I just saw this movie last night. I had never heard of it before, and literally knew nothing about it. I told my wife to pick a movie, and I thought she would pick a chic flick. She said she thought I might like it because it had something to do with numbers and predicting future events. I don’t want to give away any plot lines. It’s not the kind of movie that I typically like. In fact, I’d say that for about 90% of the movie, I thought, “This is just a weird, creepy movie.” Then the end came, and I really liked it (though my wife just thought it was a weird, creepy movie.)
Here’s what IMDB said about the movie, and a couple of trailers.
A teacher (Cage) opens a time capsule that has been dug up at his son’s school; in it are some chilling predictions — some that have already occurred and others that are about to. Does his family play a role in the coming events?
Has anybody seen the movie? What are your reactions?
Mormon Heretic 
Did rent the DVD. Was saddened by the ending, and thought it was a take on judgement day by a director who knew just enough about the Scriptures to be a danger to himself (metaphorically speaking). It does keep you awake though.
I saw the trailer on another DVD and thought that it looked interesting. So do you recommend it?
Saw it and enjoyed it.
Firetag, I thought you would like the movie. I haven’t seen Judgment Day, so I can’t compare the two. I liked the movie, but I can understand why people wouldn’t–it’s certainly not for everyone. The movie does have some pretty cool special effects. It highlights some disasters that have some pretty disturbing images of people dying.
The beginning of the movie seemed more along the lines of “The Ring”, or “Mothman Prophecies.” I was quite surprised to see it make a turn towards religion at the end.
I will say that I’ve never really been a fan of apocalyptic-type movies, so it was a pleasant surprise. The trailer doesn’t give away any hints as to how it will end.
I thought it was a bit weird…I just didn’t like the religious ending…it felt out of place with me. Overall, not well-acted or well-written and definitely not Nicholas Cage’s best. So yeah, weird and creepy.
I really hated the ending and got up and left before it was over. It was too random and didn’t gel for me. It seemed like the writer took several different weird dreams he (or she) had over time and decided to put them all together and make this movie. What’s with the rocks anyway? Weird.
I must say I’ve never been a Nicolas Cage fan. I still don’t know what was up with the rocks. Angelic aliens was pretty odd, though the visions of Ezekiel are equally as odd.
I couldn’t quite figure out what the director was trying to say when Nicolas reconciled with his father. I listened to the director’s commentary and he said on several occasions he wanted the audience to decide the meaning of the film, so I still don’t quite know what to make of the reconciliation. The bit at the end where the “chosen” were lifted up, and then settled a new planet like Adam and Eve, with a Tree of Life motif–I thought that was pretty cool.
Did you like the plane and train crash sequences? I thought the plane crash sequence was pretty astonishing.
The plane and train crash sequences seemed so real that they were hard for me to watch. It also upset me somewhat watching him run right into the plane accident scene seemingly putting himself in great danger (I think that was my first aid training that teaches to be careful not to become a victim yourself). I kept saying out loud “what is he doing, he is going to get hurt?!”
Overall, I tend to get very involved in movies, so I don’t do very well with violent or disturbing movies. I tend to avoid them overall, but my husband was able to talk me into watching this one. I thought the movie was too long, but it may have been because it was late at night when I watched it.
@MH
I wasn’t referring to the movie Judgement Day, but to the Revelations version of the end of the world. Special effects were cool.
What I found disturbing was the idea that the best God can do with us is throw us out and start from scratch with still innocent children. I think Satan would call that a big win.
I love the movie. The first trailer for it didn’t interest me, but the second trailer made it look really creepy so I saw it. Such a great movie. It’s suspenseful the whole way through -plane and train crashes were hard to watch the second time around, and the messengers are still creepy- and I really liked the twist at the end and the Tree of Life motif.
I know there are a lot of people who didn’t like it, but it was weird enough, interesting enough, and (oddly) happy enough to firmly seat itself in my top movies. To me, the overall message (whatever religious implications you want to take from it) was that we shouldn’t fear something just because we don’t understand it. The Diana character freaked out and tried to run away from it and looked what happened to her. Nicolas Cage’s character was just looking for the answers- and he found them.
This movie made me jump, made me laugh, made me smile, made me bawl my eyes out–I just loved it.
Yes, the movie certainly had some disturbing images.
FireTag, you said, “What I found disturbing was the idea that the best God can do with us is throw us out and start from scratch with still innocent children.” I agree, but isn’t that pretty much what the Book of Revelations says? Aren’t the righteous supposed to float into the air, while all the wicked (including their children) are burnt?
Revelations, Isaiah, and Ezekiel have to be my 3 least favorite books. Daniel is pretty weird too.
I interpreted the movie as saying there were NO saved adults — even those with faith — which is NOT what Revelations suggests. (By the way, the point of revelations isn’t about how to achieve physical safety; the “saved” may be precisely the ones who sacrifice themselves for others, not those who escape tribulations.)
I’m reminded of a quote by John Dominic Crossan of the Jesus Seminar. He said one of the big problems with apocalyptic thought is there is always a tremendous number of dead people.
Have any of you seen the Left Behind series with Kirk Cameron?
Sorry–I spend too much time blogging. 🙂
I think Nicholas Cage is a tool and I thought the movie was pretty stupid, overall. However, I actually liked the way the ending provided an alternate interpretation of biblical myths. It sort of turned a completely lame sci-fi flick into something that could resonate with my own understanding of symbolism and mythology.
The Left Behind series is about the end of the world. See this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_Behind There are three movies in the series. If you ever do get around to watching them, it would be great to hear your opinion on them.
Just watched this tonight.. then did an online search on this movie… which brought me here. Unusual to see biblical reference in our modern day movies isn’t it. I think the best message it had to offer is when NC called his pastor father and told him to get underground as the earth was to be destroyed. Dad tells him: son when it’s my time it’s my time and he isn’t worried (he knows he is going to Heaven) and asks if his son is. Maybe it will get some other people to thinking as well about their future after they die. Rapture Ready anyone?
Welcome Debbie. The Biblical reference is what I found so interesting, as well as the relationship between a non-believer son, and a pastor father. I also like a sort of scientific aspect to miraculous events mentioned in the Book of Revelations and Ezekiel. I’m definitely not ready for the Rapture–I’d probably be heading underground…..
I saw the movie a while back. I enjoyed most of it but the ending seemed odd and out of place with the rest of the film.