Its good - but don't forget that Villeneuve just makes "movies"

Spoiler free.

As Arrival begins, you're led down that familiar path of a Villeneuve film: the music, cinematography, subtlety and pace imply something deeply intelligent and thoughtful is about to happen. Amy Adam's character is framed within various geometrical patterns and structures - the circular corridors of a hospital, the curved seats of a lecture hall, the square geometry of her house, a TV frame, her University building. She's surrounded by controlled patterns. This makes the arrival of the abstract orbs even more stunning, we're being asked to see something "new" in terms of the films language.

And that's essentially what Arrival is - the film asks the audience to decipher its own cinematic language, whilst Louise (Adams) deciphers the aliens language. Will you have the same change of thought patterns that Louise does? Villeneuve clearly hopes so - but that all depends entirely on how much the film pulls you in emotionally.

Because its just a movie. Beyond that, its ideas and ponderings don't have much of a half-life - there's no real emotional insight, take-home message, honesty about the human condition or anything else to really chew on beyond a few reflective thoughts. Its like an extended Twilight Zone episode - except there are lots of those episodes that I do still think about from time to time.

Prisoners and Sicario were similar in that regard - they're hugely entertaining, exceptionally well produced on all levels, and imbued with subtlety and nuance that you just don't find in regular Hollywood thrillers. But they're still just very good movies - they don't really offer any substance or use the medium to deliver anything beyond that.

There's nothing wrong with that - I really appreciate Villineuve as a director. Its just that Arrival isn't really anything more than the sum of its (admittedly very good) parts.

And once its released - there are going to be swarms of disappointed people picking at the various flaws and holes, having been hyped up with all the hyperbole. Expect the same backlash that Prometheus had.