"Arrival"

[EPodolak]

I don't see a lot of sci-fi films, the last was probably Ex Machina. Saw "Arrival" at a small theater in my town this week, pretty good film on some heavy themes, including communication. Pretty timely narrative.

[Danguardace]

Originally Posted by JD10367

I didn't get it.

Spoiler!

What was the point? What was the gift? Just their language? Which did, what, exactly... give one chick the ability to know her future? Was the implication of the party scene (where she meets the Chinese general) that the world is now all "kumbaya" just because they all traded some info? Because that's stupidly unrealistic. And what happens in 3000 years? Shit, the final episode of "ST:TNG" did this better. But I'd still love to bone Amy Adams...

You did get it you just obviously weren't wowed by it.

Spoiler!

The whole point is Humanity learns to trust each other therefore avoiding self inflicted extinction. In 3000 years our advancements will mean we can help the Aliens avoid extinction.

However (and without trying to sound pretentious) The film is not so much about the narrative it's about Communication, it's about how we (humans) all want the same things information, security, assurances etc yet are unable to communicate that among ourselves let alone an alien species.

[NJChiefsFan]

Originally Posted by JD10367

I didn't get it.

Spoiler!

What was the point? What was the gift? Just their language? Which did, what, exactly... give one chick the ability to know her future? Was the implication of the party scene (where she meets the Chinese general) that the world is now all "kumbaya" just because they all traded some info? Because that's stupidly unrealistic. And what happens in 3000 years? Shit, the final episode of "ST:TNG" did this better. But I'd still love to bone Amy Adams...

Originally Posted by BWillie

I was pretty let down.

Spoiler!

It's a language that allows you to see the future. Okay great.

I really enjoyed the movie. Endings for these types of movies can always be difficult because there isn't always the typical climax. I would say to your spoilers two clarifications, at least how I saw it.

Spoiler!

It wasn't just a language to see the future, but to understand their technology with math and travel. Also I'm not sure either of those are small things but I get your point.

JD I think the scene with the Chinese general is a lot more significant than just hey we are all world friends. He even says he only came to see her and not the president. If they never meet then she never hears him give her his number and therefore can't call him to call off the attack. It is him telling her his phone number in the future that allows her to know it in the past because time isn't linear and is basically all happening at the same time.

My favorite scene was how they handled the bomb.

[RINGLEADER]

It was a good movie that dealt with some themes that were different from most alien films. Didn't feel ripped off, though...

Spoiler!

you could see the twist coming a million miles away...

[tk13]

I enjoyed it.

Spoiler!

A similar idea to Interstellar but twisted into a more personal story. It's hard to make a movie like this without a plot hole or two, but I like that they're still making movies like this.

I'd need to watch it again... but one thing that immediately jumped to my mind was whether the Chinese general was given the same gift. That would really paint the conversation at the party in a different light.

[Silock]

Originally Posted by RINGLEADER

It was a good movie that dealt with some themes that were different from most alien films. Didn't feel ripped off, though...

Spoiler!

you could see the twist coming a million miles away...

They gave the plot away from the first sentence of the film. It wasn't meant to be a twist. The film was only about the journey to that point, and I thought it was an amazingly well done piece of art. Far better than a simple shoot em up alien flick that we usually get. It was like "Contact," but better.

[GayFrogs]

Interstellar had the only line that ever single handedly caused me to walk out of a theater from being so lame and laughable. The fact that it can be compared to Arrival makes me think I didn't miss out on much

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by idrapethat

Interstellar had the only line that ever single handedly caused me to walk out of a theater from being so lame and laughable. The fact that it can be compared to Arrival makes me think I didn't miss out on much

Interstellar is a fantastic movie and very different than Arrival at least in presentation. Contact is more like Arrival and its eons better. Arrival was the most overrated movie Ive seen since Paul Walkers memorial movie about sports cars.

[GayFrogs]

Agreed that Contact was much better than Arrival at least. So...you're cool with how love can travel through time?

[JD10367]

Originally Posted by idrapethat

Interstellar had the only line that ever single handedly caused me to walk out of a theater from being so lame and laughable. The fact that it can be compared to Arrival makes me think I didn't miss out on much

So you didn't see "Batman vs. Superman", huh?

[Rausch]

Wow.

Any conservative worried about it trashing the military it doesn't.

If you find politics in this film you want to.

[Direckshun]

Spoiler!

Both Interstellar and Arrival are built off the themes explored by Slaughterhouse Five.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Spoiler!

Both Interstellar and Arrival are built off the themes explored by Slaughterhouse Five.

Arrival did it better in every way...

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

General audiences seem to be sort of meh on it.

Meh, would be me.

[ThaVirus]

I thought it was pretty cool.

I did find myself wondering if it was some type of allegory or metaphor but couldn't come to a strong conclusion.

[CoMoChief]

This movie was literally one of the worst movies I've ever seen.