From rec.arts.sf.reviews Thu Jun 6 22:40:20 1996 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!liuida!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!sunic!mn6.swip.net!plug.news.pipex.net!pipex!tank.news.pipex.net!pipex!oleane!in2p3.fr!univ-lyon1.fr!jussieu.fr!math.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!fnnews.fnal.gov!gw1.att.com!nntphub.cb.att.com!not-for-mail From: good@pixar.com (Craig Good) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: REVIEW: THE ARRIVAL (1996) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 4 Jun 1996 13:08:28 GMT Organization: Pixar Lines: 47 Sender: ecl@mtcts1.att.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: ecl@mtcts1.att.com Message-ID: <4p1cgc$239@nntpb.cb.att.com> ~Reply-To: good@pixar.com (Craig Good) NNTP-Posting-Host: mtcts2.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #05408 Keywords: author=Good Originator: ecl@mtcts2 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:4707 rec.arts.sf.reviews:969 THE ARRIVAL A film review by Craig Good Copyright 1996 Craig Good This year I'm in a real Summer Movie Mood. I saw "Twister" on opening night. I saw "Mission: Impossible" on the night of the "sneak". I'm looking forward to ID4, "The Eraser" and even "The Rock". Heck, I'm even going to go see "Dragonheart". Both "Twister" and "M:I" were fun in their own right, as long as I was in a forgiving mood, which I was. This weekend I ran out to see a film about which I knew practically nothing. I went with my same easy-going summer movie attitude. And then "The Arrival" turned out to be such a pleasant surprize that I realized I didn't have to cut it so much slack. This is a tightly scripted Sci-Fi thriller which is every bit as effective as "The Thing" or "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" albeit for subtly different reasons. The best surprize in the movie? It was the fact that there were surprizes! At least three times during the film I said, "Now I did not see *that* coming". The next best surprize? That it remains true to itself and does not degenerate into an action picture in the third act. No fist fight. No snappy one liners after killing someone. Wow. Being science fiction it does, of course, take a few liberties with physics and technology. But it only does so when it needs to, and always at the service of the story. It's not at a Larry Niven level of accuracy, but compared to any "Star Trek" episode it comes off like a physics textbook. The effects range from adequate to stunning. The most important thing about them is that they always serve the story. I guess that makes "The Arrival" the "Anti-Twister". By now you've noticed that I'm being pretty vague about the content of the movie. That's because I had the pleasure of seeing it "cold", and I'd like you to have the same. If I even tell you the *kind* of surprizes it holds in store, I could ruin some of the fun for you. I will say that the performances are engaging, especially in the case of Charlie Sheen. Screenwriter David Twohy slips into the director's chair for the first time (not counting one TV movie) and proves that he has some seriously good chops. If you haven't seen "Twister" and "Mission Impossible" yet, skip them until later. Do yourself a favor and catch "The Arrival" instead. --Craig good@pixar.com From rec.arts.sf.reviews Thu Jun 6 22:40:20 1996 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!liuida!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!sunic!mn6.swip.net!plug.news.pipex.net!pipex!tank.news.pipex.net!pipex!oleane!in2p3.fr!univ-lyon1.fr!jussieu.fr!math.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!fnnews.fnal.gov!gw1.att.com!nntphub.cb.att.com!not-for-mail From: rhodes_steve@tandem.com (Steve Rhodes) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: REVIEW: THE ARRIVAL (1996) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 4 Jun 1996 13:09:30 GMT Organization: Tandem Computers, Inc. Lines: 72 Sender: ecl@mtcts1.att.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: ecl@mtcts1.att.com Message-ID: <4p1cia$23g@nntpb.cb.att.com> ~Reply-To: rhodes_steve@tandem.com (Steve Rhodes) NNTP-Posting-Host: mtcts2.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #05411 Keywords: author=Rhodes Originator: ecl@mtcts2 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:4708 rec.arts.sf.reviews:970 THE ARRIVAL A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 1996 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): *** Never reach beyond your grasp, reach for the stars. -Robert Browning Tired of overhyped shows with big budget stars? Want to see an old fashion grade B sci-fi flick? Well, I have just what you are looking for, THE ARRIVAL. Within the parameters of this genre, THE ARRIVAL is a fun and surprisingly good film. It is funny without ever lapsing into self-parody. Even the hokey plot somehow evolves into something bordering on plausibility if you just turn your brain off and go with the flow. In the opening, that I worried would be an omen for the audience, scientist Ilana Green (Lindsay Crouse) looks out on a green field of wildflowers in the Arctic and proclaims a single sentence, "Shouldn't be here." It turns out that I was glad I was at this show, but in the next scene when I saw nerdy Charlie Sheen as radio astronomer Zane Ziminski, I began to worry again. Zane has classic bad glasses, a goatee from the 60s, and a burr haircut to boot. A highly overdrawn character to say the least. Zane works at a Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) facility. One night he finally hears something out in space communicating back to earth. When he plays the 42 second tape to his boss at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Phil Gordian (Ron Silver), Zane does not get the response he expects. Gordian tells him, "searching for ETs in this political environment is a tough sell." He then goes on to explain how Zane is being downsized out of his job effective immediately. Zane is nonplused calling his find, "the premier scientific discovery of the twentieth century." As in most B movies, there are a couple of unnecessary romantic subplots. Zane can not understand his beautiful wife and successful stock broker Cher (Teri Polo). Looking at her he remarks, "Boolean logic I trust. Algorithms I trust. Beautiful women are beyond me." Soon the mysterious holes in the atmosphere that Ilana Green is investigating and the communication from outer space that Zane Ziminski (love that name) is digging into, become linked in a massive problem for the entire planet. Along the way, the script mixes in a lot of natural comedy, both in words and in action. Zane threatens Gordian with, "What do I want to do? I want to blow a hole in your head and donate your organs to science, but I've got a few questions first." Later Gordian warns, "If you can't tend to your own planet, you don't deserve to live here." The funniest scene in the show is the bathtub one, which will have you in stitches. The show is also inventive, a good example of this being how Zane extricates himself when trapped underground. THE ARRIVAL runs a little long at 1:55, but it keeps your interest up. It is rated PG-13. There is no sex or nudity, and only a little violence, mostly of the non-threatening sci-fi variety. Probably the scariest scene involves big scorpions hidden in Green's bed. The show would be fine for kids over say 8 and perhaps younger. I recommend the picture to you and rate it ***. ______________________________________________________________________ **** = One of the top few films of this or any year. A must see film. *** = Excellent show. Look for it. ** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable. * = Poor show. Don't waste your money. 0 = One of the worst films of this or any year. Totally unbearable. REVIEW WRITTEN ON: May 31, 1996 Opinions expressed are mine and not meant to reflect my employer's. From rec.arts.sf.reviews Thu Jun 6 22:40:20 1996 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!liuida!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!sunic!mn6.swip.net!plug.news.pipex.net!pipex!tube.news.pipex.net!pipex!hole.news.pipex.net!pipex!oleane!in2p3.fr!univ-lyon1.fr!pasteur.fr!jussieu.fr!math.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!fnnews.fnal.gov!gw1.att.com!nntphub.cb.att.com!not-for-mail From: dnb@mail.med.upenn.edu (David N. Butterworth) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: REVIEW: THE ARRIVAL (1996) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 4 Jun 1996 13:09:09 GMT Organization: University of Pennsylvania Lines: 84 Sender: ecl@mtcts1.att.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: ecl@mtcts1.att.com Message-ID: <4p1chl$23e@nntpb.cb.att.com> ~Reply-To: dnb@mail.med.upenn.edu (David N. Butterworth) NNTP-Posting-Host: mtcts2.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #05410 Keywords: author=Butterworth Originator: ecl@mtcts2 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:4710 rec.arts.sf.reviews:972 THE ARRIVAL A film review by David N. Butterworth Copyright 1996 David N. Butterworth/The Summer Pennsylvanian Directed by David Twohy Rating: **1/2 (Maltin scale) A film review by David N. Butterworth Copyright 1996 David N. Butterworth/The Summer Pennsylvanian Some might find it hard to take Charlie Sheen seriously these days. >From his pumped up, exaggerated roles in HOT SHOTS! and its wackier sequel, HOT SHOTS! PART DEUX, to his spotty appearance on the TV hit FRIENDS, saying that Sheen's recent performances have bordered on self-parody would be like saying TWISTER is a movie about the weather. But it's his earnest performance in THE ARRIVAL that raises this extraterrestrial flick above your average We Are Not Alone science fiction thriller. Sheen stars as geekazoid radio astronomer Zane Ziminski--where do they get these names?--doing "dish time" from a secluded NASA-funded outpost, tracking F-class stars and listening for signs of "non-Earth based" life. It's like STAKEOUT with a glossier Sheen. For the most part a radio astronomer's career is not an eventful one... Until one night, when tracking star Wolf 336, 14.6 light years away, Zane and his co-geek astronomer buddy get a "spike" on their oscillator, and look out boys cuz it's a big one! But Zane's gaga enthusiasm is quickly quashed by his icy, unsympathetic boss Gordian (played by icy, unsympathetic Ron Silver, similarly corrupt in TIME COP and BLUE STEEL). Gordian tells Zane "If you can't confirm it, it doesn't exist." Forty-two seconds of non-random, non-Earth-based signal doesn't amount to a hill o' beans if it doesn't repeat itself. And, to add insult to injury, Zane shortly learns that his position at the Jet Propulsion Lab is being eliminated-government cut-backs and all that. Sounds like a cover-up to me. And Zane thinks so too. So, with the help of some playful jump-cutting techniques, Zane signs up as a satellite television repairperson and rigs up an elaborate scheme to confirm his There's Something Out There notion, uncovering an equally elaborate conspiracy of global warming and master plans. Oh yes... And aliens. Lindsay Crouse plays eco-botanical geologist weather person thing Ilana Green, whose path crosses Zane's down in Central America (she's concerned about thermonuclear temperatures or some such, and there's a creative opening sequence in which you wonder why she's wearing such a big coat). Zane has managed to trace the radiowaves to somewhere in Mexico: "one signal sky-based, one signal earth-based." Zane might look more like the rocket scientist but even I could figure out what that means! But by the time he gets to the radio station broadcasting the signal... Well, it's toast. Sounds like a cover-up to me! Yep. Zane's with me on this one. And from there Zane finally stumbles upon the whole enchilada, when we finally get to see the little green men for the first time--no "flashlight fingers or metal teeth" here, but anatomically correct aliens of the illegal variety. The large-scale special effects are decent overall, but it's the little ones that add more to this movie: the aliens' imaginative--if under-utilized--dialect, for example, and the spinning copper sphere which clears a room faster than anything in TWISTER. And, of course, Sheen's energetic, bug-eyed performance, technically not an effect but special nonetheless. Writer and first-time director David Twohy (he wrote the under-appreciated WATERWORLD) keeps the production running smoothly, even if his "the polar icecaps are melting" theorizing is starting to sound a little too familiar. The buzz on the street is that THE ARRIVAL is a slight, under-hyped precursor of the Really Big summer alien invaders picture, ID4. But if you're already disappointed by the first wave of summer blockbusters, you could do far worse than to check out this competent piece of S.F. -- David N. Butterworth, Director Office of Information Technology UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE dnb@mail.med.upenn.edu From rec.arts.sf.reviews Thu Jun 6 22:40:20 1996 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!liuida!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!sunic!mn6.swip.net!plug.news.pipex.net!pipex!tube.news.pipex.net!pipex!hole.news.pipex.net!pipex!oleane!in2p3.fr!univ-lyon1.fr!jussieu.fr!math.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!fnnews.fnal.gov!gw1.att.com!nntphub.cb.att.com!not-for-mail From: leeper@mtgbcs.att.com (Mark R. Leeper) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: REVIEW: THE ARRIVAL (1996) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 4 Jun 1996 13:10:05 GMT Organization: AT&T, Middletown NJ Lines: 96 Sender: ecl@mtcts1.att.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: ecl@mtcts1.att.com Message-ID: <4p1cjd$23k@nntpb.cb.att.com> ~Reply-To: leeper@mtgbcs.att.com NNTP-Posting-Host: mtcts2.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #05412 Keywords: author=Leeper Originator: ecl@mtcts2 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:4711 rec.arts.sf.reviews:973 THE ARRIVAL A film review by Mark R. Leeper Copyright 1996 Mark R. Leeper Capsule: This is a tired retread of too many action films with an unnecessary science fiction premise thrown in. Some of the special effects are reasonable, but there is a great deal of silliness in the plot. If you really are looking for something original and different to see this summer you will find that THE ARRIVAL is not much of a departure. Rating: high 0 (-4 to +4) [A discussion of some of the ideas follows the main review, but at least one of the comments might be a spoiler.] Start with a standard conspiracy and cover-up story. However, instead of making the villain be the government or the Mafia or enemy agents, this time make it be aliens. That gives you a little latitude for a few nice special effects and allows you to exploit the publicity for INDEPENDENCE DAY. That seems to be what happened with THE ARRIVAL. The plot is pretty much a standard loner-on-the-run not knowing whom he can trust that has been around since THE 39 STEPS and probably longer. David Twohy proves that it does not take a whole lot of effort to make this tried-and-true suspense formula into a science fiction film. Two previously wrote and directed DISASTER IN TIME, and there he did a reasonable job. That adaptation of C. L. Moore's "Vintage Season" added adventure elements to a classic story and arguably actually improved on the original. However he also co-authored the script for WATERWORLD, which depended too much on all-too-familiar action film devices. With THE ARRIVAL he is back to re-framing the all-too- familiar, once again writing and directing. Zane Zaminski (played by Charlie Sheen) is a radio astronomer working for NASA on the Search for Extra- terrestrial Intelligence project when he receives a signal from space that seems to be a message from something intelligent. Bringing it to his supervisor, Gordian (Ron Silver), he finds that some people, and especially Gordian, seem more anxious to hush up the discovery than to act on the tremendous implications of the signal. Zaminski finds himself fired and the tape of the intercepted signal is destroyed. He determines that he can search for the signal again by hijacking all the television satellite dishes in the neighborhood, re-rigging them so that he can direct them at will, and using them to try to again find his signal. The information he gets is sufficient to tip him off that there is something odd that has to be investigated in Mexico and the chase begins in earnest. Twohy's script really needed to use its science fiction premise more effectively in the plot. Too often the premise of the aliens is relegated to McGuffin. If a character is hanging onto something for dear life, does it really make this a science fiction film if the thing held onto is a radio telescope rather than the Statue of Liberty? Does it make the story any more exciting? And for an action plot, THE ARRIVAL's is rather flaccid with only one scene of any real tension, and that involving poisonous insects and not aliens. Charlie Sheen could have used a winning performance to his credit, but his radio astronomer is neither winning nor believable. Lindsay Crouse, whose wooden performance was the only major problem with HOUSE OF GAMES, gives an only slightly better performance here. Tony T. Johnson is the little boy next door, to whom Sheen can explain what would not otherwise be obvious to the audience. Teri Polo, the Christine Daae of the 1990 TV version of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, is along as the female companion of Zaminski, but neither the character nor the actress is very much help. I somehow think that David Twohy wanted to have made a science fiction film, but did not have his heart in writing science fiction. This chase/action film gets a high 0 on the -4 to +4 scale. SPOILER... SPOILER... SPOILER... SPOILER... SPOILER... SPOILER... The idea that Zaminski could build his own radio telescope to find the signal again is ludicrous since it would take more money than he could put into the project and putting all the television satellite antennas out of commission would give him away before he could use the scheme. My guess is that this handful of small dishes would not accomplish his purpose in any case. Radio telescopes have to be really large because they generally use very large wave lengths, though admittedly the script says that Zaminski was looking in the FM band. The Very Large Array near Socorro, New Mexico has 21 antennas, each 81 feet high and 422 feet in diameter. They are on a Y-shaped rail track 22 miles across. They can be brought in to the center in a tight configuration or spread out over the whole track, having the equivalent effect of looking with a wide-angle lens or with a telephoto lens. However, this array is very often used in conjunction with other radio telescopes in other parts of the world so the huge array that so astounded Zaminski at one point in the plot should not have been even a novel idea to a real radio astronomer. Another problem that is conveniently overlooked is the length of time it takes the aliens to communicate with "something that moves like a star" and not a satellite, so presumably it is a star. There is also a plot problem involving the note that Kiki left for his grandmother. Mark R. Leeper mleeper@lucent.com From rec.arts.sf.reviews Fri Jun 7 15:42:50 1996 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!liuida!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!sunic!news99.sunet.se!nntp-trd.UNINETT.no!Norway.EU.net!EU.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!swrinde!howland.reston.ans.net!math.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!fnnews.fnal.gov!gw1.att.com!nntphub.cb.att.com!not-for-mail From: berardin@bc.cybernex.net (James Berardinelli) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: REVIEW: THE ARRIVAL (1996) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 4 Jun 1996 13:08:46 GMT Organization: - Lines: 85 Sender: ecl@mtcts1.att.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: ecl@mtcts1.att.com Message-ID: <4p1cgu$23b@nntpb.cb.att.com> Reply-To: berardin@bc.cybernex.net (James Berardinelli) NNTP-Posting-Host: mtcts2.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #05409 Keywords: author=Berardinelli Originator: ecl@mtcts2 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:4723 rec.arts.sf.reviews:977 THE ARRIVAL A film review by James Berardinelli Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli RATING (0 TO 10): 7.5 Alternative Scale: *** out of **** United States, 1996 U.S. Release Date: 5/31/96 (wide) Running Length: 1:55 MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Violence, mature themes) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Cast: Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Crouse, Teri Polo, Ron Silver, Richard Schiff, Tony T. Johnson Director: David Twohy Producers: Thomas G. Smith and James Steele Screenplay: David Twohy Cinematography: Hiro Narita Music: Arthur Kempel U.S. Distributor: Orion Pictures The biggest alien invasion picture of the summer of 1996 is INDEPENDENCE DAY. But it's not the first. THE ARRIVAL, with a significantly lower budget than Fox's July 3 release, has that distinction, and, while this particular film doesn't boast any radical or surprising ideas, it combines numerous familiar plot elements into a suspenseful, entertaining whole. Best of all, perhaps, is the realization that some thought went into writer/director David Twohy's script. This is not a dumb movie; in fact, with its heavy reliance upon real science, it's startlingly credible. When aliens can disguise themselves as humans, as in THE ARRIVAL, we're never sure who's a friend and who's a foe, and the best science fiction/horror films of this ilk continuously keep us guessing. Conspiracy lovers will have fun sorting through the layers of cover-up and treachery here. And those who crave scary-looking, otherworldly creatures will get their fill from the aliens in their natural forms. The premise is rather simple. The aliens hail from a planet orbiting Wolf-336, an unstable star located 14.6 light years from Earth. A colonizing force has arrived here incognito with the goal of readying this world for inhabitation. That process involves accelerating the greenhouse effect -- intentionally polluting the atmosphere so that the global temperature rises, causing the polar ice caps melt. Zane (Charlie Sheen) and Calvin (Richard Schiff), a pair of CETI radio astronomers, intercept communications between Wolf-336 and Earth. When they report this to their boss, Phil Gordian (Ron Silver), Zane is fired and Calvin suffers an unfortunate accident. With the help of Kiki (Tony T. Johnson), a neighborhood boy, Zane begins investigating on his own, ignoring his girlfriend (Teri Polo) in his quest to determine who's out there. But Zane isn't the only one observing strange goings-on. A UCLA environmentalist (Lindsay Crouse) has noticed the alarming increase in global warming, and it's only a matter of time before she and Zane meet each other and compare notes. THE ARRIVAL is low key, which is refreshing at this time of year, and it's as much horror as pure science fiction. This is the kind of movie that a director like John Carpenter might have made during his late-70s/early-80s heyday. It's creepy and atmospheric, and, after a rather protracted opening forty minutes, well-paced. Spectacled and bearded, Charlie Sheen is surprisingly effective as the paranoid protagonist. He's more of an everyday sort of guy than a superhero, and, as a result, is easy to identify with. Everyone else in the cast is basically a supporting player, including Ron Silver as an oily CETI executive, so the responsibility for the movie lies fully on Sheen's shoulders, and he carries the burden admirably. X FILES fans will discover a lot worth appreciating about THE ARRIVAL, which shares certain core similarities with the TV show. This film, however, takes things much further. Believability is a tremendous asset in a picture like this. 1993's FIRE IN THE SKY, supposedly based on a "true" story, was incredibly hard-to-swallow. On the other hand, THE ARRIVAL, a completely fictional tale, is easy to accept. David Twohy should be commended. In a summer when tornadoes, impossible missions, and flying dragons are grabbing the headlines and the big money, his smaller effort has shown more creativity than any of those blockbusters. - James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin From rec.arts.sf.reviews Tue Jun 11 17:10:47 1996 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!solace!nntp.uio.no!Norway.EU.net!EU.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!chi-news.cic.net!nntp.coast.net!netnews.worldnet.att.net!cbgw2.att.com!nntphub.cb.att.com!not-for-mail From: legeros@nando.net (Michael J. Legeros) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: REVIEW: THE ARRIVAL (1996) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 10 Jun 1996 18:28:19 GMT Organization: none Lines: 49 Sender: ecl@mtcts1.att.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: ecl@mtcts1.att.com Message-ID: <4phpg3$182@nntpb.cb.att.com> Reply-To: legeros@nando.net (Michael J. Legeros) NNTP-Posting-Host: mtcts2.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #05417 Keywords: author=Legeros Originator: ecl@mtcts2 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:4746 rec.arts.sf.reviews:980 THE ARRIVAL A film review by Michael John Legeros Copyright 1996 Michael John Legeros (Orion) Directed by David Twohy Written by David Twohy Cast Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Crouse, Ron Silver, Teri Polo, Tony T Johnson MPAA Rating "PG-13" Running Time 110 minutes Reviewed at The Imperial, Cary, NC (31MAY96) == Screenwriter David Twohy (TERMINAL VELOCITY, THE FUGITIVE) makes his directorial debut with this crafty, sci-fi thriller that gets *my* vote as the most-substantive movie of the summer. So far. A bug-eyed Charlie Sheen is very effective as the beefy radio astronomer who hears something that he shouldn't while on "dish duty." He presents the audio tape to his NASA boss (Ron Silver), who immediately takes two actions: he fires the boy and destroys the tape. This and other whiffs of conspiracy take our obsessive hero into his own attic, where he ingeniously constructs his own listening station, and then to Mexico, to trace a similar signal's origin and to bump into another scientist and fellow mystery seeker (Lindsay Crouse). More of a head trip than a heart-stopper, THE ARRIVAL fulfills two basic requirements of good escapist fare: it keeps us guessing and keeps us from questioning. (The movie is certainly better-plotted than either TWISTER or MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, but that isn't saying much.) In addition to his well-proven writing skills, David Twohy also demonstrates a strong command of the camera. The opening sequence is impressive (I won't ruin the surprise), as are two scenes set in a seedy Mexican hotel. The fate that befalls a bathtub is a howler, as is watching a certain character get ready for bed in a room full of scorpions. Shameless manipulation and it's a gas. With so many good things going for it, THE ARRIVAL still could use a sharper, more-visceral edge. This is solid, but never spectacular summer fare. Not in the way the sells Happy Meals or inspires sequels. Grade: B -- Mike Legeros - Raleigh, NC legeros@nando.net (h) - legeros@unx.sas.com (w) Visit me in MOVIE HELL From rec.arts.sf.reviews Fri Jun 14 00:21:44 1996 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!solace!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!munnari.OZ.AU!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!newsxfer2.itd.umich.edu!netnews.worldnet.att.net!cbgw2.att.com!nntphub.cb.att.com!not-for-mail From: Scott Renshaw Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: REVIEW: THE ARRIVAL (1996) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 13 Jun 1996 12:40:50 GMT Organization: Stanford University Lines: 102 Sender: ecl@mtcts1.att.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: ecl@mtcts1.att.com Message-ID: <4pp28i$u0@nntpb.cb.att.com> Reply-To: Scott Renshaw NNTP-Posting-Host: mtcts2.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #05453 Keywords: author=Renshaw Originator: ecl@mtcts2 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:4765 rec.arts.sf.reviews:983 THE ARRIVAL A film review by Scott Renshaw Copyright 1996 Scott Renshaw (Orion) Starring: Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Crouse, Ron Silver, Teri Polo, Tony T. Johnson. Screenplay: David Twohy. Producers: Thomas Smith, Jim Steele. Director: David Twohy. Reviewed by Scott Renshaw. These are the times that try a critic's soul, these summer months of high budgets and low expectations. They are the times that can make me begin to question what it is I am looking for in escapist entertainment, as I read raves for hyped-up disappointments like TWISTER and MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE and wonder what it is that I am supposed to be missing. They are the times when a piece of fluff like DRAGONHEART seems that much better when compared to the competition, and they are the times when a film like THE ARRIVAL, lacking a big star or never-before-seen special effects, will likely drown in a sea of higher-profile releases. But THE ARRIVAL is the kind of thriller which reminds me _exactly_ what I'm looking for in escapist entertainment: a script which has genuine wit, genuine intelligence, and genuine excitement, and which convinces me that the writer spent at least as much time creating it as I spent watching it. That perfectly describes THE ARRIVAL. Charlie Sheen stars as Zane Ziminski, a radio astronomer working at a Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) facility, searching the skies for signals of other-worldly origin. On one late-night shift, that is exactly what he finds, yet Zane's boss Phil Gordian (Ron Silver) seems remarkably cool to the news, and in fact informs Zane that he is being laid off. But Zane refuses to let go of his discovery, and his continuing investigation leads him to Mexico. There he hooks up with Ilana Green (Lindsay Crouse), an atmospheric researcher studying global warming. Together, they begin to discover a conspiracy which suggests that the aliens aren't just coming -- they're already here. THE ARRIVAL marks the directing debut of writer David Twohy (THE FUGITIVE and the under-appreciated TERMINAL VELOCITY), and he demonstrates such a keen understanding of what makes an action thriller work that it seems he was born for the job. In the first minute of the film, he grabbed me by the collar with a beautifully constructed opening sequence, and for the next 109 minutes he simply refused to let go. There are sequences in THE ARRIVAL which play like textbook examples of how to build tension, particularly one involving a room full of scorpions which is guaranteed to have you squirming if you have a pulse. There is a kind of suspense which plots based on paranoia are much better at generating, and Twohy nails it, as well as turning it to humorous effect by connecting the greenhouse effect and the failure of the Hubble telescope to alien visitors. That is really what separates THE ARRIVAL from the pack: a sense of humor which surpasses most of the so-called comedies I see in any given year. Sheen has a solid, deadpan sense of comic timing which worked well with Twohy's TERMINAL VELOCITY script, and again he wraps each line in a wry self-awareness. Zane is not a particularly dynamic role -- he's gung-ho about finding extra-terrestrial life, but it's never quite clear why -- and another actor might have given it more depth. However, Sheen makes the comic lines feel un-scripted, and he appears to be adept at playing Twohy's favored hero -- a resourceful individual whose actions under duress seem natural and basically intelligent. Plus, there is a priceless irony to Sheen, the most notorious and unapologetic customer of "Hollywood Madam" Heidi Fleiss, reading the line, "There's something to be said for abstinence." THE ARRIVAL is so effective in some of its early scenes that the big sequence in the aliens' lair comes as something of a disappointment, since Twohy seems less concerned with maintaining the pace than he is with showing off his visual effects. There are a few logical errors I caught upon reflection, and the abrupt ending is likely to leave some viewers feeling a bit unsatisfied. But THE ARRIVAL is a rarity so far this summer movie season: it is a smart and tightly-plotted film that I couldn't always out-guess, and didn't always find myself _trying_ to out-guess. I was so instantly aware of how skillfully David Twohy could manipulate me that I simply let him. And that, friends, is how I define "willing suspension of disbelief." On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 illegal aliens: 8. -- Scott Renshaw Stanford University http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~srenshaw o help us understand her; she is merely presenting us with the facts of an individual's life and the world surrounding that individual. I SHOT ANDY WARHOL is exceedingly well-documented, and that makes it great journalism. Mary Harron directs her actors and her environment to perfection, and that makes it great theater. What is missing is human drama, and a sense of what this story is really about. That, quite simply, does not make a great film. On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 shots in the dark: 7. -- Scott Renshaw Stanford University http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~srenshaw From rec.arts.sf.reviews Mon Jul 15 13:45:44 1996 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!solace!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!munnari.OZ.AU!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!nntp.coast.net!netnews.worldnet.att.net!cbgw2.att.com!nntphub.cb.lucent.com!not-for-mail From: BXBE64F@prodigy.com (Larry Mcgillicuddy) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: REVIEW: THE ARRIVAL (1996) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 14 Jul 1996 14:52:39 GMT Organization: Prodigy Services Company 1-800-PRODIGY Lines: 46 Sender: eleeper@lucent.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: eleeper@lucent.com Message-ID: <4sb1jn$nb7@nntpb.cb.lucent.com> Reply-To: BXBE64F@prodigy.com (Larry Mcgillicuddy) NNTP-Posting-Host: mthost1.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #05619 Keywords: author=McGillicuddy Originator: ecl@mthost1 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:4959 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1021 THE ARRIVAL A film review by Larry McGillicuddy Copyright 1996 Larry McGillicuddy *** (out of 4) Directed by David Twohy Starring Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Crouse, Teri Polo, Ron Silver, Tony T. Johnson Review- So many science fiction films nowadays only seem concerned about special effects, action, and don't focus enough on story and characterization. Well, David Twohy has directed from his screenplay, and come up with a truly intelligent and clever sci-fi thriller. Every year comes at least one movie where you go in with low expectations and come out genuinely surprised. This is that movie for this year. Charlie Sheen stars as Zane, a radio astronomer who listens for sounds from other lifeforms. When he finally gets one, his boss destroys the tape and fires him. Naturally, Zane is not ready to give up, and he comes up with an ingenious way to do this himself. He is aided by a young neighborhood kid and they discover that the sound is coming from Mexico. So Zane goes down there to investigate, and runs into a lady studying why the temperature of the earth has dangerously risen so suddenly. Zane is having marital problems at the time, and an offer by her to spend the night with him is very tempting. Hearing Charlie Sheen deliver the line, "I guess there is something to be said for celibacy" is the funniest thing I have ever heard in a movie since Matthew Broderick discussed asexual reproduction in Wargames. This is just the setup, and I don't want to give too much away, because a large part of the movies fun is the surprises. Charlie Sheen, who has had a rocky career as of late, is in top form here. He is funny, serious, and determined to accomplish his goal. Sheen's absolutely terrific performance is another big plus to this movie. The story is ingeniously devised by Twohy, who also wrote and directed the equally clever cable movie Grand Tour: Disaster In Time. The films major flaw is a very slow pace, and not much happens in the earlygoings. Viewers may be growing restless for a while, but trust me if you stick around and keep your head in it, you will have a good time. From rec.arts.sf.reviews Mon Feb 10 17:04:02 1997 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lejonet.se!mcevans.tip.net.!newsfeed.tip.net!news.edu.jonkoping.se!newsfeed3.telia.com!masternews.telia.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!ais.net!arclight.uoregon.edu!enews.sgi.com!lll-winken.llnl.gov!fnnews.fnal.gov!cbgw1.lucent.com!nntphub.cb.lucent.com!not-for-mail From: ben.hoffman@bcsbbs.com (Ben Hoffman) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: REVIEW: THE ARRIVAL (1996) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 4 Feb 1997 22:32:35 GMT Organization: The BCS BBS - Los Angeles, CA - 213-962-2902 Lines: 76 Sender: eleeper@lucent.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: eleeper@lucent.com Message-ID: <5d8de3$54h@nntpb.cb.lucent.com> Reply-To: ben.hoffman@bcsbbs.com (Ben Hoffman) NNTP-Posting-Host: mtvoyager.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #06855 Keywords: author=B.Hoffman Originator: ecl@mtvoyager Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:6265 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1208 THE ARRIVAL A film review by Ben Hoffman Copyright 1997 Ben Hoffman Over the years there have been very few science-fiction films that have turned me on, for the simple reason that they are usually hokey, completely unbelievable It was therefore a pleasure to watch a film of that genre that deals with the subject matter that is based on current scientific knowledge. Further, the music, composed by Arthur Kempel, fits perfectly with the story yet is unobtrusive; the sets are realistic, and the special effects by Charles L. Finance were exactly right for the film. In short, not only is the story a good one, it includes a warning for those of us for whom Planet Earth is our only home. Pretty nearly everything in the film is superb. Zane Zaminski (Charlie Sheen) is a scientist whose hobby is listening to the skies for a sound, an indication, that life on some other solar system is trying to communicate with us. He spends night after night, for many years, just listening with huge antennas. This leads to neglect of his wife, Char (Teri Polo) as he cannot tear himself away from his "hobby." Working and listening with him is another scientist, Calvin (Richard Schiff). It is generally conceded by most people who are knowledgeable about such things that mathematically, it is almost a certainty that given the incredible number of solar systems, with each star in the heaven being a sun, that Earth is the only place where a life form exists. It therefore is reasonable to assume that one day we will hear from them. To the great delight and awe that their dream and efforts have come true, Zane and Calvin hear and see on their computer's monitor what can almost surely be a signal from some far away solar system. They record the sound and the picture on the screen and rush to their superior at the JPL laboratory to show what they have found. To their astonishment, their boss, Gordian (Ron Silver) belittles the whole thing and tells them to forget it as it is only nonsense. They beg him to take a look at the tape and give him a copy. When they leave, he breaks the tape and throws it in the trash. Ron Silver, by the way, straightfaced throughout the film, gives a great performance as one of the key figures in the film. Shortly after the discussion with Gordian, Zane is fired because of downsizing??? The next day his friend, Calvin, is killed. He is one among others who mysteriously die. Is someone trying to keep a secret? Is the government afraid that news of communication with another solar system will panic the people on Earth? At this point, the film begins to pick up even more speed and excitement. There is the pre-teen black kid neighbor, Kiki (Tony T Johnson) who is curious and Zane lets him in to his lab and shows him the computer.and other instruments. Kiki will play an important part in the film as it develops. Scientist Ilana Green (Lindsay Crouse) is worried about the increasingly warm weather the Earth is having each year, as we all should be. If this continues the ice at the poles will begin to melt and our seas will rise and the beaches and nearby cities will be under water. It is something about which the governments of the world (as well as the people) should be concerned. Here, then, is a fine film you will not want to miss. It is unlike any science-fiction film you have ever seen. Charlie Sheen is great as the serious scientist who wants to get to the bottom of what he sees as a conspiracy. Find out about the Aliens for yourself! Screenplay by and directed by David Twohy Rating: 3.5 Bytes 4 Bytes = Superb 3 Bytes = Too good to miss 2 Bytes = Average 1 Byte = Save your money Ben Hoffman From rec.arts.sf.reviews Tue Mar 25 15:45:37 1997 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news99.sunet.se!nntp-oslo.UNINETT.no!nntp-trd.UNINETT.no!nntp.uio.no!newsfeeds.sol.net!news.maxwell.syr.edu!worldnet.att.net!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!su-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.bbnplanet.com!news.pbi.net!cbgw3.lucent.com!nntphub.cb.lucent.com!not-for-mail From: ram@iris3.carb.nist.gov (Ram Samudrala) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: REVIEW: THE ARRIVAL (1996) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 18 Feb 1997 14:32:07 GMT Organization: The Centre for Advanced Research in Biotechnology Lines: 32 Sender: eleeper@lucent.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: eleeper@lucent.com Message-ID: <5eceh7$3r3@nntpb.cb.lucent.com> Reply-To: ram@iris3.carb.nist.gov (Ram Samudrala) NNTP-Posting-Host: mtvoyager.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #06954 Keywords: author=Samudrala Originator: ecl@mtvoyager Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:6360 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1215 THE ARRIVAL A film review by Ram Samudrala Copyright 1997 Ram Samudrala Would you guess that the greenhouse effect and global warming is caused by aliens trying to make this planet more hospitable? I wouldn't, but that's the premise behind /The Arrival/. Given all the theories about the global warming phenomena, this doesn't seem that incongrous, and that's what makes /The Arrival/ a decent sci-fi flick. Zane Zimnski (Charlie Sheen) and Calvin (Richard Schiff), two SETI operatives, intercept a communication signal from the alien planet, Wolf-336. Zane passes it on to his boss (Ron Silver) and he is immediately fired, and Calvin is found dead. However Zane doesn't give up and intercepts another signal, this time from planet earth to the aliens. In an attempt to track down the location, he flies to Mexico where he finds everything isn't quite what it appears to be. This is really a great movie as far as sci-fi movies go, and I regret not seeing it on the big screen. Sheen is convincing as a paranoid nerdy astromer. The plot itself is reasonably rigourous, and it avoids many of the cliches and easy solutions found in other movies. There is also quite a bit of suspense, one in a scene involving the scorpions, and in not knowing who Zaminski can trust. The cinematography is quite novel, which sometimes leads to a horror-movie atmosphere. /The Arrival/ also teaches us a lesson about environment pollution. This is definitely worth renting. me@ram.org || http://www.ram.org || http://www.twisted-helices.com/th Movie ram-blings: http://www.ram.org/ramblings/movies.html From rec.arts.sf.reviews Thu May 22 17:18:25 1997 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lejonet.se!linkoping.trab.se!malmo.trab.se!newsfeed2.luth.se!news.luth.se!eru.mt.luth.se!news.kth.se!nntp.uio.no!newsfeeds.sol.net!europa.clark.net!feed1.news.erols.com!worldnet.att.net!cbgw2.lucent.com!nntphub.cb.lucent.com!not-for-mail From: inkpot@webvisions.com (The Flying Inkpot) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: REVIEW: THE ARRIVAL (1996) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 14 May 1997 00:13:52 GMT Organization: Flying Inkpot Lines: 59 Sender: evelynleeper@geocities.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: evelynleeper@geocities.com Message-ID: <5lb040$70t@nntpa.cb.lucent.com> Reply-To: inkpot@webvisions.com (The Flying Inkpot) NNTP-Posting-Host: mtvoyager.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #07573 Keywords: author=Twiffle Originator: ecl@mtvoyager Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:6961 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1279 THE ARRIVAL A film review by Mr. Twiffle Copyright 1997 Flying Inkpot Directed by: David N. Twohy Written by: David N. Twohy Cast: Charlie Sheen (Zane Ziminski), Ron Silver (Phil Gordian), Lindsay Crouse (Ilana Green), Teri Polo (Char), Tony T. Johnson (Kiki), Richard Schiff (Calvin Leon Rippy) Produced by : Orion Films Rating : ***1/2 Run Time: Approx. 115 Minutes Despite having Charlie Sheen as its lead (with a goatee, no less, and as a radio astronomer. eww!) and a tacky environmental message, THE ARRIVAL is a nicely paced movie with good special effects that don't yell "Big Budget" in your face the whole time you're watching it. Sheen plays Zane Ziminski, an obsessive paranoic scientist who along with his partner (Richard Schiff) records a clear radio transmission from space one night. Despite initial rejoicing, things don't develop the way you'd expect when the authorities receive evidence of this transmission. Ziminski gets fired, his partner gets killed and suddenly the whole world's just a heck of a lot more complicated for Ziminski than he likes. It's hard to say what else happens without giving everything away. Trying to track and reconfirm the same signal he received, Ziminski builds a makeshift satellite while masquerading as a cable man (I guess there are more than just movie stars on Cable Vision!), and his discoveries soon lead him to an ominous-looking plant in Mexico. There he meets an environmentalist whose work is increasingly troubling in its extraordinary reports on the earth's atmostphere. The story probably sounds a little cliched, but THE ARRIVAL is a better movie than usual, and recent, alien fare like INDEPENDENCE DAY, or SPECIES. This is because it develops, and keeps to, an almost believable storyline, one that engages the viewer continually as it reveals information in various steps throughout the movie. Director Twohy, who was a screenwriter for ALIEN 3 and THE FUGITIVE, also does a good job of building and maintaining suspense, preferring wisely not to just rely on the special effects team for impressing its audience. All in all, I'd say this movie's worth its S$7 ticket. Hey, anything that makes me want to watch it through despite having Charlie Sheen in its lead role is worth seven bucks. The Flying Inkpot Rating System: * Wait for the TV2 broadcast. ** A little creaky, but still better than staying at home with Gotcha! *** Pretty good, bring a friend. **** Amazing, potent stuff. ***** Perfection. See it twice. ____________________________________________________________ This movie review was written for THE FLYING INKPOT: an arts and entertainment magazine from Singapore. Current film reviews can be found at: http://www.inkpot.com/film/ ____________________________________________________________ From rec.arts.sf.reviews Tue Jul 8 07:04:04 2003 From: Dragan Antulov Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Retrospective: Arrival, The (1996) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.past-films Date: Wed, 04 Jun 2003 18:50:31 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 35011 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 1158217 X-RT-TitleID: 1071267 X-RT-AuthorID: 1307 X-RT-RatingText: 7/10 Summary: r.a.m.r. #35011 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: abuse@supernews.com Lines: 70 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.Update.UU.SE!puffinus.its.uu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!uninett.no!news.equant.no!newsfeed1.e.nsc.no!nsc.no!nextra.com!news.tele.dk!news.tele.dk!small.news.tele.dk!news.maxwell.syr.edu!sn-xit-03!sn-xit-01!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:6839 rec.arts.sf.reviews:581 THE ARRIVAL (1996) A Film Review Copyright Dragan Antulov 2003 Alien civilisations, for simple reason of being alien, might have morality completely different than our own and for them annihilation of humanity might not be such a bad thing. Even "politically correct" Hollywood accepted this, and in mid 1990s this resulted in alien invasion films, best known of them being INDEPENDENCE DAY. Roughly in the same time with 1996 spectacle, David Twohy directed THE ARRIVAL, science fiction thriller using the same concept. The protagonist of the film is Zane Zaminski (played by Charlie Sheen), government-employed radio-astronomer who has just discovered signals proving existence of alien civilisations. He immediately reports his findings to his boss Phil Gordian (played by Ron Silver) only to be unpleasantly surprised by being fired and having proof of his discovery destroyed. Zaminski doesn't give up and uses his new job of satellite television technician to create radio- telescope of his own. He discovers not only alien civilisations signals but also someone communicating with aliens from Mexico. He travels there to investigate and meets Ilana Green (played by Lindsay Crouse), scientist who had recently discovered huge increase in global temperatures - a phenomenon that can't be explained by industrial pollution or natural causes. THE ARRIVAL was made with budget significantly lower to INDEPENDENCE DAY, but the lack of visual splendour or huge cast was compensated with a David Twohy's script, incredibly intelligent for 1990s Hollywood standards. Whole alien invasion plot is presented as low-key affair, a perfidious plan that could be noticed only by the most brightest and perceptive of all humans. This allowed Twohy to create atmosphere of anxiety, fear and paranoia by showing the events from the protagonist's perspective and allowing the audience to build the disturbing images in their heads. Another reason why the plot, despite some of logical flaws, works is in its major element being borrowed from the real life newspaper headlines - global warming. The pace of the film is deliberately slow in the beginning, but it all pays off in the second half of the film when action elements come as more natural elements of the plot. The special effects are also very good. The acting is also quite good, although Charlie Sheen is at times hard to swallow as brilliant scientist; the scenes in which he has to be an ordinary man in extraordinary situations are much better. THE ARRIVAL has some problems with unnecessary subplot involving Zaminski's girlfriend and the ending is somewhat disappointing, but the general impression of this film is such that it represents a rare 1990s example of Hollywood taking science fiction seriously. RATING: 7/10 (+++) Review written on June 4th 2003 Dragan Antulov a.k.a. Drax http://film.purger.com - Filmske recenzije na hrvatskom/Movie Reviews in Croatian http://www.purger.com/users/drax/reviews.htm - Movie Reviews in English http://www.ofcs.org - Online Film Critics Society ========== X-RAMR-ID: 35011 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 1158217 X-RT-TitleID: 1071267 X-RT-AuthorID: 1307 X-RT-RatingText: 7/10