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KNOWING (PG-13 for disturbing images, some profanity)
A perpetually sullen single father (Nicolas Cage) discovers a sheet of numbers that he figures out to be encoded predictions of past disasters, 3 yet to come. After the first two, he's now faced with the end of the world as the third. The question is asked, can he save the world, or at least his son and friends?
Oh, it should be mentioned that Cage, whose father's a minister, has developed a serious distaste for the father and religion, both. The eventual outcome brings them to some kind of resolution.
Aside from the creepy plot with its apocalyptic predictions, and despite Cage's oh-so-dour portrayal and mumbling like water leaking from a faucet, there's enough suspense to hold a person, almost through its 2-hours plus. Thanks to director Alex Proyas the pace is swift, with the mood appropriately in fantasy mode even when supposed to be "real." The handling of the two children involved - esp Ben Mendelsohn as his son who hears whispers from - whom? - is worthy of praise.
But even Gustav Holtz's music from "The Planets" weaving eerily through is not enough to make up for a muddled script that is full of red herrings, asides, coincidences, and psychobabble, with silly dialog like Cage's glum musing, "How am I supposed to stop the end of the world?" running through it.
Another objectionable decision was the volume - I mean really UP - so that by film's end one feels he's been to a rock concert, front row. Not just the music, either - crashes, explosions, everything - ongoing, at ear-shattering level.
To appreciate the remarkable special effects (which dominate) and the ending with its surreal conclusion, one must absorb all that came before it as brilliant, supernatural material. I didn't, and I'm afraid the other few people in the audience didn't either.
Archived Movie Reviews
August 2009
- JULIE AND JULIA (A-)
- G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA (B-)
- INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (B)
- SHORTS (B)
- POST GRAD (F)
July 2009
- MY SISTER'S KEEPER (C+)
- TRANSFORMERS 2: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN (D)
- PUBLIC ENEMIES (B+)
- ICE AGE 3: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS (C+)
- BRUNO (D+)
- HARRY POTTER & THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE (A-)
- ORPHAN (B-)
- THE UGLY TRUTH (D+)
- G-FORCE (F+)
June 2009
- UP (A)
- DRAG ME TO HELL (B-)
- THE HANGOVER (C+)
- LAND OF THE LOST (D+)
- THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3 (B)
- IMAGINE THAT (D+)
- The Proposal (B-)
- Year One (D)
May 2009
- STAR TREK (2009) (A-)
- ANGELS & DEMONS (B-)
- Earth (B+)
- NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2 (B)
- TERMINATOR 4 (D+)
- DANCE FLICK (D-)
April 2009
- FAST & FURIOUS - #4 (C+)
- HANNAH MONTANA THE MOVIE (B-)
- OBSERVE & REPORT (D+)
- DRAGONBALL: EVOLUTION (Grade: F)
- STATE OF PLAY (B+)
- 17 AGAIN (C-)
March 2009
- THE UNINVITED (B-)
- NEW IN TOWN (F)
- REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (A)
- WATCHMEN (B-)
- DEFIANCE (C+)
- DUPLICITY (B-)
- I LOVE YOU, MAN (C-)
- KNOWING (C-)
- CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC (F)
- MONSTERS VS. ALIENS (B-)
- THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT (C+)
- 12 ROUNDS (C-)
- THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (F)
February 2009
- TAKEN (C+)
- GRAN TORINO (C)
- DOUBT (B-)
- PUSH (B)
- HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU (C-)
- THE PINK PANTHER 2 (D)
- THE INTERNATIONAL (B-)
- FRIDAY THE 13th (F)
- SLUMDOG MILLILONAIRE (A-)
- FIRE UP (D)
January 2009
- BRIDE WARS (C-)
- MY BLOODY VALENTINE (C+)
- HOTEL FOR DOGS (C+)
- PAUL BLART: MALL COP (C-)
- INKHEART (C)
- UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS (C-)
- THE UNBORN (D-)
December 2008
- AUSTRALIA (B+)
- FOUR CHRISTMASES (F)
- PUNISHER: WAR ZONE (D-)
- THE CHANGELING (A-)
- THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, 2008 (D+)
- SEVEN POUNDS (B-)
- YES MAN (D+)
- TRANSPORTER 3 (D)
- THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (A)
- VALKYRIE (B+)
- THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX (A-)
- MARLEY & ME (D+)
- SPIRIT (D)
November 2008
- W (A-)
- MADAGASCAR II - ESCAPE TO AFRICA (C-)
- ROLE MODELS (D-)
- QUANTUM OF SOLAS (C+)
- BOLT (B)
- TWILIGHT (C+)
October 2008
- BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA (C+)
- QUARANTINE (D+)
- MAX PAYNE (C-)
- BURN AFTER READING (B+)
- HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: SENIOR YEAR (C+)
- SAW 5 (F-)
September 2008
- BANGKOK DANGEROUS (C+)
- DEATH RACE (D+)
- VICKI CRISTINA BARCELONA (B)
- TRAITOR (B-)
- MY BEST FRIEND'S GIRL (F)
- RIGHTEOUS KILL (B-)
- EAGLE EYE (C-)
- NIGHTS IN RODANTHE (D)
August 2008
- THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR (D)
- SWING VOTE (C)
- THE SISTEROOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS 2 (C+)
- PINEAPPLE EXPRESS (C-)
- TROPIC THUNDER (B+)
- MIRRORS (C-)
- THE ROCKER (C)
- THE CLONE WARS (D)
July 2008
- WALL-E (A)
- WANTED (D+)
- HANCOCK (A-)
- HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY (B+)
- JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH - in 3D (C+)
- MEET DAVE (D+)
- THE DARK KNIGHT (A-)
- MAMA MIA! (B-)
- SPACE CHIMPS (B)
- STEP BROTHERS (D+)
- THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE (D)
June 2008
- SEX IN THE CITY (B-)
- KUNG FU PANDA (A-)
- YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN (D)
- THE INCREDIBLE HULK (C+)
- THE STRANGERS (D+)
- THE HAPPENING (D)
- GET SMART (B-)
- THE LOVE GURU (D)
May 2008
March 2008
- DR. SEUSS' HORTON HEARS A WHO (B)
- PENELOPE (B)
- NEVER BACK DOWN (C-)
February 2008
- The Eye (C)
- Meet the Spartans (F)
- Fool's Gold (D)
- Sweeney Todd (A)
- The Spiderwick Chronicles (B)
- Jumper (C)
- Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins (C)
- Untraceable (D+)
- Joe's Long List of Long Movies (A)
January 2008
- JUNO (B+)
- ONE MISSED CALL (D-)
- THE WATER HORSE: LEGEND OF THE DEEP (B+)
- ALIENS VS. PREDATOR: REQUIEM (none)
- BUCKET LIST (B+)
- FIRST SUNDAY (C+)
- NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (A)
- 27 DRESSES (C+)
- CLOVERFIELD (C+)
- MAD MONEY (D)
- Atonement (A)
- John Rambo (C+)
December 2007
- AWAKE (none)
- THE GOLDEN COMPASS (C)
- I AM LEGEND (B-)
- ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS (D)
- Charlie Wilson's War (B-)
- NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS (C+)
November 2007
- GONE BABY GONE (A-)
- American Gangster (A-)
- Bee Movie (B-)
- ACROSS THE UNIVERSE (C+)
- FRED CLAUS (C-)
- ENCHANTED (A-)
- DAN IN REAL LIFE (B)
- The Mist (C-)
- HITMAN (D-)
- MICHAEL CLAYTON (A-)
- BEOWULF (B-)
- MR. MAGORIUM'S WONDER EMPORIUM (D)
October 2007
- The Kingdom (B-)
- Dragon Wars (D)
- The Game Plan (D)
- The Heartbreak Kid (C)
- Sydney White (D-)
- The Seeker (none)
- We Own the Night (B-)
- 30 Days of Night (B)
- The Nightmare Before Christmas (3D Version) (B+)
- The Ten Commandments (D)
- The Comebacks (none)
- WHY DID I GET MARRIED? (C)
September 2007
- Balls of Fury (C-)
- War (C-)
- Halloween (D+)
- 3:10 to Yuma (B+)
- The Brave One (A-)
- Becoming Jane (B)
- Mr. Woodcock (D)
- Resident Evil: Extinction (D)
- Good Luck, Chuck (F)
August 2007
- The Bourne Ultimatum (A-)
- Underdog (C+)
- Hot Rod (C-)
- Stardust (B)
- Rush Hour 3 (D)
- I Know Who Killed Me (D-)
- Daddy Day Care (F-)
- Superbad (B-)
- No Reservations (B-)
- Invasion (D)
- The Nanny Diaries (C)
July 2007
- Ratatouille (A)
- Live Free or Die Hard (B+)
- Transformers (B-)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (B+)
- Hairspray (A-)
- I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (D-)
- The Simpson's Movie (A-)
June 2007
- Hot Fuzz (B+)
- Knocked Up (C)
- Mr. Brooks (C+)
- Ocean's 13 (B+)
- Surf's Up (B)
- Hostel II (F)
- Nancy Drew (C)
- The Fantastic Four (C-)
- 1408 (A-)
- Evan Almighty (C+)
May 2007
- Hoax (B+)
- Amazing Grace (B)
- Next (C+)
- The Condemned (D-)
- Kickin' It Old School (F)
- Spider Man III (C-)
- Lucky You (B-)
- Wild Hogs (D)
- 28 Weeks Later (C+)
- Georgia Rule (D)
- Delta Farce (None)
- The Invisible (C)
- Fracture (B)
- Bug (C-)
- Pirates of the Caribbean III (C+)
April 2007
- Meet the Robinsons (B+)
- Shooter (C+)
- Blades of Glory (C)
- The Last Mimsy (C+)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (C)
- The Hills Have Eyes II (D+)
- Are We Done Yet (F)
- The Reaping (D-)
- Firehouse Dog (C+)
- Disturbia (D)
- Pathfinder (D)
- Perfect Stranger (C-)
- Vacancy (C+)
March 2007
- Wild Hogs (C-)
- 300 (B+)
- The Number 23 (D)
- Zodiac (B)
- Premonition (B+)
February 2007
- The Messengers (C)
- Because I Said So (None)
- Norbit (None)
- Music and Lyrics (C+)
- Ghost Rider (D)
- Hannibal Rising (D)
- Bridge to Terabithia (A)
- The Astronaut Farmer (B+)
- The Abandoned (B-)
- Reno 911: Miami (D)
June 2006
- The Break Up (C-)