Knowing Review

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[Highly rated reviewer]

Get in the know..

Before seeing this i thought it'd be in the same vain as 'day after tomorrow', 'independance day''armageddon'...er...'meteor'. But this film sort of flits between those, an erie ghost story like 'Number 23' ,and an alien mega fest, like the end of the last Indianna Jones.Now i appriciate that you may not have liked 23, or Indie 4, because neither did i. But this is slightly better for a few reasons.

The action sequences in the film are spectacular, and the whole doomsday thing always has me thinking about a film weeks after iv watched it. Planes and trains crashing with an impending armageddon, you'll be chewing popcorn untill it comes out of your ears.

Also there is the ghost story which, unlike '23', is actually real (within the realms of the film) and does actually do well in giving you a mild case of the heeby jeebies. However the explanation behind it left me a little deflated at the end(you may or may not agree). But aside from that, and an inexplicable feeling of irritation everytime the leading lady in on camera, its quite a good film to be curled up with.

Definatly not the feel good film of the year, and maybe it could have picked 1 genre and stuck to it, but definatly worthy of the 3 stars and 2 hours of your time. Just so you know.

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[Highly rated reviewer]

You're Better Off "NOT KNOWING"!

The premise of the film or at least from the trailer seems to be an interesting sci-fi / paranormal thriller and to be honest for the first 2/3 of the film you will not be disappointed, with its mix of story and character development and combination of action creepiness and reasonable SFX leaves you on the edge of the cinema seat.

The plot from then on just degenerates or more like spirals exponentially out of control into a B movie mediocrity as does the SFX. It's a film with promise but then it seems its half finished with the script writer deciding to take the easy and quite honestly completely ludicrous way out - your suspension of disbelief WILL be sorely tested. Looking at everyone's faces coming out of the theatre people with disappointed faces saying 'what the f*&^%!' I had to laugh.

Cage had said in a interview that it was make you think about science and religion; yet he must have been watching a different ending or even film as the film leaves no unanswered questions as to the fate of the main characters or any questions to even ask except one - WHY DID I SPEND £4.50?

One lesson I did learn from this though - is don't watch a film based solely on the trailer. SPOILERS FOLLOW!

****HERE BE SPOILERS DO NOT READ****

For starters the scientific cause of 'the end' is completely fabricated boll ocks 'Super Sun Flare' would not be able to do what it did in the film - at most, our gadgets would stop working and we'd be sent back to the dark ages - Google it!

Secondly the numbers all relate to events in the US - ok so it appears there were several children from all over the planet but I'm sure there are greater disasters than that kill a handful of people in a hotel fire in the US - and how does this link at all to EE why bother telling everyone of all these other so called 'disasters' as they are completely pointless and only the chosen get to survive anyway?

Thirdly aliens as angels, only those who hear the call can be saved and the rapture!? - sounds like this film is Evangelical Christian Theology (because mainstream christianity i.e. Orth, RC and CofE doesn't beleive in that) with a scientific explanation OR Scientology Propaganda - Xenu indeed!

Fourthly the reason why Nicholas Cage you weren't able to save the world is because you're not Keanu 'I am Jesus' Reeves.

Horse S**t

dont bother wish i hadn't!! average action, poor weak story line which doesnt flow! ending is riddiculous!!

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Noah's Ark!

First of all, let me say the special effects are over the top, but very good. In a nutshell this is a movie about the inevitable (in the film it is anyway) annihilation of humankind by forces beyond our control. I would have given this movie a higher score but the end was way too out there for me to believe even in the context of the story. And of course the memorable little scene of the two kids and their bunnies being chosen (cause they were the ones that heard the whispers from strange blonde men that could be intrepreted as aliens or divine consciousness.Proyas has left this open to interpretation, I think) to leave the planet to start human life elsewhere was very 'Noah's Ark'-ish.The film has a little for everyone however, Cage is getting old and his acting is getting dowright wooden and contrived. Contrary to what one reviewer said, I didn't find the movie plot very original, however, it did have very interesting twists and turns which I enjoyed. An entertaining film to watch once, but not one I'd ever bother to watch a second or third time.

KNOWING ME KNOWING YOU AH HAAA

YET ANOTHER MOVIE FROM 'THE END IS NIGH' GENRE. WELL ACTED AND A SURPRISINGLY ORIGINAL AND ENTERTAINING PLOT, GOOD ACTING AND GREAT ACTION SCENES (AS YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM A CAGE FILM). SLIGHTLY PREDICTABLE ENDING BUT THIS DID NOT DETRACT FROM AN ALL ROUND QUALITY PRODUCTION.

Intense, scary, and arguably theoretically possible.

I went into this movie expecting a moderately entertaining Nic Cage thriller like Next.

Turns out I wasn't too far off, but this has more, much more.

Firstly (but kind of least importantly) the effects are GREAT. There are a few scenes (you'll know when you see them) that really make you open your eyes. Very realistic without being massively over the top, though there are some blockbuster moments... and unexpectedly graphic.

The acting is good on all accounts, even the children for the most part,which I find rare to come across nowadays.

Now the storyline is what grabbed me. It has a bit of a Happening or Signs-esque ending which some really won't get on with, but the scariest part is that the plot is arguably possible on some levels if you follow the theories of certain scientists. Many non-believers will slate the movie, but if you take time to understand the theories and calculations, it does make a lot of sense.

There are only a few scenes that I think could have been made differently to gain more credibility, but other than that I was very 'taken' with this film (pun intended).

Verdict: 5 stars

I hope all enjoy Knowing as much as I did!

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[Highly rated reviewer]

WOW?

I had always wanted to see this film ever since I saw the first trailer, and I have to say that I was not disappointed...for like the first 45 minutes! The plot line was certainly very strong and very riveting and the cinematography and CGI weren't bad either. However it has to be said that they absolutely ruined the ending by using the old end of the world alien cliché. There was so so so much more potential in this film but they have let us all down by ending on a cliché! BORING! Be more inventive next time! Its like dating a really fit girl but discovering she has a penis!

Needless to say Cages' performance lacked a little intensity as usual, casting wasn't great :(

Anyway, overall I think that this film is definately worth a watch, only if it is just to marvel at the stunning CGI. It gets my coveted thumbs up.

I thought it was going to be amazing

It started off promising, was good in the middle and the end just let it down.

I was desperate to go and see the film and the trailer looked great. I came away disappointed.

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Knowing. Requires guessing, researching and filling in the gaps yourself

It was incredibly hard to rate this film as it was only after doing some research afterwards that I was able to interpret it.

The plot is, to its credit, tense and gripping. It starts quickly and it starts well. The inclusion of the scene in which Mr. Cage is giving a lecture on randomness vs determinism was masterful as every scene you see relates back to this original question and it brings an intelligent element to the film. Some of the scenes with the dark figures are genuinely terrifying and the imminent sense of darkness and doom does fill you with a certain tension. Disregarding some horrible cliches, strained emotion and the overstatement of some aspects, it was a good plot.

Nicholas Cage will not be winning an Oscar for this film. Nor will any member of the cast. The quality of the acting is not one of the film's strongpoints

The CGI scenes are amongst the best that I've ever seen. The plane wreckage was unapologetically brutal, the train crash heart-stoppingly graphic and the apocalypse scene suitably breathtaking. Those scenes must have cost a lot to make and they really stay with you. Money well spent, it would seem.

The ending (HUGE SPOILER). I felt quite deflated and cheated that an up-to-then gripping plot was spoilt by an utterly ridiculous explanation. It was aliens? But, a small amount of research later, I discovered that they weren't aliens. They were, in fact, angels (chayot angels if we're being precise). Far from being random, the ending was logically necessary (from a Christian perspective, at least). Upon judgement day, some need to be saved and it is in God's chariot (Ezekiel's wheel aka the big spaceship) that this may happen. It's all just one big bible quote. Even if that is the correct interpretation, there are still glaring plot holes, which I'm sure you (have/will have) seen for yourself.

So how to rate a film that was tense, gripping and occasionally terrifying but with big plot holes,poor acting and an ending that requires a knowledge of esoteric bible passages?

Good?

Don't watch the last 15 mins...

Up until the last 15 minutes I was definitely going to buy this film. It was brilliant. And then it all went rapidly downhill. Its almost as if someone who hadn't seen the film wrote the end. TERRIBLE! If you can live with that, give it a watch.