High-Tech Aliens Who Can't Think Straight?

Rating: 5/10 (26 February 2017)

The story was weak, the acting uninspired. Aliens as advanced as the seven-footed critters floating in mist would have learned Earth languages long ago and communicated in the usual high-tech ways.
The writer gave the inappropriate names Abbott and Costello to the two aliens, missing a great chance to call them Kang and Kodos. But why would two experts in language and math fearful of planetary invasion and mankind's destruction select those names? They were in an ominous and terrifying situation and the aliens didn't look comical.
And the humans' method of 'teaching' the aliens English was laughable, with little chalkboards held up so the eyeless near-octopi could read them.
The dialogue wasn't interesting. The emotional interaction between Louise and Ian, the linguist and mathematician, couldn't be very meaningful or touching, because so little was said or done. More character development was needed to make us feel for them. Why did they finally get married?--Oh, yes, Louise was clairvoyant! The whole story was nonsense.
The two language experts apparently learned the aliens' language to a certain extent, but no explanation was given as to the details of how, or what the symbols meant. Once you get used to the special effects, floating monolith, floating heptapods, and that happens quickly, it's just another ordinary sci-fi yarn.
I'd like to blame the actors for their sometimes-insipid performances, but they weren't given much to work with. Not worth a second viewing.