Totally Unbelievable and Unconvincing. Stay Away!

Rating: 3/10 (26 January 2017)

Like many others here, I was expecting so much more from "Arrival", particularly with Amy Adams in the lead. She is usually a very fine actress and I don't blame her for the stupid piece of work that this movie turned out to be. She would have had little if any influence over what finally appeared on screen. And Forest Whitaker, whose presence here seems quite unnecessary, hasn't really done anything good since I saw him first in "The Crying Game" all those years ago.
Now, let me state that I am quite a fan of sci-fi movies. "Contact" with the wonderful Jodie Foster was much better than this load of sh*t and even Close Encounters, for its time, was a much better movie. As Alien movies go, nothing even comes close to the first "Alien" from 1979 (all of the sequels to that one were crap, as sequels almost invariably are).
"Arrival" just annoyed me. I'm not stupid and I think I understand the circular concept of time thing here which could be the only even remotely plausible explanation for how Louise suddenly, and quite inexplicably, figured out all on her own how to communicate with the OOMOTs (Octopuses/Octopii Minus One Tentacle) as I choose to call the aliens here.
I quite agree with others about the utter implausibility of much of this movie. The sudden and inexplicable ability to understand and communicate with the OOMOTs, the decisions possibly about the future of mankind being made by one General after a phone call with the Secretary Of Defence (that's Defense for you Americans out there), what was the favour that the OOMOTs were going to ask for in 3000 years and who was going to be tasked to remember the commitment if given.
Sorry, "Arrival" was just stupid and a huge disappointment. I was left thinking much the same as I thought after "Birdman" (also a seven character title). WTF is all the fuss about? How can anyone find this crap convincing or satisfying?
I'm just glad that I bought "Arrival" on a cheap DVD in Thailand rather than paying good money to see it in a cinema or buy it on a proper DVD or Blu-ray.
Stay away from this one people and watch something worthwhile instead. Almost anything is better.
JMV