Arrival | The Boneyard

Arrival

nelsonmuntz

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Really interesting movie with Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forrest Whitaker. It is about contact with aliens, and covers some interesting scientific ground.

Reviews were very good overall, although I would only give it a B+.

Things I like:

It is definitely an original take on a topic that has been covered elsewhere quite a bit. The movie makes a good point that the first challenge of alien contact is to figure out what they actually want.

Jeremy Renner is one of the better actors out there right now, and can play all kinds of roles. The same guy that stole the show as Ben Affleck's crazy best friend in The Town is completely credible as a physicist in Arrival.

I liked how the plot developed and how the stress kept ratcheting up on all the characters in a way that was logical and would explain increasingly illogical behavior.


Things I didn't like:

A pet peave of mine is "over-directing" a movie. Let the story tell itself, rather than throw in all these crazy camera angles and closeups to show what an 'artist" the director is. There was a bit of this. I also think directors need to trust the story and not over-use music to beat us over the head with what is happening. I blame Christopher Nolan for this trend in movies.

I like Amy Adams, don't love her, as an actress. She is like a solid 13/6 small forward that doesn't screw up but isn't going to win a lot of games for you. She clearly has a great agent, because she is getting all the roles that used to go to Julia Roberts. I get that they needed a bankable actress for a movie like this, but I would have preferred someone who is a little less mousy and had a more confident voice. Jessica Chastain would have been good, but she did Interstellar. This would have been a perfect role for Emma Stone. Amy Adams was just not quite right.

Overall a very good movie.
 

Fishy

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I thought it was a terrific movie and I absolutely think Adams was perfect in the role.

Jessica Chastain really can't act and Stone would have been completely out of place - it was a role for a 40-something, not a 20-something.

But I agree on Renner.
 
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I thought it was a terrific movie and I absolutely think Adams was perfect in the role.

Jessica Chastain really can't act and Stone would have been completely out of place - it was a role for a 40-something, not a 20-something.

But I agree on Renner.

I agree with this. Chastain has had too many roles like that, it would be like the only overplaying a mediocre song.

I can't take Stone seriously, plus she doesn't look old enough for a teenage daughter.
 
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Really interesting movie with Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forrest Whitaker. It is about contact with aliens, and covers some interesting scientific ground.

Reviews were very good overall, although I would only give it a B+.

Things I like:

It is definitely an original take on a topic that has been covered elsewhere quite a bit. The movie makes a good point that the first challenge of alien contact is to figure out what they actually want.

Jeremy Renner is one of the better actors out there right now, and can play all kinds of roles. The same guy that stole the show as Ben Affleck's crazy best friend in The Town is completely credible as a physicist in Arrival.

I liked how the plot developed and how the stress kept ratcheting up on all the characters in a way that was logical and would explain increasingly illogical behavior.


Things I didn't like:

A pet peave of mine is "over-directing" a movie. Let the story tell itself, rather than throw in all these crazy camera angles and closeups to show what an 'artist" the director is. There was a bit of this. I also think directors need to trust the story and not over-use music to beat us over the head with what is happening. I blame Christopher Nolan for this trend in movies.

I like Amy Adams, don't love her, as an actress. She is like a solid 13/6 small forward that doesn't screw up but isn't going to win a lot of games for you. She clearly has a great agent, because she is getting all the roles that used to go to Julia Roberts. I get that they needed a bankable actress for a movie like this, but I would have preferred someone who is a little less mousy and had a more confident voice. Jessica Chastain would have been good, but she did Interstellar. This would have been a perfect role for Emma Stone. Amy Adams was just not quite right.

Overall a very good movie.

I like basically everything that Denis Villeneauve directs. Sicario was great too. Looking forward to Bladerunner.

I think he also just signed up to remake Dune. Can't wait.
 

HuskyHawk

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I like basically everything that Denis Villeneauve directs. Sicario was great too. Looking forward to Bladerunner.

I think he also just signed up to remake Dune. Can't wait.

Watched Sicario on a plane. Mesmerizing. That was intense as hell.
 
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Really interesting movie with Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forrest Whitaker. It is about contact with aliens, and covers some interesting scientific ground.

Reviews were very good overall, although I would only give it a B+.

Things I like:

It is definitely an original take on a topic that has been covered elsewhere quite a bit. The movie makes a good point that the first challenge of alien contact is to figure out what they actually want.

Jeremy Renner is one of the better actors out there right now, and can play all kinds of roles. The same guy that stole the show as Ben Affleck's crazy best friend in The Town is completely credible as a physicist in Arrival.

I liked how the plot developed and how the stress kept ratcheting up on all the characters in a way that was logical and would explain increasingly illogical behavior.


Things I didn't like:

A pet peave of mine is "over-directing" a movie. Let the story tell itself, rather than throw in all these crazy camera angles and closeups to show what an 'artist" the director is. There was a bit of this. I also think directors need to trust the story and not over-use music to beat us over the head with what is happening. I blame Christopher Nolan for this trend in movies.

I like Amy Adams, don't love her, as an actress. She is like a solid 13/6 small forward that doesn't screw up but isn't going to win a lot of games for you. She clearly has a great agent, because she is getting all the roles that used to go to Julia Roberts. I get that they needed a bankable actress for a movie like this, but I would have preferred someone who is a little less mousy and had a more confident voice. Jessica Chastain would have been good, but she did Interstellar. This would have been a perfect role for Emma Stone. Amy Adams was just not quite right.

Overall a very good movie.

Saw it on the plane (which is where I see 99% of the movies that I don't watch with my kids) a few months ago so I don't remember everything. This one I saw on the back of the seat in front of me rather than the now superior personal device viewing. I thought the movie was unexpectedly good. I was confused in the beginning, because my expectations were more of an action film. In the end, I think my completely wrong preconceived notion was beneficial.

I think Amy Adams is great. She can still play a young (not as young anymore) cutie, but has the chops to also be a beaten down, socially awkward scientist. I don't think you want a beautiful or hot woman in this part. My only issue is that they had to be a bit superficial on some of the countries' reactions. There were some leaps that would've been interesting to see develop. Maybe it would be better as a book? This may've also been part of the reason for "over-directing." This could've been a tough movie to understand the first time watching if they didn't hit you over the head with some stuff.

My only other complaint is that I cried like a baby at certain parts (that I won't ruin in case anyone decides to watch) while on the plane. Not the movie's fault, and I tend to be a cryer in most decent movies.
 
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I like basically everything that Denis Villeneauve directs. Sicario was great too. Looking forward to Bladerunner.

I think he also just signed up to remake Dune. Can't wait.

Remake of Dune coming? That is the best news I have heard all week.
 

HuskyHawk

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The original had it's charms. But I don't think it will be hard to improve upon.

not being 5 hours long would help
 
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not being 5 hours long would help

Don't get me wrong, I like it. But Dune is big enough and broad enough to be a really good franchise like Star Wars, Star Trek or anything Marvel.

What Lynch made was a one off and it was too quirky.
 

HuskyHawk

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Don't get me wrong, I like it. But Dune is big enough and broad enough to be a really good franchise like Star Wars, Star Trek or anything Marvel.

What Lynch made was a one off and it was too quirky.

A series would be the right way to approach it.
 
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I thought it was a terrific movie and I absolutely think Adams was perfect in the role.

Jessica Chastain really can't act and Stone would have been completely out of place - it was a role for a 40-something, not a 20-something.

But I agree on Renner.
I loved this movie, about trying to understand the Aliens and their gift to earth which was their language. It's amazing how learning a new language can alter ones view of their own reality. This movie nails that. Been a fan of Amy Adam's since I saw her in "Leap Year" a few years back, critics panned it but I thought it was a terrific film, mainly because of Adam's starring role. If you like Amy Adam's and the beautiful Irish countryside, see it.
 
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I thought Arrival was great. Just an absolutely original and interesting sci-fi flick. I was completely engrossed from the first minute. Villeneuve is my favorite working director and this would've been runner up in the Oscar race to Manchester if I had a vote. CAN'T wait for Blade Runner.
 
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Thought that "Arrival" was a very average movie. I generally like any sci-fi. But this moved really slowly, the characters were pretty formula, and the payoff wasn't all that original. I actually think that Tom Cruise's "Edge of Tomorrow" handled time displacement in a more interesting fashion.

I agree with the anticipation for Blade Runner and Dune.
 

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