Better off not Knowing

Rating: 4/10 (29 March 2009)

Since the plot/storyline has been told and retold I'll not repeat that aspect of the movie but I will say that I don't think this movie knows what it wants to be about. Is it science fiction or drama? Is it a horror film or a comedy (unintended)? Is it spiritual or agnostic, or hopeful or hopeless? Who knows? As many as correctly said, this movie goes off in many directions and ends up nowhere. It attempts to tackle deep issues and by not focusing on any, ends up shallow and pointless. To the movie's credit, there are some good effects but many others are incredibly unrealistic. I disagree with those who see the movie as some kind of Christian message vehicle. Rather, I think the movie uses Christian themes in an attempt at depth but what results is a confused storyline and an unsatisfying movie-going experience.
Among the many unanswered questions: Why expose the prophecy to a child 50 years before the climactic event, yet the child chosen to receive the prophecy is not chosen ultimately? What's the point of knowing what's coming if there is no chance to use that knowledge and therefore no hope? What's the point of the stones and the whispering if the extraterrestrials will just end up driving the chosen to the landing zone? These and many other unanswered questions leave me wondering if the filmmakers knew what point they were trying to make. Maybe we're better off not knowing.