The world is going to end and Nic Cage is the only one who can stop it. So says Knowing, the new(ish) film by Alex Proyas.

Knowing is an odd sort of film. Some reviewers have torn it to shreds, others have praised it as a great example of science fiction. It sits somewhere between the two; it’s not a great movie, but it sure ain’t a bad one either.

With the unveiling of a fifty year old time capsule, Dr Koestler’s son, Caleb is given a mysterious sheet of paper filled with meaningless numbers. The university professor soon discovers a pattern to the numbers, which has predicted the largest disasters on the planet for the past fifty years. There are only three numbers left, and Dr Koestler races against time to solve the puzzle before it ends the world.

Drawing on just about every sci-fi imaginable, from Close Encounters of the Third Kind to Armageddon, Knowing combines elements of the traditional sci-fi film with psychological thriller elements. The Whisper Men, who threaten to steal Caleb, look like extras from Buffy, with their bleached blonde hair, pale faces and black trench coats. Those familiar with Proyas’ earlier film, Dark City, will recognize the signature creepy men in black coats.

While the film is a little slow to begin with, the standout moments come when disaster intervenes in the quiet lives of the characters. The plane scene will blow you away, and Proyas’ understated handling of the special effects goes a long way to making the film believable. Adding to that, it is one of Nicolas Cage’s better performances in his recent string of stinkers, apart from the one schmaltzy line about saving the planet.

There is an uneasy dichotomy between making a Hollywood blockbuster and making a masterpiece. Some of the sentimentality and offers of hope at the end of the film, take away from the bleak picture set up by the events that Koestler witnesses. But despite favoring the blockbuster hand, Knowing is an interesting film and a worthwhile view.