Knowing (2009)

Memorable, crazy movie

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

It is a Mix-up of science-fiction themes with a variation of the biblical Arche Noah story (Noah's ark). Someone pointed out the similarities to Scientology myths. It is not a bad movie per se. But it is also not a good one. Without the story, it is still just average, sometimes whiny and unreasonable, acting. But the story has holes too. - An apocalypse is coming and the main character fiends out he knows it. And then only the chosen ones get rescued. Okay. Alright. If you're really bored and want something creepy - watch it. Otherwise, use your time for more interesting and demanding flicks.

Knowing is a strange film to review. On the one hand it contains some genuinely creepy scenes including a plane crash that is convincing and a scene in the woods that is eerie but the story about a professor who goes out to prevent catastrophes based on a list contained in an unearthed time capsule falls flat. This is probably the film when Nicholas Cage started going nuts and acting in every film that was probably thrown his way, though this cannot be faulted at the film. Alex Proyas could have done a better job but it is a decent effort containing some great isolated sequences.

Knowing, in short, is about professor John (Nicolas Cage), an intelligent chap who cleverly decodes a message that was unearthed in a time capsule buried 50-years ago at his young son's school.Still interested? Ok, read on. Inside of this time capsule are things like futuristic drawings and trinkets from 1959, left by school children of the day. In 2009, a new batch of children at the school open the capsule and, one by one, reach in and pull out a treasure. John's almost-as-clever son, Caleb (Chandler Canterbury), picks out a rather boring piece of paper filled only with numbers. It's almost befitting though. After all, the kid is very smart and has a future as an astrophysicist it seems. But he is a kid, man, and he notices that his classmates each got something cool, like hand drawn, colorful pictures imagining what life would be like in 2009 (think spaceships and jet packs). Like, where's the fun in a plain piece of paper full of stupid numbers?Enter Dad, M.I.T. scholar John, who's a big fan of numbers. He finds Caleb's discovery rather fascinating, and, in fact, has uncovered something that no one else cares enough to believe. These numbers, when one looks close enough, each mean something significant. When properly sequenced, they foretell horrible disasters, past, present, and future. Life altering disasters!Knowing, IMHO, isn't as great as some popular critics have called it. It's, meh, ok. I'm not a critic, I'm just a fan who opines. I like the idea behind Knowing, but I think Nick Cage sort of overacts a wee bit. He's been guilty of it a few times in other movies, too. Maybe that's what he's going for here with his character, but it doesn't really work for me. There's no need to scream at everyone (sure, I get it, people just don't believe him when he predicts disasters). Also, I found the script a little predictable, and believe me the irony is not lost on me.One thing that is really cool in this film is the disasters we get to see. I must admit, even now, watching this film again 9-years later I find some of the CGI impressive. Sure, I did say "wow" a few times, and not like a "this is lame" kind of wow, either. It's good to watch once, then put it away for a few years and watch again. That's what I did, and now it's filed away - probably for another 9 years or so.

This movie was very disappointing. I like Nic Cage as an actor and expected more from the movie he played in. I watched the whole movie and felt like my time could have been better spent. I felt like different aspects of it didn't make sense. The aliens resembled zombies from a horror movie. Where they supposed to be friendly and care about our civilization? Then why were they so creepy. What is with the black rocks? What did they represent? Were the children supposed to fend for themselves after the aliens left them on a planet? Were they supposed to grow up and start a new colony? What's with the tree at the end? Is it supposed to represent something from the bible? This movie left more questions then answers. I like answers.