Arrival (2016) reviews

Arrival hit theaters in November of last year and impressed critics and audiences alike with its thought-provoking take on the classic scenario of alien spacecraft suddenly and mysteriously appearing on Earth. Not only did Arrival succeed at the box office, earning $170 million globally, it also did well with the Academy, earning 8 Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture (though not one for actress Amy Adams).

Now that Arrival has garnered so much attention from the Academy, the time is right for Paramount to bring the movie back to theaters and hopefully pad its box office take. In order to entice people who've already experienced Arrival to come see the movie a second time, Paramount is adding some extra features for the re-release.

Paramount Pictures announced that Arrival will come back to the big screen in theaters across the country on Friday, January 27, 2017 with 8 minutes of bonus footage featuring commentary and a peek behind-the-scenes with Oscar-nominated director Denis Villeneuve, stars Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and other members of the cast and crew.

Amy Adams in Arrival

Arrival lays out an intelligent sci-fi scenario that speculates not only on the nature of alien communication, but also the whole way beings with differently evolved brains might perceive reality. Though some of the speculation gets a bit out-there, the movie remains engaging on a human level.

The fact that Adams failed to receive an Oscar nomination may have struck some as a snub, and you can certainly make a case that Adams gives an Oscar-worthy performance in the movie, but with 8 nominations the movie certainly was not overlooked. Villeneuve's film is technically accomplished (it received several nominations in the technical categories) and tells a complicated story in a way that always feels pretty clear. Things get strange during the final act, but Villeneuve's direction is so assured that the viewer is carried along regardless.

The only ones who might be a tad disappointed by Arrival are those who prefer a little bit more slam-bang action with their aliens. The movie might make a good double-feature with Independence Day: Resurgence, so that way everyone is satisfied. Arrival is definitely a movie best-seen on the big screen, and Paramount will be giving folks another chance to experience it that way (and maybe get the ending, if it was confusing the first time), with some potentially enlightening commentary and bonus footage thrown in the mix.

Arrival will be re-released in theaters on January 27, 2017.

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