It's not trying to be anything

Rating: 8/10 (11 October 2019)

I don't usually do movie reviews, but I watch Ralph Sepie, so I'm an expert now. I'll go for as spoil free as I can though hints might accidentally be passed thru.
From the production standpoint, I think they wanted a movie half-realism, half-Avatar. It probably looked incredible in a iMax/3D theater. You don't get that full experience unless you have a proper theater set up.
From the acting standpoint, everyone worked around Natalie Portman. She was the centerpiece. The actors around her have proved themselves in other projects so I think they were good. Oscar Isaac is simply one of the best talents and it's really good he was in it. If not, the movie may have suffered quite a bit. Portman did great with having to deal with both facial acting and funny body movements.
I was afraid 1/3 of the way thru this may end up like Contact. It didn't. The source material was better, the pacing, Portman is better than Foster, etc...
I've seen some reviewers wanted this to be Aliens or The Terminator for some reason. Have guns a blazing! That's not this film (though there is action).
The best part of the film: the suspense. By leaving the audience uneasy about not knowing what's going on plays into what the director wanted. This can be construed as "pretentious." I try avoiding that label for the truly pretentious. I'm looking at you Requiem for a Dream. The uneasiness of the film was similar to 2001: A Space Odyssey. Obviously this wasn't directed by Kubrick, but definitely Kurbrick inspired.
The worst part: the dialogues. Many lines didn't feel natural to what a normal person would say. Sometimes less is more. They could have learned from The Larry Sanders Show of minimalism. If dialogue can be replaced with body language, then omit the lines.
The themes of the movie is why you have the love it or hate it phenomenon. I think the director wanted a 2001 feel, so the themes are murky. I don't think the film was trying to be known as the thought provoking movie of the year. But it could have done better. The first lines of the movie was explaining how abiogenesis is one of the big unknowns. If pondering abiogenesis and possibly natural selection is thought provoking, then this film might be for you. Outside of that, possibe themes of destroying things humans don't understand, the purpose of life of either fighting/fear/acceptance, and questioning what it means to be sentient are present. How much in depth is up to the viewer.
In summation: Annihilation is an ambitious film. It has a star studded cast and amazing visuals. The film wasn't trying to be inventing the wheel, but it far from being a hack job. For those wanting a non military SciFi film, then give this a chance. Sometimes, a movie isn't trying to be something more than a movie.