[SPOILERS] District 9 Review Thread

[GuppyShark]

Housemate loved the fuck out of it.

"People explode... in lightning!"

I found it irritating that dickhead main character decided to bludgeon the engineer prawn and tried to fly a goddamned spaceship by himself. What the fuck was he thinking.


Okay so that's not much of a review but it's just me having a little whinge.

Overall I went in with really low expectations and it exceeded them. It was well shot the effects seemed to work fairly well, but the main character was just such a retard I found it hard to sympathise with him.

I loved the alien kid the most.

[Tasoth]

While I haven't seen it yet, the way the trailers are, you almost expect all the humans to be jerky douches. Whatever is being done to the aliens is being done on a societal level scale.

[Archaic`]

Whatever is being done to the aliens is being done on a societal level scale.

I've heard they based the human/alien relation in Section 9 on the real life race issues is South Africa and "Section 6". From the sounds of it though, they've failed if they were trying to make social commentary.

[GuppyShark]

I didn't really see any parallels. There are only two aliens that are actually sympathetically portrayed, the rest are thieving morons and they go to some lengths to remind us that they are NOT people. It shouldn't surprise anyone that humans wanted some distance from them.

The humans are jerky douches but you expect that from Evil Government Conspiracy Movie.

I guess there is one thing that this film did well. It used a documentary style as a framework (just enough of the film is shown as being in-universe footage that it gives an effect without limiting the narrative elsewhere) and I did actually wonder if they would succeed at what they were setting out to accomplish, or whether he would even live to the end of the film.

You know he does *something* major, from the comments of the other characters in the documentary, but they don't say what, and they all refer to him in the past tense.

I saw "he" because I have already forgotten the main character's goofy name.

[neoolong]

I found it irritating that dickhead main character decided to bludgeon the engineer prawn and tried to fly a goddamned spaceship by himself. What the fuck was he thinking.

Christopher Johnson lied to him about fixing him, three years man. That's what led to South African Michael Scott braining the prawn.

Of course, what his actual plan was going to be wasn't thought out very well, because even if he could fly the command module, he probably couldn't figure out how to use the alien tech to change him back.

I liked it though. Good drama and some great action scenes. All for 30 million bucks.

[Majin Gojira]

Saw it, liked it.

A lot of reviewers I've read didn't like the "Hollywood" ending they gave it, with all the violence and people exploding.

To which I say: 1) No mater how many times people were popped, it never got dull; 2) After the depression and darkness of the first two thirds, I think the audience enjoyed that cathatric revenge on the bad guys--or at least the audience I sat with.

And I'm shocked that it only cost 30 million! I knew it was low budget, but I had guessed about 50 fot that. Good show on the director and producers' part for getting the best bang for their buck.

[SylasGaunt]

Christopher Johnson lied to him about fixing him, three years man. That's what led to South African Michael Scott braining the prawn.

I wouldn't say he lied, he said he could fix him, just that it would take longer than he initially thought because he needed all possible speed after discovering The Room of Horror down there in the MNU basement.

I just got back from seeing it and thought it was great. The effects were great by most standards, nevermind those of low budget films (I mean GI Joe cost what.. almost 6 times as much and D9 looked much better).

Some of the stuff in the movie was just disturbing (the popcorn bit especially) but the aliens were hardly all sweetness and light, though you can probably blame some of that on us given the absolute squalor they're living in.

[CDiehl]

Of course, what his actual plan was going to be wasn't thought out very well, because even if he could fly the command module, he probably couldn't figure out how to use the alien tech to change him back.

I didn't mind that. It made him seem real, and not like a movie character. A real person under those circumstances wouldn't be come up with a perfect plan, and would be panicky and angry. Also, he was a bit of an idiot to begin with.

South African Michael Scott

Yes. I thought the part with Wikus at his desk looked like The Office, and I've only watched one or two episodes.

[neoolong]

I didn't mind that. It made him seem real, and not like a movie character. A real person under those circumstances wouldn't be come up with a perfect plan, and would be panicky and angry. Also, he was a bit of an idiot to begin with.

True, I didn't mean that the script was written poorly on that point. The character was just a little dumb.

[Neko_Oni]

I saw "he" because I have already forgotten the main character's goofy name.

Why is his name so goofy? Forgive my ignorance I'm not familiar with South African names, so it seemed a normal enough to me.

[neoolong]

A google search shows a number of people named Wikus from South Africa. I don't think it's a completely uncommon name there, even if it sounds goofy in other places.

[Bounty]

A google search shows a number of people named Wikus from South Africa. I don't think it's a completely uncommon name there, even if it sounds goofy in other places.

It sounds like a local shortened form of Ludovicus, which would make it pretty normal.

[born in shadow]

Saw it with some friends of mine and we all liked it a lot.

The MNU come off as total douches within...what, two minutes of the film's opening?

The character was just a little dumb.

Pretty much every character who knew Wikus said the same thing if you recall. I think even his mom says "Oh, he's not the sharpest tool." I rather liked that he was...well, pretty much a moron who got his world rocked to hell and back. Given the circumstances, I think I'd freak out a bit as well.

The aliens did act...well, rather savage, but like SylasGaunt said, you can probably blame some of that on their living conditions. If I lived in a shanty town and was given scraps and bossed around, I imagine I wouldn't be quite so civil either.

The open ending the film had was rather nice, though it simultaneously frightens and excites me. It left my friends and me with more than a few questions, but my problem is how they'd be answered in a sequel. So there's the terror of the bad sequel against the hope of a good sequel...

[Raj Ahten]

Saw it, liked it.
And I'm shocked that it only cost 30 million! I knew it was low budget, but I had guessed about 50 fot that. Good show on the director and producers' part for getting the best bang for their buck.

Apparantly it is just really damn cheap to shoot in South Africa. HBO filmed the short series Generation Kill in South Africa as well and in interviews I remeber the producers commenting on that they ere getting far more bang for their buck shooting there.

On the movie itself I saw it yesterday and liked it a lot. As for why the aliens were mostly dicks themselves, we have no real idea why they were on the ship and why it came to earth. Maybe it was a prison ship? Also there is the fact that has been mentioned already that being put in a slum for 20 years just sucks ass.

[Losonti Tokash]

One of the people they interviewed mentioned that they were just some worker caste with no leadership, and so had become aimless. That's a guess, although I'm sure it's just some bullshit MNU cooked up to rationalize their treatment of the prawns.

I would have liked it if Chris had perhaps mentioned what they call themselves, or at least an English equivalent. It just felt weird that even the people supporting the prawns still refer to them by what is essentially an epithet.

[Losonti Tokash]

There's an interview of Blomkamp here that mentions toward the end the reason the aliens didn't just pick up and leave.

[Kuja]

Of course, what his actual plan was going to be wasn't thought out very well, because even if he could fly the command module, he probably couldn't figure out how to use the alien tech to change him back.

Maybe, maybe not. Chris struck me as a kind of "techie" prawn - he knew his shit cold, and he seemed a lot cooler under pressure and more reigned in compared to most of his fellows. Aslo, his coloring seemed different; he was more or less a uniform olive green wile the vast majority of the prawns had a sort of spotted or camo pattern. Not to mention his son, who looked like he knew how all the shit worked as well as his dad did.

Speaking of the shit, the prawn tech seemed extremely user-friendly. Vickus was able to get the transport flying within a few moments and he was able to operate the battlesuit instinctively - even going so far as to grab an RPG out of midair. Chris' son was also able to remote-operate said battlesuit well enough to get it to move a bit and use some kind of magnetic defensive screen. Overall there was really nothing to suggest that Chris would be totally unable to hold up his end of the bargain.

[Pulp Hero]

Just got back, and wow- I really do think this is the best movie I've seen in theaters since Iron Man. (Or maybe I just have a thing for power armor. )

Before I get to the actual review, I want to write about one thing that I noticed:

I have had lots of bad experience with my local theater trips. The theater is right outside of a military base, so it gets lots of roudy stupid military types and local white trash patronage. I ventured out to see D9, figuring that it would be a niche nerd movie and I wouldn't have to deal with people ruining the movie. The theater was absolutely packed- and it was full of tons of loud non-nerd looking people. Throughout the previews people wouldn't stop talking at the screen and I felt it was shaping up to be a bad evening. Once the movie started though- everyone, and I do mean everyone Shut The Fuck Up for entire duration of the film. Walking out I overheard people talking and everyone seemed to love it. The thoughts ranged from "awesome shootout" to "man, that thing needs a sequel" to "the CGI was really good". I even heard a little (aged 8-9) say in awe, "Daddy, that was a really good movie!". This Neill Blomkamp is going places.

***

The film was great, the pacing was good and nothing felt overly long. The main PMC villain was well realized. And the grungy look of the film stood up all the way to the end.

A few things I was thinking about;

-There seem to be two groups of paramilitary in the movie. The MNU security forces (guys in black SWAT attire) and the PMC soldiers (random gear, many wearing a ram's head symbol). I don't know why, but I enjoyed seeing two separate, but not explicitly stated forces.

-There seemed to be a lot of very dry visual humor in this movie. For example: The MNU security guy getting his arm ripped off at the beginning and no one really being shocked. Or when the aliens hide the main character in their basement- the very long pause before the *thump* of him hitting the ground.

-MNU was evil, but everything it did seemed logical and its plan really would have made lots of money had it seceded. Even when they were forcing the main character test out alien weapons- shooting the prawn was not evil for evils sake, it was making sure that there were no safety features to stop the weapon from firing.

-The aliens being cut out from inside the ship in the beginning reminded me very much of the real life stories of human trafficking where people are forced into cargo containers for months.

-I am usually annoyed by terrible tactics in movies, but this movie got its gunfights right. The best scene was the Nigerian ambush- it was very true to life of third world militia tactics and it was completely effective. There was lots of smart fighting the whole film- tear gas, air support, backup, pulling out the big guns.

Basically this movie rocked my face.

[Zor]

In general this is a solid science fiction film. The action was well executed even with character shields being up at full strength, I found Wikus to be a good lead character and i found the documentary stuff was a nice creative touch.

However, for something to nitpick at, Why are there still alien weapons floating around. Unless there was some sort of factory onboard the ship, i would have expected things like mechs and ray guns capable of turning an adult human being into a splatty mess of gore to have been picked up by MNU with maybe a few in the hands of various notables like sub saharan warlords, DARPA or some rich excentric's collection after over two decades.

Zor

[Pulp Hero]

However, for something to nitpick at, Why are there still alien weapons floating around. Unless there was some sort of factory onboard the ship, i would have expected things like mechs and ray guns capable of turning an adult human being into a splatty mess of gore to have been picked up by MNU with maybe a few in the hands of various notables like sub saharan warlords, DARPA or some rich excentric's collection after over two decades.

Zor

They're useless junk, essentially. And any major attempt to confiscate them would have met with a lot of resistance. I think also, judging by the reaction of the Nigerians, that the power armor suit was something they had never seen before- the prawns were hiding a lot.

[Darmalus]

I loved it. The action was good enough, and the movie grim enough, I actually didn't know if either of the main characters was going to make it out alive. This is hard to accomplish, most movies I can pick out what will happen to each character by the end (thank/curse you, TV Tropes). I loved the general looks of the setting, and it was nice to have a scifi film take place outside the usual locations.

Our after movie speculation was that when the command module fell off, the only leader caste guy was on board, and by the time he recovered and dug himself out, a shanty town had sprung up on top of his ship.

[neoolong]

Of course, what his actual plan was going to be wasn't thought out very well, because even if he could fly the command module, he probably couldn't figure out how to use the alien tech to change him back.

Maybe, maybe not. Chris struck me as a kind of "techie" prawn - he knew his shit cold, and he seemed a lot cooler under pressure and more reigned in compared to most of his fellows. Aslo, his coloring seemed different; he was more or less a uniform olive green wile the vast majority of the prawns had a sort of spotted or camo pattern. Not to mention his son, who looked like he knew how all the shit worked as well as his dad did.

I meant what Wikus' plan to change himself back was. Should not have used so many pronouns.

[Shroom Man 777]

I will watch this movie about alien refugees in Apartheid South Africa when it comes out in theaters this month.

[Pulp Hero]

I will watch this movie about alien refugees in Apartheid South Africa when it comes out in theaters this month.

While it is impossible to escape the comparisons because of the setting, the movie never bludgeons you with Apartheid. It is refreshing.

[ray245]

I will watch this movie about alien refugees in Apartheid South Africa when it comes out in theaters this month.

While it is impossible to escape the comparisons because of the setting, the movie never bludgeons you with Apartheid. It is refreshing.

From what I understand, it seems that there are a number of critics that wants the movie to bludgeon them with the Apartheid.