Transcendence (2014)

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Despite some major plot-holes, I didn't mind it. I certainly liked it better than the 18% rating it got from reviewers -- it did better with Audiences at 38%. The movie wasn't overwhelming. It was just interesting. It could have been a lot more, and in fact, I'd sort of hoped it would have been. But it wasn't bad, just a little shallow and predictable, with some interesting dilemmas to ponder.

Despite some major plot-holes, I didn't mind it. I certainly liked it better than the 18% rating it got from reviewers -- it did better with Audiences at 38%. Based on the reviewers that didn't like it, it seems it was a bit too cerebral for them? (Or they just weren't getting the nuance). The reviewers that liked it, seemed to have fairer critiques. (Their grasp of computers and tech was very thin -- but that isn't what most were criticizing them on).

I've always tried to explain that genius isn't close to insanity, in many ways it IS insanity. If the majority of humanity thinks one way, and your thoughts are constrained by being 1.8x more logical than average (or broader/faster/etc), then you're not going to come the same conclusions.

The definition of insanity is thinking "irrational" -- but to the genius it is the majority that thinks irrationally. So I think a more realistic definition is, "you think different from the way the consensus thinks". And the majority are not going to think like a genius (and vise versa). Thus it's not about hyper-rationality (different scale and scope of rational), that changes your perception. Genius is Insanity

This touched on that. Could anyone be sane if they could compute that much faster, or see that much broader? I don't think they would be, by societies definition. And we fear that which is different. Is what makes us human, our experiences (or lack of them) or the flaws in our chemistry, or limitations? They hinted at some deeper questions in the film, even if it didn't beat you over the head with them -- and then went for a more shallow/traditional story instead.

Anyways, the movie wasn't overwhelming. It was just interesting. It could have been a lot more, and in fact, I'd sort of hoped it would have been. But it wasn't bad, just a little shallow and predictable, with some interesting dilemmas to ponder. I was thinking it needed the Righteous Brothers singing Unchained Melody to complete it as the cyber-version of Ghost, or the sci-fi remake, 25 year later. (Similar plotline for me: boy and girl love each other, girl loses boy, has a shadow of him, and has to come to terms with that).

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