The movie begins shameless, grows stupid and winds up silly. If the ending had less of the air of a crackpot religion and more pretentiousness, you could almost call it Shyamalanish.
Knowing (2009)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:160
Fresh:52
Rotten:108
Average Rating:4.7/10
Consensus: Knowing has some interesting ideas and a couple good scenes, but it's weighted down by its absurd plot and over-seriousness.
Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for disaster sequences, disturbing images and brief strong language.
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Theatrical Release:25-03-2009
Synopsis:
Nicolas Cage stars in Knowing, a gripping action-thriller of global proportions about a professor who stumbles on terrifying predictions about the future—and sets out to prevent them from coming...
Nicolas Cage stars in Knowing, a gripping action-thriller of global proportions about a professor who stumbles on terrifying predictions about the future—and sets out to prevent them from coming true.
In 1958, as part of the dedication ceremony for a new elementary school, a group of students is asked to draw pictures to be stored in a time capsule. But one mysterious girl fills her sheet of paper with rows of apparently random numbers instead.
Fifty years later, a new generation of students examines the capsule’s contents and the girl’s cryptic message ends up in the hands of young CALEB KOESTLER. But it is Caleb’s father, professor JOHN KOESTLER (Nicolas Cage), who makes the startling discovery that the encoded message predicts with pinpoint accuracy the dates, death tolls and coordinates of every major disaster of the past 50 years. As John further unravels the document’s chilling secrets, he realizes the document foretells three additional events—the last of which hints at destruction on a global scale and seems to somehow involve John and his son. When John’s attempts to alert the authorities fall on deaf ears, he takes it upon himself to try to prevent more destruction from taking place.
With the reluctant help of DIANA WAYLAND (Rose Byrne) and ABBY WAYLAND, the daughter and granddaughter of the now-deceased author of the prophecies, John’s increasingly desperate efforts take him on a heart-pounding race against time until he finds himself facing the ultimate disaster—and the ultimate sacrifice.
--© Summit Entertainment
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Rose Byrne, Ben Mendelsohn, Terry Camilleri
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Rose Byrne, Ben Mendelsohn, Terry Camilleri
Director: Alex Proyas
Director: Alex Proyas
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Reviews for Knowing
An uneasy blending of sci-fi and religion, fate and faith -- the same mish-mash that has bedeviled most of M. Night Shyamalan's recent movies, and leaves this film leaden with self-importance.
Criticisms of story and acting seem nitpicky in the face of the special effects, which are frankly awesome.
It's pretty much impossible to take the rest of a film seriously once you've seen a flaming moose running toward the camera in slow motion.
Knowing is a Sweet 'n' Low movie: It's good most of the way, but the aftertaste lingers unpleasantly.
The frustrating thing about Knowing is the story is worthy. But director Proyas tries to cram too much in, as if the tricks and effects wizardry are all that really counts. They aren't.
The narrative corner into which this movie, directed by Alex Proyas, paints itself is a simultaneously silly and morbidly depressing one.
In many ways, it's a thriller undone by its scale; the premise, which is undeniably fascinating, would have been better served by a smaller budget and tighter focus -- anchored not by explosions, but by psychology, mood and suspense.
Its breathlessness and permanent state of confusion make you long for the assured touch of M. Night Shyamalan.
...so convoluted, idiotic and preachy that it plays like M. Night Shyamalan adapting the Left Behind books. Only dopier.
It's the next bold entry in the genre of Hilariously Terrible Nicolas Cage Movies.
There's no time for romance, charm or comedy. The haunted characters in Knowing compete for the best graveyard looks.
Knowing takes an interesting premise and all but destroys it with a final act that's, at select moments, jaw-droppingly ludicrous.
Despite an intriguing premise and a handful of exciting special effects scenes, this science fiction thriller lumbers along like an overweight leviathan, unable to see much past its own nose - let alone into the future.
A wacked-out, quasi-religious 'Donnie Darko' for dummies... It earns my endorsement not because it's coherent but because it's so over the top it kept me engrossed for its full 122 minutes.
Once you get past the typically and needlessly convoluted way otherworldly beings communicate with us, this "Twilight Zone"-like tale tantalizes%u2014and delivers three extraordinary disasters that alone are worth the price of a ticket.
There's nothing to do but shake your head in awestruck wonder: as much for its squandered beginning as for its truly ridiculous conclusion.
Alex Proyas keeps the picture moving briskly while injecting it with some deep-rooted philosophical underpinnings.
Knowing has a very gripping beginning and then just slowly lets the audience go until the film becomes a laughable cliché. One of the worst of the year so far!
Latest News for Knowing
July 06, 2009:
RT on DVD: Knowing, Push, The Unborn Unleashed
It's a genre lover's feast this week on DVD, but don't say we didn't warn you about those pesky rotten Tomatometers. First up? Alex Proyas's latest science fiction thriller,... More...
March 22, 2009:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: Audiences Power Knowing To # 1
This weekend Moviegoers still love Nicolas Cage action flicks as the actor's latest film, the doomsday thriller Knowing, easily beat out two other new releases to capture the... More...
March 19, 2009:
Critics Consensus: I Love You, Man Is A Fine Bromance
This week at the movies, we've got a bromantic comedy (I Love You, Man, starring Paul Rudd and Jason Segel), ominous numerology (Knowing, starring Nicolas Cage and Rose Byrne),... More...
March 19, 2009:
Box Office Guru Preview: Cage, Roberts, and Rudd Battle For #1 Spot
Three new films roll into North American multiplexes and for the first time in ages, all three have a realistic chance of claiming the number one spot. Comedies have been... More...
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