Mankind gets what it deserves

Rating: 9/10 (5 April 2009)

A lot of people like this flick but complained about the ending. I don't know why. Man gets fried in the end, just like predicted. First the flood, then the fire.
Eschatalogy -- the study of the end times -- is a fascinating topic, and here the imagination must rule, not the intellect. Those of you who try to rationalize or everything will find Knowing wanting, but for me it was interesting speculation. If the world does end in fire, then what is man's destiny? Are some saved, none, or all? It's a mystery but one that any thinking person wonders about from time to time.
If you think we're all just worm food and there is nothing beyond the material world, then Knowing will not resonate a bit. However, if you have a spiritual side, and we all do whether we acknowledge or not, then you have to delve into the mysteries that, though unsolvable, are nonetheless there for our introspection and conjecture.
On some levels, Knowing may fall short, such as the less-than-stellar acting, although Nick Gage does a fair job, and the occasionally trite script. But the overall impression is to leave one thinking about the fate of mankind. I, for one, found comfort in the notion that only the innocent deserve a second chance at renewal. The rest of us should go directly into the flames where we belong, perhaps some to rise from the ashes, thanks only to the mercy of God, or Whoever is Calling The Cosmic Shots.
One quibble: Beethoven's 7th was perfectly matched to the scenes in which it is used; his 6th symphony (The Pastoral) should have been used at the end when we see the children in Paradise.
Go see this movie with an open mind and an open heart.