Weekly Review -- Invasion weekend

In the context of our entire world coming apart at the seams and naturally leading to fantasy, science fiction and horror genres reaching a popularity pinnacle, I present to you a week of otherworldly mystery. We may all hold differing opinions on the status of life on other planets and in other galaxies, but one thing is for sure -- speculation is divine, neverending and, most of all, inspiring. If they are desperate enough to decide to drop by, hope springs eternal and belief springs certain that benevolence would outweigh malevolence. After all, the human appetite for destruction is a difficult trait to come by.


The Arrival (1996) -- An interesting take on alien lore and a nifty little thriller in its own right, this early David Twohy work is worth a look. Radio astronomer Zane Zaminsky (Charlie Sheen) receives a signal of unknown origin. When he starts investigating, he uncovers an alien conspiracy and, soon, a trail of dead bodies and secrets force Zane to run for his life. Can he outrun and expose the extraterrestrials before they take over the Earth? Twohy does a great job at maintaining an atmosphere of paranoia within a shocking context, creating a piece reminiscent of 1978's version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers; he would explore similar themes with his underrated 2009 gem A Perfect Getaway. As Zane, Sheen is alternately enthusiastic about his discovery and overwhelmed by the findings, turning the character into the eyes and ears of the audience. The always good Lindsay Crouse shines in a subdued performance as an idealistic climatologist, while Teri Polo and David Schiff give credible supporting turns as Zane's girlfriend and colleague, respectively. The whole take on the aliens is what makes the film stand out, though. The appearance and motivation of the beings is pretty different from what we are used to seeing in similarly themed stories. I also liked the effects; the whole spaceship sequence has dated quite well, giving off a rather organic and unsettling vibe, and not so much relying on budget as it does on imagination, which is the mark of any decent science fiction and fantasy film. On the whole, The Arrival is an innovative and engaging narrative, but what it really gets points for are its genuine attempts to breathe new life into a familiar story.

7/10


Skyline (2010) -- I believe that every cinema buff has a Skyline experience at least a few times in their life. No, I am not talking about witnessing an alien invasion. I am talking about films that seem pretty exciting as you watch them, but that inevitably lead to a what-the-hell moment as the credits start rolling. That is the kind of film that the brothers Colin and Greg Strause have made -- it has its moments, but also misses the mark with a few crucial elements. Jarrod (Eric Balfour) and his girlfriend Elaine (Scottie Thompson) have come to visit Jarrod's friend Terry (Donald Faison) in Los Angeles, for Terry's birthday. Before the guy has a chance to even blow out his candles, strange blue beams start descending from the sky and luring people into bizarre-looking spaceships -- think H.R. Giger meets M.C. Escher meets Independence Day. The friends band together and attempt to survive the invasion as the interplanetary war rages on... The effects are undoubtedly the best part of the film and the very first scene is a sight to behold. Unfortunately, the film falls flat in almost every other aspect. The acting is monotonous at best, with the exception of Thompson and Faison, who inject their performances with a spark of life; to be fair, their characters are the only ones that have potential to begin with. The story picks up details from other and better films here and there, and does not capitalize on the seed of its originality, which it should have focused on exclusively. There is a lot to be explored here, from the aliens' unique appearance to a sort of controlling telepathy that the beams suggest to the aftermath of the invasion, so it is a shame that the entire film is derailed by the pedestrian screenplay. Let us hope that the Strause brothers' next effort will take charge of its own idea, rather than allowing it to dissolve into a lazily written and questionable imitation.

5/10