Almost..not quite

[Bad Bishop]

Knowing, directed by Alex Proyas, is masterful thriller about the end of the world. It skillfully weaves controversial phenomena (precognition and extraterrestrial visitors) into a frightening yet highly personal drama about the end of everything. What do you do when you face the loss your life and your world? How do you respond when your faith in science is utterly destroyed? What matters most after that? Knowing is a gripping tale about people who find the answer to that question. This film deserves a second look.

Gawd damn. Do you write blurbs for press releases or something?

Well, I had planned to just say, "Hey, Knowing was kewl!" But anyone could do that.

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

The newest Star Trek movie is the most recent example I can think of. It was so close to being great, but it just couldn't get all the way there.

They put a decent effort (with somewhat controversial results) into the characterization of the main protagonists but absolutely ZERO effort into the story.

Although I like it a lot more than many here do, the first recent thing that came to mind for me was Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow... the lack of chemistry between Jude and Gwyneth was the big problem.

Thats a good one. I thought that movie had it all, great effects, great story...concept. But you are so right; there is no chemistry between those two. A friend of mine has offered his take as to why that is, but because of its subject matter and sensitivity I wont go into it here; but it would explain a great deal. Maybe the same reason why I get no 'chemistry' in the whacko Harrison Ford movie Seven days and seven nights (though, in this case the reason is reversed on the leads)

Ah. Gotcha.

Although, even if your suspicions are correct, I don't think that's really the problem here. I think Paltrow is. She's a great actress when she's given solid material. However, with this kind of action movie, so much depends upon the star's personal charisma, and Paltrow doesn't have any. If they had given Paltrow's part to Angelina Jolie, the movie would have worked much better.

 

[Sakrysta]

I COMPLETELY agree about Sky Captain. Pretty little movie with absolutely NO heart.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Knowing, directed by Alex Proyas, is masterful thriller about the end of the world. It skillfully weaves controversial phenomena (precognition and extraterrestrial visitors) into a frightening yet highly personal drama about the end of everything. What do you do when you face the loss your life and your world? How do you respond when your faith in science is utterly destroyed? What matters most after that? Knowing is a gripping tale about people who find the answer to that question. This film deserves a second look.

Gawd damn. Do you write blurbs for press releases or something?

That's more articulate than most press releases I've slogged thru.

My pet peeve: The Island. #1 they should not have blown the secret in the advertising. #2 it was absurd that people could not grow their own organs w/o the necessity of growing a whole clone. I guess that would sort of destroy the point of the movie, so I don't have an easy fix.

And while I liked Minority Report, I was unconvinced by Speilberg's pollyanna ending that said a society that had eliminated murder simply by "halo-ing" a few people who would become killers, would give up their murder-free society simply because the sytem was unfair. I guess I don't have as much faith in the human race, but I gotta wonder what the vote really would have been, if it had happened in the real world?

 

[barnaclelapse]

I actually liked Robocop II, Predator II, AI and both Alien 3 and Resurrection.

I'm never going to like Waterworld, but I've never considered it the disaster some people seem to view it as.