I was guilt-tripped into seeing this last night and walked out before 30min had passed. I really wish that if a studio is going to make a movie that has a premise based around science they would actually talk to scientists to get their facts instead of what feels like their entire research is based on a magazine article.
Escape to the Movies: Transcendence - SkyNet? More Like SkyNot
- Thread starter MovieBob
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@MovieBob
Don't get me wrong: I didn't like Prometheus too much when I saw it, but I didn't think it was some sort of bane to the Alien-franchise, either. I don't really care either way. But the gulf between this statement now and your review then seems quite huge.
Erm. That swipe at Prometheus made me check back with your previous review of that movie.
So, did you change your mind on Prometheus being smart or am I missing something?
Don't get me wrong: I didn't like Prometheus too much when I saw it, but I didn't think it was some sort of bane to the Alien-franchise, either. I don't really care either way. But the gulf between this statement now and your review then seems quite huge.
el_emmens said:
With that being the case, then it's just more crappy changes added to The Escapist's list of bad stuff they have been doing to their website. Take for example on how they're doing more news about "Disney Princess as XXX" or "LEGO bla, bla, bla". Not much in the way of video games in politics, video games in general, science news, and movie entertainment. It seems to be instead random pop culture bullcrap. Now, ...NOW they're taking reviews and posting a big ass spoiler label across them giving the pretext opinion before we're even able to watch the videos. It's ruined ZP and TBP both equally.
Escapist Staff, if you're reading this: Change your ways, change them now. Go back to being how you originally were instead of where you're heading. This is not some Pop Culture website that mirrors tabloid magazines at the grocery stand checkout; get real if you want to earn a Webby.
Well, yeah there are definitely ethically questionable scientific experiments: History has quite a few examples from every corner of the world. The detail most of us are complaining about isn't about knee-jerk reactions as much as movie makers failing to make something intelligently compelling. Both Ghost in the Shell and Deus Ex: Human Revolution do a better job than this movie.Newhouse said:
No chance, I just finished reading the screenplay and it's pretty much what you see on the screen. It was slightly rewritten from the original version (that I read) but that really just removed a lot of character depth and action. The fundamental logical and thematic problems of the movie were there from the beginning and they cripple every version of the script.orangeapples said:
Hang on a sec...Under_your_bed said:
I am a big fan of John Cleese but his friend says that I can only be aware of how bad I am at certain things because I am good at them? That makes no sense. I suck at acrobatics and if I tried to do a cartwheel I would probably hurt myself really badly. I don't have the skill necessary to do said cartwheel but I am fully aware of not having said skill.
Sorry, nonsense bothers me.
Anyways, totally agree, Deus Ex has some really good concepts (and bad boss fights). Though I would like to see a HD remake of the first game. Square Enix's influence in the most recent game led to some inconsistent tone and characters which I didn't like all that much.
More on topic: When I saw the trailer for Transcendence the first thing in my head was Lawnmower Man. Though I did appreciate the comparison to Virtuosity as well.
They fixed the boss fights in the "Directors Cut" Edition. I wouldn't normally like shelling out for what is essentially a patch, but it includes all the DLC (including the "missing Link" bit, which is rather good), and it often goes for about $5 in sales, so I'd totally recommend it.Nimzabaat said:
If it's any consolation Bob, I remember Virtuosity as well! I remember watching both that and Strange Days roundabout the same time - I think we rented them on VHS. That was a long time ago!
Anyway, pity this turned out to be trash. When I saw in the trailer all the solar arrays seemingly rebuilding themselves, I started hoping we were in line for a big grey goo style action/disaster movie. I guess not.
Also: Dr. Tonto Sparrowhands. Brilliant. Just brilliant!
Anyway, pity this turned out to be trash. When I saw in the trailer all the solar arrays seemingly rebuilding themselves, I started hoping we were in line for a big grey goo style action/disaster movie. I guess not.
Also: Dr. Tonto Sparrowhands. Brilliant. Just brilliant!
Well, I personally think the Lawnmower man is a pretty decent flick.shteev said:
See, the problem is that you should NOT watch it as a science fiction movie. It is actually just a (damn good, IMO) horror story in a sci-fi setting.
It is more about Jobe?s character getting revenge on the ones that mistreated him than him becoming "computer God".
And I really thought that last scene to be plain genius.
I loved that movie as a kid and was afraid of watching it again as a grown man and finding out that it was garbage, but I really thought that it stood well on its own. It really work in its own absurdity, just like a good X-Files episode.
It?s a Stephen King?s tale, so there?s that...
Peggy Hill the movie? Oh dear.
I really like the "keep scientist in check or they'll cure polio" line. It's strange actually that this evil science trope is trotted out to this day despite it being more ingrained in everyday life more than ever. I almost want to go up to anyone who says science is evil and say I'll have to take your gadgets, car, plumbing, heating, house, medical care, clothes etc if your really feel that way.
I really like the "keep scientist in check or they'll cure polio" line. It's strange actually that this evil science trope is trotted out to this day despite it being more ingrained in everyday life more than ever. I almost want to go up to anyone who says science is evil and say I'll have to take your gadgets, car, plumbing, heating, house, medical care, clothes etc if your really feel that way.
They kind of did. It's called The Matrix. Really - it was pitched as "we want to do Ghost in the Shell, but live-action".Izanagi009 said:
You do have the basic skills necessary to appreciate the mechanics behind a cartwheel - they're just not sufficient to perform one.Nimzabaat said:
An analogy would be seriously trying to discuss untranslated Japanese poetry without being able to read kanji, or even understand Japanese at all.
Sure, you've put a lot of thought in how you like that squiggly line in the upper left corner. Doesn't mean that everyone around you isn't feeling dumber by association.
To be fair, people who oppose, say, cybernetics (especially RFID implantation, for a strong example) are usually just religious, and have little reason other than "science is bad!" as their reasoning...
The movie blows, as stated, but that part (speaking *as* a cyborg, who works in cybernetics on a daily basis) is about accurate: People, especially luddites, really are just that fucking stupid.
The movie blows, as stated, but that part (speaking *as* a cyborg, who works in cybernetics on a daily basis) is about accurate: People, especially luddites, really are just that fucking stupid.
The irony of Bob's opening is pretty amusing. I figured most people would miss the point of this movie, and don't get me wrong this movie is not revolutionary or perfect by any means, but Bob's review is completely off base and inept that I wonder why he even bothered to watch the thing. His perspective clearly comes from basing his outcome on expectations. Yet another example of "i was picked on as a kid, so I am against anything that I think is trying to be "smart" or "cool" or "popular" because I never was".
There are several key points in the movie that justify the decisions made by the characters as well as the overall arch of the story. I won't spoil the movie for those who will actually take the time to watch but I will say this.
Love is more important than science. And this movie makes a case for it being more powerful. Connection to things greater is more fulfilling than clinging desperately to our individuality JUST for the sake of being an individual. The people in a movie don't need to JUST be archetypes.
Bottom line. This movie is not what it appears to be, and that is kind of the point.
There are several key points in the movie that justify the decisions made by the characters as well as the overall arch of the story. I won't spoil the movie for those who will actually take the time to watch but I will say this.
Love is more important than science. And this movie makes a case for it being more powerful. Connection to things greater is more fulfilling than clinging desperately to our individuality JUST for the sake of being an individual. The people in a movie don't need to JUST be archetypes.
Bottom line. This movie is not what it appears to be, and that is kind of the point.
Exactly. There was a beauty to the decisions made by the characters, regardless of my agreement with them. As soon as I started seeing people talk about it, I realized that a lot of people were not going to even try and see this movie for what it is. It was not perfect, or without flaw, but it does have things to contemplate, which makes it smarter than most other movies out there, and most people who will see it.EnigmaticSevens said:
Yeah, I really should've watched this review before today. Then I could've skipped yesterday. An old roommate and I went to go watch this movie and we were confused by the tone. "Why is this a bad thing" we'd ask ourselves whenever someone went all worried face. The only thing that really gave me pause was when the networked person thing happened.
Incidentally, I didn't walk away thinking that R.I.F.T. was right. At all. I saw them as the unambiguous villains. I even turned to my roommate at one point when they were on screen and said: "Do you know the difference between these guys and the Manson Family? Nothing".
Incidentally, I didn't walk away thinking that R.I.F.T. was right. At all. I saw them as the unambiguous villains. I even turned to my roommate at one point when they were on screen and said: "Do you know the difference between these guys and the Manson Family? Nothing".
