Twelve huge monoliths arrive on earth simultaneously at different locations. They hover over the ground and open their doors every 18 hours. It appears that it is an invitation to communicate in the sci-fi movie “Arrival” now showing in The Villages.
At the Montana site, the U.S. government calls in lingual specialist Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams) to lead the contacting endeavor. U.S. security forces are on alert in case the pod is a threat to the nation or the world.
Banks holds up signs to encourage recognition. In the worst way ever, she holds up a board on which she has scrawled in block letters “HUMAN.”.What makes this PhD thinks the extraterrestrials can read English? Why not Arabic or other forms of writing like Hebrew or a pictorial form like Chinese?
Banks takes a chance to enter what they have now dubbed as the Hetapod. The ‘guests’ include mathematician Jerry Benner who has little to contribute. The small group makes their way wearing haz-met protection garb that could have been picked up Wal-Mart at Halloween. A giant ragged circle appears as the alien’s code to be broken. Inside of the Hetapod is a non-threatening figure consisting of flowing fingers that tries to communicate.
(For reference in intergalactic communications search Google. Banks’ attempts are crude compared those tried in 1979 on the Voyager space shots or the more commonly used finger count 1-2-3…)
Still, exploration DNA is rampant in humans. We all pull for something spectacular to happen, but nothing does. “Arrival” is like using a pitching wedge off the tee of a 400 yard Nicklaus-designed course.
The best I can give this show is an average C rating.
Villager Jack Petro reviews movies for Villages-News.com