Political, Stupid, Predictable and Boring
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Arrival
Enlil-An — 9 years ago(December 04, 2016 07:37 PM)
Their was very little that was innovative or creative in this film. It's just another political message movie about how humanity is too violent and paranoid (especially the Americans who refer to the aliens as "monsters" and riot "across the country" any time there's a crisis) and needs to learn to get along by having the nations of the world "talk to each other" i.e. the governments of the world get together as opposed to, lets say, the nations of the world leaving one another alone or some other different and original idea - or having no political message at all.
The plot device of a scientist finding closure with a dead or estranged loved one through an extraterrestrial experience is something we've seen in several sci-fi movies in the last 20 years which makes the outcome of this film extremely predictable. And anytime the Chinese are involved in a new popular film, you know it's going to end with them performing a major role in the story's resolution, usually playing a metaphorical long-lost parental figure to the Americans.
The movie did come up with its own twist by having the Chinese General as the aggressor but the film makes it clear that he was acting rogue and was going against the wishes of the Chines government. And since anti-military themes have peppered Hollywood films for decades, there's nothing very original in that direction.
I realize that with the new Chinese demand for movies and Hollywood studios attempting to appeal to the growing Chinese market, there is going to be more Chinese representation in popular film, but if studio execs had any real guts, they would allow one of the main characters to be of Chinese descent and take an active part in the whole story instead of shoehorning them in at the ending.
It's frustrating that this film has received such a high rating. It just goes to show that the generations who grew up after the "New Hollywood Directors" period of the 70s and 80s (where a string of creative and original movies were made) have been robbed of the experience of seeing something truly new and don't know any better but to call this an 8-star movie. -
Toshi51 — 9 years ago(December 07, 2016 07:42 PM)
I fell asleep in the theater about 3/4 through it. Very dull. Made worse by the incredibly poor acting. WTF is wrong with this generation of actors? The first duty of an actor is to be heard by the audience. Otherwise there is no point unless you are a mime. I must have missed about 2/3 of the dialog with the mumbling actors and the way too loud music track. Anybody in there ever hear of "volume equalization"?
Well, the Heptoads were pretty cool in their tank with the sounds they made.
I will watch in again on DVD with the subtitles and learn what went on here. -
imdbaccount-32514 — 9 years ago(December 09, 2016 11:15 PM)
Super Boring Moviecould have been way betterreally needed some action packed/real suspense scenes of beep ending was the worst) it just leaves you confused and trying to figure out why the ending was so bad plain and simple***bored to death moviewill be left waiting for suspense that never comes!8 out of 10 hell no!2 out of 10 is more like it.