THE ARRIVAL
A film review by Mr. Twiffle
Copyright 1997 Flying Inkpot
Directed by: David N. Twohy Written by: David N. Twohy Cast: Charlie Sheen (Zane Ziminski), Ron Silver (Phil Gordian), Lindsay Crouse (Ilana Green), Teri Polo (Char), Tony T. Johnson (Kiki), Richard Schiff (Calvin Leon Rippy) Produced by : Orion Films Rating : ***1/2 Run Time: Approx. 115 Minutes
Despite having Charlie Sheen as its lead (with a goatee, no less, and as a radio astronomer. eww!) and a tacky environmental message, THE ARRIVAL is a nicely paced movie with good special effects that don't yell "Big Budget" in your face the whole time you're watching it.
Sheen plays Zane Ziminski, an obsessive paranoic scientist who along with his partner (Richard Schiff) records a clear radio transmission from space one night. Despite initial rejoicing, things don't develop the way you'd expect when the authorities receive evidence of this transmission. Ziminski gets fired, his partner gets killed and suddenly the whole world's just a heck of a lot more complicated for Ziminski than he likes.
It's hard to say what else happens without giving everything away. Trying to track and reconfirm the same signal he received, Ziminski builds a makeshift satellite while masquerading as a cable man (I guess there are more than just movie stars on Cable Vision!), and his discoveries soon lead him to an ominous-looking plant in Mexico. There he meets an environmentalist whose work is increasingly troubling in its extraordinary reports on the earth's atmostphere.
The story probably sounds a little cliched, but THE ARRIVAL is a better movie than usual, and recent, alien fare like INDEPENDENCE DAY, or SPECIES. This is because it develops, and keeps to, an almost believable storyline, one that engages the viewer continually as it reveals information in various steps throughout the movie. Director Twohy, who was a screenwriter for ALIEN 3 and THE FUGITIVE, also does a good job of building and maintaining suspense, preferring wisely not to just rely on the special effects team for impressing its audience.
All in all, I'd say this movie's worth its S$7 ticket. Hey, anything that makes me want to watch it through despite having Charlie Sheen in its lead role is worth seven bucks.
The Flying Inkpot Rating System: * Wait for the TV2 broadcast. ** A little creaky, but still better than staying at home with Gotcha! *** Pretty good, bring a friend. **** Amazing, potent stuff. ***** Perfection. See it twice.
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