IM:

Thanks for pointing out my “Doh!” moment which was referring to the sequel.

That said, I still think that formulating any logline for the original film that satisfies the standard requirements and rules is problematical.? For example, one of the standard rules is that the logline should focus on one protagonist.? However, as mikepedly85 points out, in this film it requires an ensemble of people with diverse talents to rise to the crisis and achieve the dramatic goal of defeating the aliens.? No one character can do it by himself.? Saving the world requires a team effort.

Furthermore, I suggest that in a logline any character description should serve either one of two purposes.? Either it should 1] define a character flaw that that will cause that character to fail unless he over comes it; or 2] define a character strength that the character will need to triumph in the end.? Any description of character that doesn’t satisfy either purpose is extraneous, doesn’t belong in a logline. (Even though it may serve a useful purpose of adding character color and complexity in the script.)

In this case “MIT graduate”? implies a necessary character strength:? the character has the intellectual bandwidth to decode the mysterious signal.? However, what purpose does “tree hugging” serve in either advancing or retarding the character’s progress to a solution??? None that I can see.? So, imho, it is extraneous to the logline.

fwiw