For a super-intelligent man, he was pretty stupid
a) When the professor from Berkeley finally shows up, George's behavior was more akin to an autistic tin foil hat lunatic than a genius with superhuman intelligence. So confused and erratic.
b) How many times do you have to be interrupted to understand that your interlocutor has something important to say?
c) When the professor says he is only here for the quakes, George acts like this is a major problem, as if him demonstrating his supranatural quake-detection abilities to a crew of Berkeley scientists wouldn't open all the doors imaginable.
d) Wouldn't his super-intelligence make him understand all the subtleties of human psychology and thought process and make him a more efficient and convincing person rather than less? How come he is socially more useless than he previously was?
e) I don't have super-intelligence but even I understand that one shouldn't just play around deciphering codes and sending secret messages to whoever, not if you don't want to see the FBI and military intelligence knocking at your door. Can't believe how casually he went about this thing. Even more so after Nate specifically told him "Dude, there are like 2 military bases not far from here, just don't." How much more arguing does a super-intelligence require to fathom simple things like "waterboarding" or "electrodes on your balls"?
f) Doesn't he suspect that having the capacity to move objects with his mind is kind of a big deal to us mere mortals and that there might be people out there more than willing to study, experiment on and eventually dissect his ass for a glimpse at his powers? How about telling your friends not to shout around that you are a demon? As if moving object with your mind was like farting on command. Has he never watched X-Files or any movie whatsoever?
g) After the FBI surprisingly stormed his house and he was taken to that facility for days presumably, in total violation of his civil rights, George and his super-intelligence still can't figure out that they are in a tight spot wherein everyone of George's decision can be the difference between spending the rest of his life rotting in a secret underground facility with all sorts of tubes coming out of his body or, you know, going back to his home and friends; and what do George and his super-intelligence decide to do in the middle of a freakin test? Witchcraft! The guy starts moving the pen with his mind like this is what humans do. If you ask me, this guy had a dissection fetish all along!
Lace, his love interest, was just ugh. What does a man have to go through to get one miserable dry kiss right before kicking the bucket? How many chairs does a man have to buy?
I would have given up a long time ago! Be like: "B!t$h, you know what...? Nothing, i'm outta here!" When the light from the sky hits, i'm not even there, it's the neighbor's dog who becomes super-smart. His tail always points to the 23rd meridian and his eyelids do morse code, but his owner thinks he is rabid so he throws him off a cliff. End of the movie.
My movie would get a 5/10 but Phenomenon gets a 4/10.
The only good thing about this movie was Robert Duvall's very humane performance. He is truly one of the greats.
People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs