“Once online, a sentient machine will quickly overcome the limits of biology. And in a short time, its analytic power will become greater than the collective intelligence of every person born in the history of the world.”
– Will Caster
SYNOPSIS: Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp) is the foremost researcher in the field of Artificial Intelligence, working to create a sentient machine that combines the collective intelligence of everything ever known with the full range of human emotions. His highly controversial experiments have made him famous, but they have also made him the prime target of anti-technology extremists who will do whatever it takes to stop him. However, in their attempt to destroy Will, they inadvertently become the catalyst for him to succeed-to be a participant in his own transcendence. For his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) and best friend Max Waters (Paul Bettany), both fellow researchers, the question is not if they can…but if they should. Their worst fears are realized as Will’s thirst for knowledge evolves into a seemingly omnipresent quest for power, to what end is unknown. The only thing that is becoming terrifyingly clear is there may be no way to stop him. – via IMDB
What the hell man? Johnny Depp’s redeeming role… that’s what this was supposed to be. Instead I saw a drunk Jack Sparrow scientist in the beginning. However, he was massively improved by the end of the film. I was not a fan of the plot whatsoever, and it was incredibly sad to see such a great cast go to waste. I mean Morgan Freeman, Paul Bettany, and Cillian Murphy? Johnny Depp and Rebecca Hall? It was just such a disappointment overall, and I want to make mention of how stupid it all was. Meh. I feel like I wasted so much time here, and I will never get it back. I mean the reviews came back pretty negatively, but even though I was not necessarily excited to see it, I still wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I was hoping for something worthy or Depp’s talent. It started just fine, and then it just lost the plot. And not gradually, either. It’s like the ground opened up and it went into freefall. The script left a lot to be desired, although the plot progression was the one thing that was more sturdy than most other aspects of this. Plus there was Kate Mara, and I really don’t like her very much, so she just irritated me endlessly every time she came on screen. Depp only impressed me more towards the end – those of you who have seen this, I am sure you will agree that it was more of a call back to the older Depp style. Overall, the movie was ludicrous. I just could not slot in with what was going on at all, which is a pity. I really wish it had been something more.
Yeah, with such idea behind it if could have been very interesting but it somehow didn’t turn out that well.
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Not at all!
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I just couldn’t get into this one. I’ll have to take another run at it, but it bored me to tears. I’m willing to confess that might’ve been the mood I was in, but I think the film’s a bit to blame as well.
Nice review.
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Thanks Jordan!
Yep, moods can affect the viewing experience, but this was just that bad… I suspect it may very well have just been the film!
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I still haven’t seen this. I actually had high hopes for it but the negativity completely scared me away. Now I have no real desire to see it. What a shame too. I love Rebecca Hall. She deserves better.
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I had neutral hopes for it, hoping it wasn’t as bad as everyone made it out to be. But it was. What a shame, really.
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I put this down as potential film of the year before the year started. Biggest regret in my blogging career.
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Ouch! Hahaha, I can see you are going to be assessing in minute detail in future.
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This film should go and sit in the corner and think about what it’s done. A complete waste of money, energy, time and talent.
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The ultimate punishment hahahaha! But I cannot fault your assessment!
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Agreed!
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🙂
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Still want to watch this despite the not so great reviews. I guess a part of me wants to see Depp do something “normal” again without going into OTT character mode. It has been a while!
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It’s been way too long. I was hoping for more from him here, something back to how he used to be. Not so much of it. Such a shame.
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That’s a shame. I think some of my fav performances from Depp are Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Would love to see him try and reach those levels again. He is a good actor.
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He is a good actor, he’s just been doing such meh material lately! 😦 I loved his old stuff!
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Good review Zoe. Had plenty of ideas, but didn’t really know what to do with them. So instead, it just all came off as a bit of a mess.
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Thanks Dan. Wholeheartedly agree with you there!
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Fairest JBSB,
I don’t like Depp one bit AND this movie looked stupid to me. I’m glad I never bothered and will live this thing through you, although it hurts me that you sat through it. I don’t remember you giving something this low of a rating in ages.
Love,
GSC
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Sweet SSC,
Yeah screw it, skip it and you will be fine. It’s bad if even YOU don’t want to touch this one! LOL I haven’t, but you just wait, I have a slew of them in my drafts box 😉
Love,
JJB
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Sweetest JJBSB,
is one of them the movie you watched yesterday????
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Love,
SSC
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Kindest PSC,
Nope, not at all. I actually really, really liked that up until the last two minutes 😦 Then it just broke my soul. WHY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Love,
Disappointed JB
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Sweetest SJB,
Ah – they didn’t bother me – I am going to try and put something together about it today. What bothered me about it was the dialogue delivery AND that I could have used some answers about what the fuck was going on. In the end, I liked it though – quite a bit.
Love,
SSC
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Kind MSC,
It bugged the crap out of me. I thought the dialogue was alright. Faulty in places, but not too bad. I liked them not delving too much into what was to come, but jeesh people, by the end of it at least leave SOME answers! How many TH you going to award it??
Love,
JJB
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SSSBJB,
Probably four but my system is flawed. If I got into decimals I would go a 3.5 or so but I don’t really do that very often. It’s a TON better than some of the shit I watch but it’s no Killer Mermaid… LOLOLOLOL
LOVE!!!
PSC
P.S. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH Fucking Killer Mermaid!!!
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Dearest MSC,
Alrighty then, so we are about equal. A 3.5 is the equivalent of a 7 on mine, which is roughly what I am scoring… if I can justify it. But for the time being I think that is what it is.
Oh please, I am sure it was spans better. That Killer mermaid sounded… just no. No. No.
Love,
SSSBJB
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You said it.
I wished this was something SO much more than what it was. My god. I am also shocked this convoluted, pretentious and flat-out boring mess is the end product of Wally Pfister, Chris Nolan’s freaking cinematographer. I guess it goes to show the transition to the director’s seat just isn’t a natural one for everyone.
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Yep, you said it! 😉
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I was really looking forward to this one in January! And then – splat. Such a disappointment. Great review, pretty much sums up the whole undercooked thing. Poor Depp.
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Thanks Rhys, I’m with you there. I had been hoping for something interesting, old recall to form and all that.
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I’m with you, lady. This one was quite a disappointment. How could they waste a cast like this??? How could the ending suck so much??? Ah well. Maybe Pfister will learn a lesson from this…Good review!!
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Thank you. This movie was just… ridiculous on way too many levels, and such a waste of a great cast!
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Ugh right???
#frustration
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Oh no!! And I was so looking forward to this, too… 😦
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😦 What a waste!
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Damn! That’s a LOW rating. I know this had horrible reviews but, still, I kind of want to watch it at some point. But I’m in no rush. What a shame – I miss my Johnny Depp from the old days…
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I really wish this had been better 😦 I do, but it wasn’t. Still, if you want to check it out, go for it. Who knows, you might like it more because it got slammed everywhere you read 😉 You’ll go in with ridiculously low expectations! Yeah, old school Depp was awesome. I miss that! 😦
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