Customer Reviews

Arrival, the

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This movie was underrated when it was first released, and, as with all good, underrated movies, it has since become a cult favorite. Clever and imaginative, a lot was done on a limited budget to make it into a top notch sci-fi thriller. It has an intelligent and well reasoned story, and the special effects are imaginative.

Charlie Sheen, clean and sober, plays radio astronomer, Zane Zaminski, who picks up radio signals that are not earthly. When he takes a copy of the tape of these signals, which he believes to be indicative of intelligent, alien life, to his boss, chillingly played by Ron Silver, he is summarily fired from his job. Suddenly, all is not right with the world.

Smelling something real fishy, Zane sets up a home satellite and tries to zero in on the signal. He gets lucky, or unlucky, depending upon how one looks at it, and he picks up the same signal he previously had picked up. It crosses a signal given off by a Mexican radio station, which motivates him to go to Mexico and check it out.

While in Mexico, he meets a fellow scientist (Lindsay Crouse), who is there on her own investigation, as she has noted major atmospheric changes, which indicate that global warming is occurring at an alarming rate, almost as if there were a greenhouse effect. Unbeknownst to Zane at the time, her concerns are connected to his.

While at a power plant with her, he comes across a doppelganger for his former boss, which sets off alarms in his head. Returning undercover at night, he discovers that the entire plant is operated by aliens, and they are not here just to say hello. There, a series of events transpire to reveal to him an immense, alien plot. Yes, it's the old alien conspiracy story rearing its ugly head. Only this time, it is handled with surprising intelligence. Zane is now on a mission to convey what he knows to the world, but the aliens will stop at nothing to silence him. Will he make it? Watch the film and find out. If you love sci-fi films, you will not be disappointed.

I have heard a lot of speculation regarding the causes of global warming. Burning fossil fuels, spraying aerosol cans, and the destruction of the rain forests have all been accused of being responsible for the melting polar ice caps. Writer-director David Twohy comes up with a more interesting culprit in this 1996 science fiction thriller, which begins with scientist Ilana Green (Lindsay Crouse) finding something in Antarctica that should not be there. However, the hero of our tale is a radio astronomer named Zane Zaminski (Charlie Sheen with a goatee), who working on a S.E.T.I. project by looking where nobody in their right mind should be looking, in the FM band. To his surprise and the shock of his colleague, Cal (Richard Schiff), he finds something there. This could be the biggest scientific discovery of the 20th century by Zane's boss, Phil Gordian (Ron Silver), not only refuses to get excited, he destroys the evidence. Then some strange guys in suits show up to make sure they have all of the evidence.

Clearly Zane has discovered something he is not supposed to know about. But part of the problem is that he has no clue what he has stumbled upon or why it should get people killed. The other key part of the problem is that Zane is now unemployed and no longer has access to a gigantic radio telescope. So he has to, basically, build one, which is how "The Arrival" lets you know that Twohy has paid attention to the science of the story (okay, I know nothing about science and this could all be nonsense, but there is an effort being made to connect the scientific dots). Zane effective does build his own radio telescope, and if this new phase of his old obsession has made him lose his girl friend, Char (Teri Polo), at least he has Kiki (Tony T. Johnson) the smart street kid who lives next door to take up the slack.

At some point Zane and Ilana have to cross paths, which gets them closer to the horrible truth that still has to see some people dead in this movie. But we have a big clue in terms of trying to figure out where the interests of a radio astronomer and an environmental scientist would overlap. Of course the audience gets to figure things out a bit before Zane does, but then he is distracted by the most ingenious attempts to kill someone is bath tub I have seen since "Final Destination." I checked out this film because I saw one of Twohy's more recent efforts, "Below," and again he shows some creativity in presenting the conventions of the science fiction-thriller genre.

Sheen's performance is an interesting mix of paranoia and anger, sometimes switching back and forth between the two in an instance if somebody looks at him funny or is just funny looking. At a key point in the film he is asked why he knows the bad guys are not gone yet, and his response is the best line in the film. I did not bite on the obvious red herring as to who the ultimate villain was in "The Arrival," but I did not see the final revelation coming either, so that is a good thing. Ultimately, I did not find "The Arrival" to be a classic science fiction film, but for a modern version of the "B" movie it is very good. There is a sequel, 1998's "The Second Arrival," but Twohy had nothing to do with it, which is rarely a good since when it comes to such things.

Writer/director David Twohy accomplished the near-impossible in the summer of 1996; he delivered a fun, fast-paced AND intelligent sci-fi thriller with The Arrival, an intriguing, thought-provoking film that was unfairly ignored in theaters at the time of its release (most viewers chose to see Twister, M:I, Independence Day). The movie has a classic premise, featuring a radio astronomer (Charlie Sheen) who receives a signal from outer space that may or may not have come from extraterrestrial life.

To say anymore would be unforgivable, as Twohy packs in believable twists and turns throughout the plot, which is fun without insulting the brain, and complex without ever bogging down in mind-numbing confusion. The script does have a few head-scratchers here and there (I was particularly miffed that Lindsay Crouse's character, an environmentalist, wasn't familiar with the concept of terraforming) and some contrivances, but they're hardly bothersome and aren't noticeable until a second viewing.

As good a screenwriter as Twohy is, he's even more adept as a director (further proven by Pitch Black, a superbly crafted deep-space thriller with a script not even half as smart as The Arrival's). With great pacing and precise editing, Twohy builds momentum with each discovery Sheen unfolds, until it culminates to an edge-of-the-seat climax that's quite satisfying (unlike...cough...cough..."V: the Final Battle", Independence Day).

The cast is all-around effective, with Sheen delivering a surprisingly terrific performance as the paranoid astronomer. It's great to see an intelligent protagonist who thinks his way out of tight jams, rather than shooting and blowing up everything in sight. No one else gets half of Sheen's screentime, but Ron Silver is nicely ambiguous as his boss, and Teri Polo, however underused, is fine as Sheen's girlfriend. Lindsay Crouse also makes a good impression as an environmentalist studying some strange activity.

On a technical level, some sci-fi fans might be a little disappointed. Those weaned on "V" and ID4 will notice the lack of large-scale special effects. Sorry, no disc-shaped motherships here. Still, the visuals present are mostly decent, certainly passable enough that they don't become a distraction to the plot. Despite the use of CGI in its more primitive stages (this was '96, after all) the effects are still occasionally excellent and imaginative, such as the spherical object those tight-lipped men wield. Composer Arthur Kempel's score adds a bit more tension to the already excruciating suspense, and evokes a creepy atmosphere during the film's quieter moments.

Remember, folks, The Arrival is a rarity, a once in a while example of how pure movie magic can be created when we've got dedicated filmmakers who want to intrigue the audience rather than catering to demographics just for the sake of box office returns. Forget Independence Day, The War of the Worlds, or V and its sequel, The Arrival is the most satisfying depiction of alien invasion to date (note: Signs is actually an overall better film than The Arrival, but that picture was mostly a microcosmic look at a possible alien invasion, and was not necessarily in and of itself about the existence of aliens).
**** 1/2 out of *****

I've been reading a bunch of lists of the best 10 sci-fi movies of all time and not one poll mentioned this movie. This is a shame because this movie is a believable look at one man's "conspiracy theory" of aliens taking over, and creating havoc to the GreenHouse effect. I think that just goes to show how little exposure this movie got both at the movie theatre and in rentals. (This came out at about the same time as that joke Independence Day). This is by far Charlie Sheen's best acting performance, as he plays a semi-paranoid satellite watcher who believes that we aren't alone. This movie has enough realism to give it integrity and enough mystery to make it a fun science fiction. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone interested in seeing a believable alien invasion movie.

This movie was underrated when it was first released, and, as with all good, underrated movies, it has since become a cult favorite. Clever and imaginative, a lot was done on a limited budget to make it into a top notch sci-fi thriller. It has an intelligent and well reasoned story, and the special effects are imaginative.

Charlie Sheen, clean and sober, plays radio astronomer, Zane Zaminski, who picks up radio signals that are not earthly. When he takes a copy of the tape of these signals, which he believes to be indicative of intelligent, alien life, to his boss, chillingly played by Ron Silver, he is summarily fired from his job. Suddenly, all is not right with the world.

Smelling something real fishy, Zane sets up a home satellite and tries to zero in on the signal. He gets lucky, or unlucky, depending upon how one looks at it, and he picks up the same signal he previously had picked up. It crosses a signal given off by a Mexican radio station, which motivates him to go to Mexico and check it out.

While in Mexico, he meets a fellow scientist (Lindsay Crouse), who is there on her own investigation, as she has noted major atmospheric changes, which indicate that global warming is occurring at an alarming rate, almost as if there were a greenhouse effect. Unbeknownst to Zane at the time, her concerns are connected to his.

While at a power plant with her, he comes across a doppelganger for his former boss, which sets off alarms in his head. Returning undercover at night, he discovers that the entire plant is operated by aliens, and they are not here just to say hello. There, a series of events transpire to reveal to him an immense, alien plot. Yes, it's the old alien conspiracy story rearing its ugly head. Only this time, it is handled with surprising intelligence. Zane is now on a mission to convey what he knows to the world, but the aliens will stop at nothing to silence him. Will he make it? Watch the film and find out. If you love sci-fi films, you will not be disappointed.

THE ARRIVAL is solid sci-fi. It is an Alien Invasion thriller combining good plot with believable acting, suspense and very respectable special effects. Charlie Sheen plays Zane, an obsessed SETI Radio Astonomer whose New Mexico site detects a DEEP SPACE wave that may signal the presence of Extra-Terrestrial life. Ron Silver plays "Gordi", a NASA bureaucrat who is soon revealed as sinister leader of an alien invasion force which plans to conquer earth by radically altering the planet's weather. The startling opening sequence presents Lindsay Crouse walking through a flowery meadow which is shown to be an impossibly verdant oasis in the middle of arctic tundra. Terra-Farming by non-terrans "engineering" an Apocalyptic Green House Effect ...rendering earth uninhabitable..is THE HOSTLE TAKE-OVER scheme. Director Twohy has done a commendable job orchestrating Sheen's increasing fear...friends regard him as paranoid; foes exploit the incredulity. Pacing is excellent. Fine FX are strategically employed...the budget was said to be limited...to create both surprise and danger. THE ARRIVAL is about not-so-little Green House Effect-wielding aliens who look like us...in the traditon of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS...and are ready to claim the planet they claim...in an unsubtle aside by the Alien CEO...we have abused and will destroy anyhow. But it's not an ecology sermon; it's an underrated sci-fi thriller that won't disappoint.

I knew that this movie has kind of a cult status, but I was skeptical nonetheless. After all it was a straight-to-video release (unlike other countries, here it had no theatrical release), with Charlie Sheen as an astrophysic (!).. Well, I was wrong, because among the bunch of brainless, plotless, and ultimately heartless sci-fi/action/horror flicks that we usually get these days from Hollywood, this deliciously B-ish movie stands as a little masterpiece, despite its flaws. First of all, the plot : I know it's more of the same aliens-among-us stuff, but David Twohy tells this old story with a lot of new twists, ( terraforming the Earth? What a cool idea!) , then giving us characters we care about, which are acting in a story where every scene has a sense in the progress of the story , and it's not a gimmick to show some obnoxious CGI. The acting is generally convincing : if you past the initial skepticism about his choice, Charlie Sheen is actually pretty good as the nerdish Zemlinsky, but even better are Lindsay Crouse as the ill-fated researcher and Ron Silver as Sheen's duplicitous boss. The action/special effects scenes work so well, despite the not quite stellar budget, for two reasons: 1) they're full of little neat ideas, like the "vacuum" sphere or the unusual anatomy of the aliens. 2) they're used when actually needed, not just when the director feels it's time to wake up the short attention span teenagers. Also, I think David Twohy was very good as a director, too : the pacing of the story never drags and some visual choices are very interesting, for example the way he shoots the destruction of the observatory is thrilling and original ( e.g. when the girl falls on the huge "shield" and you see only white metal, then suddenly the abyss). What, in my opinion, connects this movie with the glorious tradiiton of the 1950's invasion movies is the presence of a genuine "sense of wonder", here especially apparent in in parts like the arctic prologue or awe-inspiring the descent in the aliens' underground base. Recommended.

I don't know if anybody (except for Carpenter fans) canremember John Carpenter's They Live? It was a late 80's sci-fthriller about a drifter who discovered that aliens walked among us posing as humans. It was an ambitious film that really went nowhere, and the very dated make up effects didn't help either. David Twhoy's The Arrival is the much better film, something I'm sure They Live was aiming for (David Twhoy even showed Carpenter up again with Pitch Black, a better version of The Thing). The Arrival is ambitious in its setup and delivers on all expectations.

I won't say much about the plot other than the fact that it's better to let it unfold in front of you. There are some pleasant surprises and intriguing elements in it.

The riveting chases also help as they are extremely thrilling. The first half of the film involves creating genuine awe and wonder with a sense of dark mystery. The second half moves at a breakneck pace with some fine action scenes. The special effects are also very good with some great scenes such as the flying spherical object and the creative alien design.

Acting is certainly not a problem. Most of the performances are good, with the best coming from Charlie Sheen as a paranoid and brilliant radio astronomer.

David Twohy is a relative newcomer. Pitch Black is just his second movie but I have the feeling that he will be a coveted writer/director not just because of the fact that he can make modestly budgeted movies look like expensive sci-fi extravaganzas but also because he can make films intelligent and thrilling simultaneously and develop the characters very well.

The Arrival is a little known science fiction thriller thatarrived in the early summer of 1996 a year that is much more wellknown for a little film called Independence Day. Both movies are about alien invasions, but are different in execution and style. As to where Independence Day is an action film about visuals and explosions, The Arrival focuses on paranoia, plausibility, and drawing the audience in with an intriguing and credible plot.

Zane Ziminski (Charlie Sheen) and his partner Calvin (Richard Schiff) are radio astronomers who have picked up a signal from outer space, just around a star called Wolf 336, which is 14.6 light years away from Earth. Arrival is writer David Twohy's directorial debut (his other work is Pitch Black, another great sci-fi thriller) and he does a very good job. He makes the plot quite intelligent and keeps the pace moving quickly with a riveting finale. The underlying paranoia is one of the aspects that fuels this movie along. X-Files fans should definitely enjoy this film and get a kick out of it.

Many critics seemed to think Charlie Sheen was miscast, though I find no credibility in that statement. He is superb in his role as a normal guy who gets caught up in a dangerous conspiracy. His entire performance is very believable and it's easy to feel sympathetic and root for him at the same time. The supporting performances are decent, with Teri Polo and Lindsay Cruise doing fine jobs as the women in Zane's life. Ron Silver is particularly menacing as a CEO executive of SETI and he plays his part with a lot of subtlety.

There's a lot of scientific talk in this film with many ideas thrown around and developed but it's doubtful viewers will get lost in this film's plot. It may seem confusing at first but it starts to become clear by the middle and the end.

This the most god-awful movie I have ever seen. The plot was just short of non-existent and the acting was downright pitiful. How anyone could have liked this movie (see other reviews) is a mystery to me.