johnlink ranks KNOWING (2009)
I am a big Alex Proyas fan, thanks mostly to his work on DARK CITY, though I also appreciate the fun of I, ROBOT and the atmosphere of THE CROW. In 2009, he directed KNOWING, which received its share of bad reviews. I figured, though, I could give any sci-fi/action flick a shot. Warning: SPOILERS AHEAD!
I watched KNOWING (2009) while sick on my couch on 7.1.10. It was my first viewing of the film.
A big knock on this film, from those who have seen it, has to do with the ending. SPOILER warning again, but…
It’s aliens.
See, I don’t mind that if done well. The last INDY film? Not so good. But in KNOWING, the possibility is so omnipresent from the first scene that it would have surprised me if it was NOT aliens.
I give this film credit for not having a Hollywood ending. Not many films are willing to do what it does, and the last Nic Cage scene works because of it.
My problem with this film has to do with the pace of the writing and the special effects. The script merely lines ’em up and knocks ’em down. There isn’t much ingenuity in the journey. We know an action piece is coming, and then it does. This works for some movies, but the special effects are so weak here that the action scenes do not feel dangerous. The subway scene, in particular, is brutally bad. They did it better fifteen years ago in DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE, and the special effects possibilities were limited back then.
This film is not as bad as many made it out to be, but I still find it a disappointment. The premise is not bad, but the execution is lacking.
SCORES
FILM: 4; MOVIE: 7; ACTING: 5; WRITING: 4; BONUS: -1 (What is this?)
The negative bonus point is for the failed special effects. They really take the viewer out of the film.
4+7+5+4-1=19
FINAL SCORE: 4.75
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