounce off' emotionally - which only adds to the impressiveness of what she can convey.

Director Wally Pfister has made a fairly standard science fiction thriller here, that is certainly enjoyable enough to warrant more than one viewing. I have seen this film a few times now, and it still affects me each time, so that must be saying something. If you haven't seen it, it is certainly worth a watch; there is plenty to think about and discuss afterwards.

7 out of 10.

Angel Has Fallen (2019)

The third instalment in this series, after Olympus Has Fallen and London Has Fallen, this film sees us back in the United States, with Secret Service agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) on the run for his life.

When Mike is framed for an assassination attempt on US President Trumbull (Morgan Freeman) - an attack which left several of his colleagues dead - he flees into the countryside, hoping to not only preserve his life and the lives of those he loves but also clear his name and bring the true perpetrators to justice.

His wife Leah (Piper Perabo) and young daughter find themselves caught up in the whole messy situation as well, and become house-bound as the FBI - led by Agent Thompson (Jada Pickett Smith) - and the nation’s press are on their doorstep and watching their every move.

President Trumbull (Morgan Freeman).

And Mike’s former colleague and close friend Wade Jennings (Danny Huston) may be more involved than Mike initially suspects.

As the President lies in a coma, control of the government falls to Vice President Kirby (Tim Blake Nelson), who sets in motion a plan to go to war with Russia, who it seems has taken credit for the attack.

If you have seen either of the other films in the series, there are a few things you will know already. Firstly, there are plenty of twists and turns in the plot, and absolutely no one is who or what they may seem. And secondly, the body count is going to be incredibly high. And this film delivers on both counts.

Mike Banning (Gerard Butler).

The screenplay, by Robert Mark Kamen and Matt Cook & director Ric Roman Waugh, is very well written, with the aforementioned plot twists keeping the audience on the edge of their seat from beginning to end. The characters are all clearly defined and delineated, with plenty of conflicts - both internal and external - to round them out and keep things interesting.

David Buckley’s score feels a touch heavy-handed at times, but this could be due to tropes of the genre. The music is still well-suited to the level of action, and the numerous rises in intensity. Maybe I was just a little too close to one of the speakers in the cinema, as it did seem louder than I might have liked, so this is not a criticism of the composition itself. Perhaps it is even down to the sound mix; who knows?

The cinematography - courtesy of Jules O'Loughlin - is fantastic, with large sections of the film taking place in almost total darkness. The fast, quick edits and cuts again add to the tension. This film is most definitely a thriller, and the rapid changes of camera angle and framing not only indicate, but support, this.

FBI Agent Thompson (Jada Pickett Smith).

The performances of the cast are nothing spectacular in a dramatic sense, but as the film is a thriller, this isn’t as big an issue as you might think. The cast are adequate, but not exceptional. There is a great appearance by actor Nick Nolte - I won’t go into too much detail on that, though; I’ll let you see it for yourself - in the second half of the film, and his character seems like it would have been a lot of fun to play.

Director Ric Roman Waugh has made a perfectly adequate, fast-paced thriller here that more than lives up to the two previous films following these characters. If you enjoyed either of the other films, I would definitely recommend you watch this one. If you haven’t seen the other two films, you would still be able to follow this one, as it can stand well on its own, but you might miss some of the references and in-jokes.

8 out of 10.