'Arrival' is my favourite alien invasion movie and I want to tell you why (SPOILERS)
- Thread starter EarlGreyHot
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OP
OP
Holy shit I remember this! That was wild lol
ID4 is on the other side of the spectrum and is the best invasion movie in that regard. So much fun and the special effects still look incredible.
The sequel's only crime was being too late. It was a great popcorn movie, kinda of movie you put on your big tv and just chill. Like another alien invasion classic Battleship
I loved the original film at release, but the effects of "wonder dog" jumping through the tunnel as it exploded behind him were ridiculous even then. That was honestly one of the few nitpicks I had with the film too, but it really stuck out to me. I don't care how fast he was, he would have been a hotdog.
LOL. I actually saw that trash at the theater. It wasn't quite Battlefield Earth tier, but it was at least as bad as Battle: Los Angeles.
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It didn't work for me. I think it's because I figured out the twist early on and after that the movie felt really slow because it was trying to obscure something I already knew. I just wanted it to get on at that point. I may like it more on a second where I'm prepared for that pace.
OP I came in ready to party with you, before i realized you mean the inferior Arrival.
I stan this
This is what I thought this was about!! One of my favorites :-) Arrival was okay but I'm not a fan of this dudes movies in general.
But The Arrival is off the hook, in fact about to watch it again this weekend.
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Yeah that's dumb.
Speaking of bad effects, fun fact: the final scene with the old dude slamming his jet in the mothership was different in the original script. In the first version he would have flown in his old propeller plane with a bomb attached to it. It looked terrible so they scrapped it lol.
Love Love Love this movie. The score and the cinematography always take my breath away when I rewatch.
I liked the movie overall, but this part kind of took me out of it.
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Came out the week Trump was elected. This movie was a much needed calm during that time.
This movie also fixed Interstellar.
And goddamn, Bradford Young crushed the cinematography.
This movie also fixed Interstellar.
And goddamn, Bradford Young crushed the cinematography.
For some reason that's where my brain goes whenever any one beings up Arrival. (but its THE Arrival).
I watched that movie a few times in the 90s.
Isn't like 90 percent of the movie linear tho.
But it's not like the whole movie was building toward that twist while nothing else was going on.
Not like the editing or anything. Just the actual concept as a sci-fi trope I cannot stand. It soured the entire movie for me.
Must've rented this damn movie like, a hundred times. 😆 It and ID4 were mainstays for a while in our VCR, fun times.
Always laughed at the DEADLY SCORPION trick and the knees thing. Oh and sneaking into an alien factory too. 😆
God I hope they don't fuck up the inevitable Three Body Problem adaptation.
absolutely great sci-fi elements, awful human drama nonsense about love and children and blah.
still waiting for a good sci-fi film that is purely sci-fi, and not 50-70% relationship garbage or whatever.
been burned with this one, Gravity, Interstellar etc... my god the latter especially, wth was Nolan thinking?
still waiting for a good sci-fi film that is purely sci-fi, and not 50-70% relationship garbage or whatever.
been burned with this one, Gravity, Interstellar etc... my god the latter especially, wth was Nolan thinking?
I adore Arrival and consider it a masterpiece. It is ponderous, thought-provoking and beautiful. For me, I like that it does not really get lost in the weeds of science or concepts. At the end of the day all the sci-fi elements are just window dressing around the powerful emotional heart of the story. On the surface the film looks like an alien invasion movie, but in reality it is a story about love and humanity.
Although much of the film has more of a depressing tone, I think this serves to further enhance the ultimately optimistic and life-affirming message of the movie.
Although much of the film has more of a depressing tone, I think this serves to further enhance the ultimately optimistic and life-affirming message of the movie.
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When I first saw Arrival in the cinema I came out very much disliking it and I was bored to the brink. To be fair, I didn't understand it back then, and it didn't click with me until my latest rewatch back in April where I finally understood that the movie is about what is quoted here. It's a beautiful movie thematically.
OP
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You should really read Ted Chiang's first short story collection "Stories of Your Life and Others" - it's incredible. It's too bad he isn't very prolific. Although may be that's what makes him special.
And Darmok has to be one of the best ST episodes of all time.
Shaka, when the walls fell.
Incredible.
And Darmok has to be one of the best ST episodes of all time.
Shaka, when the walls fell.
Incredible.
I liked it quite a lot but it did mess up the core element of the short story it's based on by soft peddling the question.
Going for it is:
Not so good:
It is a superior slice of more intelectual SF though and while it doesn't get it as well as the short story it's still an interesting meditation on what it would be like to live in a pre-determined Universe where you can percieve your life at once across time.
OP given it's not really an invasion but more of an alien encounters narrative how could you forget the GOAT Close Encounters of the Third Kind?
Also, if you do want an actual invasion film watch the other The Arrival with Charlie Sheen; it's a little SF gem and really quite ingenious.
If you want to go for intellectual SF that makes no compromises for audiences and doesn't soft peddle anything then watch 2001 if you haven't and experience the GOAT of intellectual SF.
Going for it is:
- Great performances, particularly Adams
- Strong direction
- Great cinematography
- Interesting premse and visualization of the alien language
- Strong narrative around Louise and her daughter even if it fluffs the core of it
Not so good:
- fairly weak plot narrative to explain aliens motives and usual fear of aliens leading to military and goverments reacting badly (in the short story there is no motive given at all but I guess that would be asking to much of casual filmgoers to accept but I'd hoped they'd come up with something more original than a mix of some of the dramatic scenes from Contact and a now pretty familiar time loop payoff
- Softpeddling the core thematic question posed "if you knew how your life would play out including elements of devestating loss would you accept it and live the life you see pre-ordained before you"
It is a superior slice of more intelectual SF though and while it doesn't get it as well as the short story it's still an interesting meditation on what it would be like to live in a pre-determined Universe where you can percieve your life at once across time.
OP given it's not really an invasion but more of an alien encounters narrative how could you forget the GOAT Close Encounters of the Third Kind?
Also, if you do want an actual invasion film watch the other The Arrival with Charlie Sheen; it's a little SF gem and really quite ingenious.
If you want to go for intellectual SF that makes no compromises for audiences and doesn't soft peddle anything then watch 2001 if you haven't and experience the GOAT of intellectual SF.
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OMFG you're right. How the hell could I forget about that one?! Great movie. Spielberg was never happy with it for some reason.
I'm a massive SF fan and I never saw this :-/. I should soon.
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