District 9 - Review, Discuss, Commentary ***SPOILERS*** possible

[firehawk12]

The claim is that allegory alone is enough, as we've seen here. I just don't agree with that however.

 

[PKerr]

saw it over the weekend and really enjoyed it.
Gave it an Excellent. With 2 thumbs up

The CGI was flawless. You could never tell the Aliens weren't there.

 

[Agenda]

saw it over the weekend and really enjoyed it.
Gave it an Excellent. With 2 thumbs up

The CGI was flawless. You could never tell the Aliens weren't there.

Yes. Despite what James Cameron has boasted about Avatar and its CGI realism, I don't think we are at that stage yet. But we definitely are at the District 9 stage.

 

[Fish1941]

I had expected DISTRICT 9 to be one of my favorite movies this summer. And although it had an interesting premise, I discovered that I didn’t like the movie very much. I don’t know. I supposed that it could be that I found it questionable that the mother ship would remain hovering over Johannesburg for at least two decades or more, without any fuel or its command module. I’m still wondering how the aliens (who were ailing when the South Africans first discovered them) managed to get their hands on enough weaponry to trade with the Nigerians.

I found the movie’s portrayal of the Nigerians rather repulsive. Mind you, the South Africans were not portrayed in a positive light, including the main character. But the Nigerians were portrayed in such a one-dimensional and negative way that . . . well, it repelled me. And if the aliens are supposed to be metaphors of the black South Africans during apartheid, does that mean sleeping with them was supposed to be regarded with revulsion? Apparently, we’re supposed to regard Nigerian prostitutes having sex with aliens with revulsion. And could someone please explain why the Nigerians would refer to its shaman (or whatever) with a Southern African word, instead of a word in Yoruba, Hausa or Igbo. And are we really supposed to believe that all Africans who practice in paganism, indulge in cannibalism?
And why couldn’t Blomkamp have told the story with one of the aliens as the main character?

Also, there is one scene that featured the main character losing some of his teeth after being affected by the alien liquid. Yet, a scene or two later, he is smiling at the camera with all of his teeth showing. Hmmm? Also, the last half hour was an exercise in excessive action scenes that didn’t mesh very well with the rest of the film.

So yeah . . . DISTRICT 9 disappointed me.

 

[Darth_Pinche]

I had expected DISTRICT 9 to be one of my favorite movies this summer. And although it had an interesting premise, I discovered that I didn’t like the movie very much. I don’t know. I supposed that it could be that I found it questionable that the mother ship would remain hovering over Johannesburg for at least two decades or more, without any fuel or its command module. I’m still wondering how the aliens (who were ailing when the South Africans first discovered them) managed to get their hands on enough weaponry to trade with the Nigerians.

I found the movie’s portrayal of the Nigerians rather repulsive. Mind you, the South Africans were not portrayed in a positive light, including the main character. But the Nigerians were portrayed in such a one-dimensional and negative way that . . . well, it repelled me. And if the aliens are supposed to be metaphors of the black South Africans during apartheid, does that mean sleeping with them was supposed to be regarded with revulsion? Apparently, we’re supposed to regard Nigerian prostitutes having sex with aliens with revulsion. And could someone please explain why the Nigerians would refer to its shaman (or whatever) with a Southern African word, instead of a word in Yoruba, Hausa or Igbo. And are we really supposed to believe that all Africans who practice in paganism, indulge in cannibalism?
And why couldn’t Blomkamp have told the story with one of the aliens as the main character?

Also, there is one scene that featured the main character losing some of his teeth after being affected by the alien liquid. Yet, a scene or two later, he is smiling at the camera with all of his teeth showing. Hmmm? Also, the last half hour was an exercise in excessive action scenes that didn’t mesh very well with the rest of the film.

So yeah . . . DISTRICT 9 disappointed me.

Thanks for your post, I agree totally after just seeing the movie. It was ok but the way the Nigerians were portrayed was too off putting for me. I wouldn't mind an all alien sequel though.

 

[Yoda]

It's so unfair how Nigerians were depicted

I mean, the 'bad guy' portrayal may have made sense if the only Nigerian characters happened to be exploitative slum gangsters, but the way they treated the common Nigerian was just beyond the pale!

 

[Captain Craig]

It's so unfair how Nigerians were depicted

I mean, the 'bad guy' portrayal may have made sense if the only Nigerian characters happened to be exploitative slum gangsters, but the way they treated the common Nigerian was just beyond the pale!

The only Nigerians I recall were the gangsters and they were scum regardless if they were Nigerian. They were just scumbag people, regardless of origin.

I don't recall seeing any 'common' Nigerians. We were in South Africa seeing South Africans of J'burg. So I don't know that you can have any "outrage" over how 'common' Nigerians were treated.

 

[Yoda]

It's so unfair how Nigerians were depicted

I mean, the 'bad guy' portrayal may have made sense if the only Nigerian characters happened to be exploitative slum gangsters, but the way they treated the common Nigerian was just beyond the pale!

The only Nigerians I recall were the gangsters and they were scum regardless if they were Nigerian. They were just scumbag people, regardless of origin.

I don't recall seeing any 'common' Nigerians. We were in South Africa seeing South Africans of J'burg. So I don't know that you can have any "outrage" over how 'common' Nigerians were treated.

We're playing for the same team here, there's sarcasm involved.

 

[Elemental]

I was very bored through this movie. Characters were bland and predictable (aside from the main lead). The stereotypic murderous military nut was extremely annoying to watch and I felt as if they were trying to force my sympathy on whoever he was beating up at the time. It was the type of character you just know is going to get brutally killed at the end to the audience's morbid delight. In the end it didn't feel like the story really went anywhere. The most interesting part of the movie was the anticipation early on of something big happening (e.g. either the aliens attack, revealing they had planned this all along, or some kind of great political issue occurs with regards to the aliens), but about an hour in, I realized this wasn't going to be happening. Of all the summer movies I saw this year, this is probably my least favourite.

 

[Colonel Green]

I found it visually impressive, but the story was very much by the numbers IMHO.

"Bigoted gov't peon is forced to reconsider his prejudices when the agency he works for turns against him, leaving the very people he once persecuted as his only refuge from the deadly pursuit of his erstwhile coworkers!!1!ONE"

Not exactly ground breaking stuff. The last 30 mins or so felt like they would never end.

But hey, at least we got Moon this summer!

 

[Tyberius]

He also talks about Christopher...

Where does this leave Christopher Johnson [an abnormally smart prawn who sparks a bit of a revolution... Not to give too much away]?

I think it's taken 20 years. I think because there is a subconscious hive mind happening, really what they should do is lay one egg that has a different embryo in it that grows into a Queen or being someone that dictates direction. But I think in the interim, because they may have done that, there may be an egg out there with that, but as that being is growing, I just like the idea that he may have been a lot more directionless in the beginning. But the hive structure of their society may just pick one or two that starts to become the leader. Like the overall structure of his brain may change because the hive may want that to happen. So he starts having a direction and a goal. Which is an interesting idea and it's just enough to kick start them to be able to get to the ship to get back.

I think that the new leader is Christopher's child. Christopher is very protective of him, moreso than the others are protective of their hatchlings. And the child appears to be "very" intelligent.

Personally I hope Christopher never comes back. Wilkus was the worst "hero" I've ever had the displeasure of seeing. Going around laughing about how baby prawns pop like popcorn, offering abortion souveriers, lying to a child about his father, backstabbing his "friend," and just all around being completely selfish in everything he did after being infected. Pathetic.

All the movie did was make me hate South Africans even more than I did beforehand. Not even Humans in general, just South Africans. Wilkus first and foremost. I even liked the army colonel guy more; at least he was straight forward. Not a sniveling, backstabbing little fuck.

I think that was the point of the movie: To have the viewer shift their loyalties from the apparent protagonist, to the alien protagonist. At the end, you are supposed to commiserate with the alien's plight.

I found the movie’s portrayal of the Nigerians rather repulsive. Mind you, the South Africans were not portrayed in a positive light, including the main character. But the Nigerians were portrayed in such a one-dimensional and negative way that . . . well, it repelled me.

Irony, given that the movie is about an Apartheid like view of the other.

 

[Grant]

I will boycott the sequel because of the terrible way the Nigerians were portrayed.

 

[tomalak301]

I saw this about a week ago, and just couldn't believe the hype. Maybe part of it was I just saw Torchwood's children of earth and wasn't ready for another "Let's make all of humanity the most hated species on the planet for the sake of being original" and frankly, I just didn't care. Then the movie turned into a brutal blood bath and I was glad when it was over. Visually, this is a very good movie, given the budget, but story wise and character, I just didn't care. No one was likable, there was no one to really "root" for or care about, and again Peter Jackson is involved with a very very overrated movie.

 

[Trubinator]

I saw this about a week ago, and just couldn't believe the hype. Maybe part of it was I just saw Torchwood's children of earth and wasn't ready for another "Let's make all of humanity the most hated species on the planet for the sake of being original" and frankly, I just didn't care. Then the movie turned into a brutal blood bath and I was glad when it was over. Visually, this is a very good movie, given the budget, but story wise and character, I just didn't care. No one was likable, there was no one to really "root" for or care about, and again Peter Jackson is involved with a very very overrated movie.

I agree that it was really over-hyped. But I didn't have the same problem with the violence (which felt pretty tame to me). Rather, I felt the movie seemed like two pictures where neither did a particularly good job at telling the story.

 

[Grant]

Over-rated? Yes.

I thought it was going to be fantastic.
Only above-average for me.
Why do they jump on a band-wagon and make these things into what they're not?

I truly hope it wasn't because the 'bigotry' angle was supposed to be so profound---it wasn't.

Considering all the possibilites of diseases and invasive species and harmful microbes--they were stupid to let the aliens out of the ship at all.

 

[Shurik]

Visually, it's a great movie and aliens probably never felt so real. But plotwise there were holes the size of that mothership, at least, and that's something even the most stunning visuals can't cover.
So, average from me and that's because I'm feeling generous.

 

[Dac]

I will boycott the sequel because of the terrible way the Nigerians were portrayed.

Exactly. Not ONE of them sent an email regarding large riches for a comparatively small fee. For shame.

 

[Brolan]

Finally saw this movie last night. Overall I thought it was pretty good. Lots of silliness in the plot though.

If an alien ship full of technological bounty was accessable to humans it would have hundreds of researchers on it 24/7 until they had figured out every last secret.

Plus the idea they would let some common thugs have access to the aliens and their technology????

 

[Rii]

I saw this film a couple days ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Most of what I know about South Africa relates to cricket, so I didn't bring any expectations to the film in that regard. Themes of identity, othering, responsibility and power resonated with me, though.

 

[Shurik]

Finally saw this movie last night. Overall I thought it was pretty good. Lots of silliness in the plot though.

If an alien ship full of technological bounty was accessable to humans it would have hundreds of researchers on it 24/7 until they had figured out every last secret.

Plus the idea they would let some common thugs have access to the aliens and their technology????

How did all this technology got to ground anyway, if the aliens were transported in helicopters? Or maybe the humans were stupid enough to allow those dim-witted aliens to take the weapons with them?