Better than expected

Rating: 8/10 (30 April 2017)

I went into this not expecting much, just another Hollywood flick about nasty aliens and heroic humans saving the hordes of homo sapiens infecting the globe.
I came away surprised at the intelligent story and the great atmosphere of the movie.
Yes, there are a few plot holes here and there, but less than some have mentioned there being.
The following are true:
1) NASA and the US government have almost certainly people on staff that specialise in communicating with aliens, if such an event would occur. Probably have a whole bunch of plans set up for such an eventuality. Them being caught with their pants down like this is a bit silly.
2) The Aliens being able to understand the audio and visual input Louise is giving them is very unlikely. I mean, I hardly hear her whisper in that suit.
However, here comes the whole idea of the film into play, they understand her because they ALREADY HAVE. Same as she suddenly understands them by having future-memories, they would have known what she was trying to say because they can remember it from the future.
She also learns it much faster as you would normally expect because she already has done so, even subconsciously. It's not a superpower, it's because at one point she has learned to think like they do and that means that her present self also does. From the moment they meet she is in this forever loop.
3) Nothing is explained about why they are there and how POOF their ship can disappear!
It is explained, the gift/weapon is what humanity will use to save the aliens in the future. The Aliens already KNOW that's is all they have to do since this enough to set the humans on the right path. This is the skill they need. We do not know the threat yet, maybe it's actually from us?
It's okay to leave it like this, keep some mystery in the story. Not everything needs to be overly explained away.
The ship, well possibly it's not even there to begin with. It's rather like explaining the workings of a TV to a cat. Is the rabbit really there because you can see it and hear it?
The aliens tell them that the 12 ships are 1, and everything happens at the 12 locations at the same time as well. They give out the exact same information to everyone.
It could be a recording even sent from their dimension/ world and just beamed at 12 locations for convenience.
Also explains why there is no radiation or anything coming off the ship.
That we don't understand exactly how this works and it's not explained is good, gives you something to ponder.
The future-memories sometimes get a bit much, certainly at the end. But that's also the heart of the movie.
If you know your future, that you will have a child but they will die from a deadly horrible disease...would you still do it? How would you live with knowing the future?
She accepts this in the end, when in her future-memory he ask her if she wants to make a baby, she says yes.
Knowing he will leave her because he can't deal with the truth and the child will die.
I don't know, but all of this makes the movie pretty special. And makes me forgive the small flaws there are in the logic of some things.
The actors are pretty amazing too, although apart from Amy they are a bit under used. The music and cinematography are excellent and really left me stunned.
If you are looking for an independence day action flick, you are going to be bored silly.
If you want to immerse yourself in this strange reality, please watch as you will probably love it or at least be intrigued by it.