1996 science fiction, thriller film
Written by David Twohy, who also wrote The Fugitive and The Chronicles of Riddick
Live Entertainment
Starring
Charlie Sheen
Lindsay Crouse, Teri Polo, Ron Silver
Synopsis
Charlie Sheen plays Zane Zaminsky (the name has to have a story), a brilliant astronomer employed by SETI as a radio astronomer. His girlfriend (Teri Polo) complains that he gets so wrapped up in work there is no time for her. Zane and his co-worker, Calvin, discover a signal in the unlikely nosy FM band: “It’s searching for a needle in a haystack of needles.” They find a signal from outside the solar system, and Zane takes it to his boss, Gordi (Ron Silver), who dismisses it and lets Zane go (lays him off) due to budget cuts.
Roger Ebert’s review says Zane got a job as a consumer satellite dish repairman expressly to create his own phased array to listen to space. However, I thought Zane got the job because he was blackballed, and that was all he could get close to what he had previously worked on. Never forgetting about the alien signal he discovered, Zane secretly wires his client’s dishes together in a network and puts together his own phased array to continue his research. Mr. Ebert didn’t know if that was possible but liked Zane’s attitude. I thought that Zane couldn’t let it go and would have done something on the trail of signal regardless of what employment he found himself in. Zane seems erratic and out of touch with other, less intelligent humans.
The story progresses but focuses on Zane following the signal with many surprises and ideas. There are a lot of hints as to who is an alien, and surprises in that area. One of the main ideas is that aliens are terraforming the Earth to kill off humans and use the planet for themselves. They allow humans’ concerns about climate change to hide what they do.
Zane is like Charlie Sheen—a paranoid, brilliant person who takes himself seriously.
Negative
The cinematography tells me it is an older film. This could be rectified by producing a new film release. I do hope that is done.
The film was considered a commercial failure, grossing US$14 million compared to the estimated production budget of US$25 million. This can partly be explained by the high visibility of Independence Day a month after The Arrival’s release.
Best Scenes and Parts
The story is tight. I enjoy the aspect of the aliens hiding behind human political machinations. The aliens are terrific, even today. When Zane sees an alien get a “human skin,” it takes an alien form and layers a human form over it. A point of humor from this is they use the same form more than once, which looks like an error or arrogance. Seeing this played out in Mexico gives Zane proof that his ex-boss is an alien.
Conclusions
In general, the film’s script is paced in a more plodding way (for me) than today’s films. I enjoyed the part in Mexico, being a different environment than the US, but the arc of the plot was pretty predictable. What was good about the film was how they introduced the idea and followed it with a systematic approach to finding out what was happening. I enjoyed the film and recommend it, knowing these limitations. As you know, science fiction films don’t always depend much on well-developed plots; instead, they focus on WOW! At least, that is often the complaint. This film took the time to develop the ideas and follow them up with a logical conclusion. I had fun with the film and was intrigued all the way through.
Where to stream
Currently you are able to watch “The Arrival” streaming on The Roku Channel, YouTube Free, Tubi TV, Pluto TV, VIX for free with ads or buy it as download on Amazon Video, Vudu, Apple TV, Microsoft Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, AMC on Demand. It is also possible to rent “The Arrival” on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu, Microsoft Store online.
©JM Strasser March 11, 2024 All Rights Reserved
References
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-arrival-1996
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Arrival_(1996_film)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Twohy