A dissection of this science-fiction flop is needed to root out why it failed so much. So, customarily I'll say there's spoilers ahead, but to be honest, the film's nearly a decade old, so if you've not watched it yet, you probably weren't planning to give it 2hrs 1min of your full attention anyway.
Knowing starts with a school unearthing a time capsule containing various drawings, buried 50 years previous; more specifically, in 1959.
The drawings, which are dished out to children opening the time capsule, are of what the children of 1959 envisaged 50 years into the future would look like. Got it? Okay.
The numbered sheet is pulled out and given to Caleb Koestler (Chandler Canterbury), son of edgy protagonist and MIT professor (obviously), John Koestler (Nicolas Cage).
John soon becomes obsessed with Caleb's sheet, which is covered in rows of [seemingly] random digits. It's discovered these sequence of numbers were drawn by a former, and supposedly troubled, student of 1959, Lucinda (Lara Robinson).
Sadly though, much like the cabin crew service on that plane, it all comes to an abrupt end as the final sequences of the film reveal Caleb's numerical-spattered sheet (spoiler!) predicts the Earth's unavoidable demise. How you ask? We'll get to that.
Oh well, let's hope 2020-2030 can bring cinema audiences something fresh and original. I wouldn't hold my breath though, would you?
The drawings, which are dished out to children opening the time capsule, are of what the children of 1959 envisaged 50 years into the future would look like. Got it? Okay.
However, one particular sketch doesn't look like a child's drawing at all, but rather a sheet with a sequence of numbers written on it (dun-dun-duh!)
The numbered sheet is pulled out and given to Caleb Koestler (Chandler Canterbury), son of edgy protagonist and MIT professor (obviously), John Koestler (Nicolas Cage).
John soon becomes obsessed with Caleb's sheet, which is covered in rows of [seemingly] random digits. It's discovered these sequence of numbers were drawn by a former, and supposedly troubled, student of 1959, Lucinda (Lara Robinson).
Almost accidentally, Cage's character discovers these numbers mean something and are linked to a series of sensational and disastrous events.
One particular event involves a plane falling from the sky into a highway (that's motorway for us Brits), which is - my opinion - one of cinema's finest aerial cataclysm moments, ever -- and if you've seen Knowing I'm sure you'll agree one hundred percent with me.
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Knowing director, Alex Proyas filmed the famous scene with a single hand-held camera |
And it doesn't just stop with the plane sequence. Some of the other disaster scenes are arguably the greatest mixes of choreography and special effects from any film within the noughties era.
Sadly though, much like the cabin crew service on that plane, it all comes to an abrupt end as the final sequences of the film reveal Caleb's numerical-spattered sheet (spoiler!) predicts the Earth's unavoidable demise. How you ask? We'll get to that.
As the numbers start to dwindle, John begins to sense something cataclysmic is edging near, while Caleb is approached by four strangers, who can only be described as a four-part Swedish trance band.
As the story progresses, John and his son are trying to make sense of the world as it falls apart around them, and are joined by their new co-conspirators Diana (Rose Bryne), daughter of Lucinda, and Diana's daughter Abby (also played by Lara Robinson).
Eventually, Caleb's boy-stalking blonde-haired buddies confirm the third-rock-from-the-Sun's end is looming and, in a sort of Noah's Ark-esque fashion, persuade Caleb and Abby to join them in leaving our planet to start afresh. All the while poor daddio suffers a swift death (and boy, does he!) at the hands of a burning inferno from a solar flare, which rips Earth a new one. Also, to twist the knife further, both children carry aboard the spaceship a rabbit each - I've got nothing against rabbits, just a bit odd why that was the particular animal of choice.
Now, the problem I have with this film doesn't necessarily stem from the Avicii-looking aliens, or the fact Nicolas Cage's character dies without even a whimper. No, the problem I have with Knowing was it could have been a truly great sci-fi flick, but instead, it fell agonisingly into what I like to call 'the noughties' pit of woeful, trashy sci-fi films'.
This fictitious pit includes the likes of Transformer: Revenge of the Fallen, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, and that's just the tip of the iceberg (I'm looking at you Alien vs. Predator: Requiem!)
All the above promised much, but delivered so little because of either rushed screenplay, or not listening to what audiences want - historically, a huge problem for sci-fi fans throughout the noughties.
The bottom line is Knowing tries to be brave through combining science with religion; an endeavour I feel many filmmakers have tried and few have succeeded at.
But alas it fails miserably. I don't know - maybe it's just me, but I remember when I sat in that cinema really enjoying that plane scene thinking "yes, Cage is back", only to be shot down like.. a... plane out... of the sky... hmm, how fitting.
Knowing really is the epitome of the noughties failure to catch our imagination with sci-fi, and it seems that unforgiving lack of 'futurism storytelling' has leaked into this decade too *cough* Alien: Covenant *cough*.
Oh well, let's hope 2020-2030 can bring cinema audiences something fresh and original. I wouldn't hold my breath though, would you?
