Very good until the last quarter

Rating: 5/10 (20 March 2009)

I'm a big Nicholas Cage fan. His performance in this movie is up to his usual very high standards. The special effects are impeccable. Character development is very good. The BIG negative which keeps this flick from being an 8 or higher is the script for the last quarter. Too similar to Close Encounters of the Third Kind for me and others I've talked to. And NO ONE feels good where the hero, the heroine, and the Earth are all completely destroyed in the end. One feels the remorse of totally useless loss of the players and the planet. Most folks can't fault a flick if the hero or heroine dies for a glorious cause, such as Bruce Willis in Armageddon. Also, the very last scene is a little too hokey, although I'm sure a lot of Christians will recognize the parable. Wait to rent the DVD and save your money!