THE ARRIVAL
A film review by Larry McGillicuddy
Copyright 1996 Larry McGillicuddy
*** (out of 4) Directed by David Twohy Starring Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Crouse, Teri Polo, Ron Silver, Tony T. Johnson
Review- So many science fiction films nowadays only seem concerned about special effects, action, and don't focus enough on story and characterization. Well, David Twohy has directed from his screenplay, and come up with a truly intelligent and clever sci-fi thriller. Every year comes at least one movie where you go in with low expectations and come out genuinely surprised. This is that movie for this year.
Charlie Sheen stars as Zane, a radio astronomer who listens for sounds from other lifeforms. When he finally gets one, his boss destroys the tape and fires him. Naturally, Zane is not ready to give up, and he comes up with an ingenious way to do this himself. He is aided by a young neighborhood kid and they discover that the sound is coming from Mexico. So Zane goes down there to investigate, and runs into a lady studying why the temperature of the earth has dangerously risen so suddenly. Zane is having marital problems at the time, and an offer by her to spend the night with him is very tempting. Hearing Charlie Sheen deliver the line, "I guess there is something to be said for celibacy" is the funniest thing I have ever heard in a movie since Matthew Broderick discussed asexual reproduction in Wargames.
This is just the setup, and I don't want to give too much away, because a large part of the movies fun is the surprises. Charlie Sheen, who has had a rocky career as of late, is in top form here. He is funny, serious, and determined to accomplish his goal. Sheen's absolutely terrific performance is another big plus to this movie. The story is ingeniously devised by Twohy, who also wrote and directed the equally clever cable movie Grand Tour: Disaster In Time. The films major flaw is a very slow pace, and not much happens in the earlygoings. Viewers may be growing restless for a while, but trust me if you stick around and keep your head in it, you will have a good time.
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