I hated Arrival. There must be something wrong with me. Help!

Okay, so maybe the day I went to see Arrival I was just in a really cynical mood. Maybe it was too over-hyped and my expectations weren't met. But I sat there and found myself rolling my eyes whenever they worked with Amy Adams' story line with her daughter and at some of the more sentimental lines. I guess I was expecting more with the aliens? I don't know. I know I felt like the entire part with the Chinese general and the phone call was just a crazy deus ex machina. I feel like I must be heartless to have laughed out loud at the last line Jeremy Renner said about the best thing about the whole ordeal was seeing her not the aliens. I loved Contact, which is also if not more sentimental so I don't know what's wrong with me. I feel like I must be missing something because everyone I've talked to found it to an amazing film, possibly the best of the year. Does anyone who also did not like it have reassurance to my sanity? And for all the people that loved it, can you help me realize why the movie moved you?

Yes there's something wrong with you. It's a superb film.

You did not like a movie a bunch of people like. That does not make you crazy it makes you a individual person and a human being. You will survive.

__________________
Fear and Loathing in MoFo... The Gunslinger 45's Top 50 Favorite Films

In the 10 Ring: Gunslinger45's reviews

Thanks for saving me R100. I do not enjoy the sentimental s*** that they are putting in sci-fi movies these days. It seems forced and not natural and the movie can certainly do without. Interstellar comes to mind. I was extremely disappointed by Deep Water Horizon and The Martian. Movie critics and imbd users raved about these two movies. I am into straight forward movies that captivates me from start to end )not run around in circles) like Alice , Don't breathe, Source code, Terminator 2, etc

I haven't seen Arrivial yet, but I want to. So I can only surmise why you didn't like it, based on your post....so here we go:

That could be the reason. If you're not in a 'right' mood at the time, that can effect your viewing.
That's happened to me too. If people were saying Arrival was "a nice little movie, but nothing special"...your expectations would be lower and then the movie has a better chance of meeting those expectations.

That's understandable, I've done the same thing to. I've wanted the story to be different and when it goes differently than I had imaged the film disappoints me. The same thing happens to people who read and love the book first and then see the movie...the movie often fails to live up to what they envisioned it to be.
Wait a while, let the movie settle with you, then go see it again. You might end up liking it much more as you know now what to expect.

Sanity is highly overrated

I thought Arrival was a great movie wrecked by so much sugar my teeth still hurt, even hurting almost as much as when I walked out of Interstellar. Deep Water Horizon and The Martian I didn't find saccharine, though.

Last night I watched Arrival, which arrived in the mail the day before. I just started to write my review of Arrival, and clicked on Mofo and seen this thread! OK so, I haven't read any of the post here, but I will come back and read them after I write my review...
Did I like it? love it? hate it? place your bets

For what it's worth, I kinda felt the same bit of cynicism. Oddly, I watched it again a few weeks later with family and thoroughly enjoyed it. Go figure? Even the phone bit was totally natural the second go.

You are entitled to your opinion. Someone else's opinion might change your perspective a bit, but your emotional response to the film or lack thereof will not change.
Now if you say you liked Fifty Shades of Grey better...

__________________
“There's no place to hide, When you're lit from the inside” Roisin Murphy

I'm also not quite getting the hype. Visually, it's beautiful, and the acting is great, but...I kind of didn't care about it. I'll try the trick of waiting a few weeks and watching it again, see how it impacts me then.

Nothing wrong with strongly disliking a critically-acclaimed film; I think The Revenant is a gorgeous, well made pile of pretentious nonsense.

__________________
A man's got to know his limitations.

Bruh. Amy Adam's beautiful acting and ESPECIALLY curvy nose is enough to make me be able to watch that movie over and over and over again. Seriously, rewatch and focus on her nose. So good dude.

__________________
But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it.

So, Sexy Celebrity has a new account now?

The IMDB forum closure is really taking it's toll on you, huh?

This Peter Griffin guy thinks he's a comedian.

Dude what the eff I've always wanted to be a comedian. Thanks so much. But srsly you feeling me with amy adams?

I think you could be the next Jeff Dunham. Do what you want with that information.

dude seriously I love Jeff Dunham, he is my absolute favourite comedian. Thanks so so much.

I think the point of this thread is that there isn't anything wrong with disliking an acclaimed movie; unless you don't like Jaws.