Movie #005- Knowing

Released: March 20th, 2009
Length: 2hr 1 min
Genre: Sci-Fi
Director: Alex Proyas
Starring: Nicholas Cage

"Knowing" is best generalized as "a great idea". The movie follows John Koestler, a professor at MIT, who thanks to a 50-year old time capsule, finds a bizarre manuscript of numbers. Koestler (Nicholas Cage) becomes fascinated with the set of numbers and becomes convinced they are a list of all catastrophes for the last 50 years, complete with date and death toll. His obsession, along with prodding of some "Strangers" who visit his home in the middle of the night, fuel his belief that the numbers are warning for three more catastrophes yet to come. Koestler is helped along by his son, as well as Diana Wayland, the daughter to the woman who wrote the numbers list (Rose Byrne). As it stands, "Knowing" is a fantastic idea. It's got the DNA of a great movie. People like apocalyptic thrillers with original story lines and great special effects. But it also needs strong characters to pull you into the story and create a suspension of disbelief, making you feel like this could actually happen. Unfortunately, this is where "Knowing" looses you. Nicholas Cage spends most of the film either enraged or crying. It's impossible to take him seriously and it really detracts from the quality of the film. Also, the film drags on a little too long. The writers tried to do a little too much at the end and it had me confused and feeling a little cheated. The big reveal at the end, which I won't spoil, is sub-par and a little far-fetched, but I'm willing to accept that because this is, after all, a science fiction epic. However, the final few frames of the movie are where I have a bone to pick. Viewers are left wondering how to feel. As the closing credits rolled I took a huge sigh and cocked my head to the side, feeling like I had just been sucker punched. All in all, this movie is targeted towards those who enjoy science-fiction. It's audience can also expand to those of us wanting to enjoy a good mystery, because "Knowing" has a good amount of creative twists and turns. But at its core...it's was just " a great idea"

Score: (79/100) C+
Characters- D
Story- B+
Visual Presentation- A-