Well I've got to agree with you and Roger Ebert, being probably the only two reviews who've enjoyed this film. I loved it, especially where it went with the ending, and they kept the aliens really creepy throughout, although admittedly Nic Cage isn't exactly jumping off the screen. One small thing tho, the car crash near the end made me laugh. Does that make me a bad person?

The movie was great up untill the end. It was a let down, and i felt they cheated us out of a better ending with more meaning to it.
Not bad for Nic Cage, even though he is a bit of a one way actor, he wasnt too bad in this film. Maybe not the best choice for the role, but he still played it well.

Brad, now that u have reviewd the movie how come it is not poted on the review section and is without a grade?

I havent seen it but am looking forward to it after reading this review.

I'm going to try and defend Cage for a second. What you termed "not acting" I think really fit the character. Nic plays a man who is desperate on two entirely different fronts. On the one hand he believes that "shit just happens" but is looking down the barrel of the end of the world being determined with no hope of stopping it. On the other hand he's a father who made a promise he slowly realizes he could never keep, not just because the world is ending but because the nature of life, as a random series of events he believes it to be, is such that anyone could be taken away in the blink of an eye with no rhyme or reason.

The way Nic Cage plays out these two ideas as though he is a man who always knew where he was going and how to get there but in the end wound up in the wrong place is almost manic and entirely fitting because that’s exactly what happens. He spends the entire movie KNOWING that these numbers contradict everything he BELIEVES and are showing him a path to stop it… Then he just can’t, and never could.

That said I really enjoyed this movie, and owe thanks to Ropeofsilicon because if it weren’t for the piece about Ebert enjoying the movie and his reaction to others disliking the movie I probably never would have seen it.

I was kinda hoping you'd say that Cage did a good job here. i'm a Proyas fans also, but IMO he is not surounding himself with quality people. Whoever he relies for casting, for instance, is letting him down. I've always felt that Dark City was miscast, and now this one too. (We all know the tragedy of incompetence that involved The Crow.) But I'm glad to hear it is an overall good film. I'll be watching it.

THANK YOU! i am sick of people downing this movie. true, the ending could have been better, but i loved this movie. nic cage had a great performance and that little girl was truly freaky in this movie

I want to see this now. It all sounds really interesting.

It is L. Ron Hubbard Scientology story packaged with Hollywood special effects wrapped in “everything and the kitchen sink” script.

I have read enough Science Fiction in my time by Arthur C. Clark, Madeleine L'Engle and the afore mentioned L. Ron Hubbard to be impressed a story that ends like this made to the screen but that does not mean it is cutting edge.

Was it diverting for the $7.50 I paid, sure… Could I have spent the two hours reading any number of 1960’s drug induced Science/Religious Fiction, sure.

One thing I can say my wife was looking for “Gone in Sixty Seconds” or National Treasure” Nicolas Cage; She did not get what she paid for but I am impressed he would try something like this…

Now she is asking me about my old book collection when I said I have read a dozen stories like that in my youth.

The ending was fine but I thought that more should have been left to the imagination. The big ufo thing and seeing the angels/aliens (whatever they are) in their true form was a bit naff. Seeing the kids on there new planet was unnecessary as well I thought. Other than that, very good film.

@Dan: I agree a little more could have been left to the imagination, but I think it was important to show the "angels/aliens" in their true form simply because of how you add "whatever they are" to your comment. By showing them and giving the momentary allusion to wings it opens the film up to additional interpretation I believe was necessary. I actually think it is the #1 spot in the film that does leave the decision making up to the audience.

Great movie! I saw it last Friday and was expecting the standard plot of the genre: hero faces an end-of-world scenario, but at the last minute he pulls through and saves the day (and the planet). I did not see coming the final act of the movie. I give the director a thumbs-up for leaving many plot points open for interpretation. The movie's not perfect, but it delivers. I highly recommend it if you like science fiction with brains.

@Carlos: Don't you think you could have said that you liked the way they handled the conclusion WITHOUT GIVING IT AWAY? I would have liked the same privilege of seeing this fresh that you had.

Very watchable but there are so many red herrings that I lost interest in the storyline long before the end. For example, what were those black pebbles for? If they were supposed to some kind of "passover" sign — anybody owning one of them would survive the disaster — they didn't work, because Abby's mother was clutching one when she died.

Bradley, I'm glad you posted the engraving of Ezekiel's vision. Do you happen to know who the artrist was? If not, where could I find that that information online?

Thanks
Maximilian

Saw it last night and wasn't very impressed, the story wasn't very gripping it was all to unreal, fake unbeliveable, I really did not understand the whole religion thing and aliens, especially with the ezekiel chap. 1 -which does describe the picture somewhat, the wings and the tree at the end, sure it was great to see the last piecies of the puzzle like where the kids went and that the last event took place (trying not to spoil it for anyone) but what about, Why couldn't Nic Cage go with at the end, why only kids? Ok granted something like that last event could happen -since apperantly it takes the sun's light takes about 8 minutes to reach us…

We need a book on this!
O.