When Aliens are Bad at Communicating

Rating: 5/10 (22 February 2017)

I don't get it. I don't get it. I don't get it. Oh, I get the movie, but what I do not understand is how this movie was so highly acclaimed. Was it because we had an alien movie devoid of mass destruction? Surely we've seen that before.
Some aliens that look like giant hands in which they use their fingers as feet have parked their hover crafts in various places throughout Earth. Of course, the U.S. was one of their parking spots (you can't leave us out). The military engages these visitors and wants to know their purpose but they can't communicate with them. In steps Louise Banks (Amy Adams), a professor and language expert (which is weird because the aliens make animal-like noises yet the U.S. grabbed a human language expert instead of an animal biologist or even an animal trainer). The bulk of the movie is then spent trying to establish communications with these odd creatures.
The film is so pretentious and esoteric. We have to watch the movie interminably drag on with Louise trying to forge a bond with the extra-terrestrials. While the cliché military does its cliché job of following cliché directives, the sensitive and astute Louise is there to make a break through that no one else can.
These beings are so advanced and so intelligent yet they can't clearly communicate their demands. Arrival moves so slow and intertwines exposition in there that leaves you wondering what--if anything--it has to do with the main story. I finished watching the movie feeling completely vacant and void of any emotion about it besides indifference at best and a mild disgust at worst. Arrival did nothing for me. It wasn't thought provoking, it wasn't innovative, it wasn't even entertaining. Yes, it took itself very seriously and I don't know why. I think the movie Abyss and E.T. did far better jobs of bringing us aliens to teach us lessons.