District 9 [Official]

[loIitoads]

So, I saw District 9 last night and I'm siding with Armond White, 'who lambasts it for its outlandish premise and perceived racial insensitivity toward its Apartheid allegories. He asserts that "Blomkamp and Jackson want it every which way: The actuality-video threat of The Blair Witch Project, unstoppable violence like ID4 plus Spielberg's otherworldly benevolence: factitiousness, killing and cosmic agape. This is how cinema gets turned into trash."' (From, the Guardian)

Truly, that was how I felt as a I watched it. Now, I adore exploitation films, but D9 felt exploitative on a level that I found offensive; it seemed to be milking Apartheid for some sort of cinematic respectability. Milk if for thrills, sure, I love nonsense like that, but milk it for respectability without engaging with the subject fully, and you come off as a hack.
Having read the rave reviews, I'm pretty pissed at the amount of exclamation marks are being tossed around this nonsense. Also, as a final comment on the annoying trend of reviewers falling in love with the camerawork, I've got to say that I just found it to be very confused, switching between documentary-style, CCTV and just plain cinema shooting. It wasn't 'genius' or 'new,' but a horrendous attempt to fuse myriad styles and get the best out of all of them.  

[Atheist Guy]

True but the movie was good i enjoy watching the aliens get tortured and stuff but the thing i enjoy the most are th storie pretty kool to bad alien nation did it all ready.  

[Quack Quack Mutherducker]

Honestly, from the eyes of a less "Artsy fartsy" movie goer, I couldn't give a $hit about the camerawork. I mean, the budget was low anyway. It was I think like 5M, or something with a five in it. (Said my brother when we went to watch it)

The plot is really what hooks you in. It's "different" in a sense that they channel in the fact that the aliens are intelligent beings. They aren't just crazy monsters out for blood. The fact that in a way, they are "Acting" breaks away from the regular "Holy $hit, that thing wants to eat my face off!" idea.
Plus, I found that to really enjoy the movie, you had to have a little humility. If you went there expecting it to be a non-stop action movie, you entered the wrong theater. It's really more satirical, and so the movie's premise was supposed to make you think for a second, let out a breath you didn't know you were holding in that is a small but silent giggle, and then realize that it's a real problem. (Like watching The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) And to clarify said "Real problem" is that they meant for you to think of the "prawns" as real living breathing people living in slums. You let air out because they aren't humans but they act like they are (personification I guess), and then you realize how sad it kind of is.
Then the other reason to have humility is the fact that even though towards the end our infected little friend that we were ever so awkwardly were introduced to in the beginning becomes an a** kicking half alien half human hybrid, if you are saying "Well how come the guy suddenly becomes a bad a**?" you have to think from his perspective. How f#cking worried would you be that people were trying to take you away? How f#cking POWERFUL would you feel wielding alien weaponry and piloting something that's somewhat like a f#cking GUNDAM? So, if you're still stuck on where he got his sudden set of balls from, then why did you pay $11 to get in plus $14 for a number 2 popcorn with two drinks combination?

Maybe it's just me, but I'm not going to argue any further. This movie was great and I will honestly be happy to go out to the movies for District 10. (that is, if you guys think it's good enough to sequel)  

[loIitoads]

xLongIis4loversx

Honestly, from the eyes of a less "Artsy fartsy" movie goer, I couldn't give a $hit about the camerawork. I mean, the budget was low anyway. It was I think like 5M, or something with a five in it. (Said my brother when we went to watch it)

The plot is really what hooks you in. It's "different" in a sense that they channel in the fact that the aliens are intelligent beings. They aren't just crazy monsters out for blood. The fact that in a way, they are "Acting" breaks away from the regular "Holy $hit, that thing wants to eat my face off!" idea.
Plus, I found that to really enjoy the movie, you had to have a little humility. If you went there expecting it to be a non-stop action movie, you entered the wrong theater. It's really more satirical, and so the movie's premise was supposed to make you think for a second, let out a breath you didn't know you were holding in that is a small but silent giggle, and then realize that it's a real problem. (Like watching The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) And to clarify said "Real problem" is that they meant for you to think of the "prawns" as real living breathing people living in slums. You let air out because they aren't humans but they act like they are (personification I guess), and then you realize how sad it kind of is.
Then the other reason to have humility is the fact that even though towards the end our infected little friend that we were ever so awkwardly were introduced to in the beginning becomes an a** kicking half alien half human hybrid, if you are saying "Well how come the guy suddenly becomes a bad a**?" you have to think from his perspective. How f#cking worried would you be that people were trying to take you away? How f#cking POWERFUL would you feel wielding alien weaponry and piloting something that's somewhat like a f#cking GUNDAM? So, if you're still stuck on where he got his sudden set of balls from, then why did you pay $11 to get in plus $14 for a number 2 popcorn with two drinks combination?

Maybe it's just me, but I'm not going to argue any further. This movie was great and I will honestly be happy to go out to the movies for District 10. (that is, if you guys think it's good enough to sequel)

But it really doesn't engage with the idea that the Prawns are people, it entirely mangles the Apartheid references that should elevate it beyond a simple run and gun film. Sure, it makes some groping motions towards the fact that the Prawns are human as we are, but at the same time, it jsut devolves into a stupid action film, and places the blame on a shadowy corporate entity motivated by greed for their weapons rather than on the government itself and actual discrimination. Basically, it fails as a a satire because it constantly backsteps on itself.

Also the idea that the aliens are different from normal sci fi aliens because they aren't constantly aggressive is a little too late, not a new idea at all.  

[Foxdilfer]

I'm not sure if it was like trying to spill every drop out of apartheid exactly. And someone said why put it in Johannesburg. I didn't mind that either really Niell Blomkamp grew up in it and so thats his reference point. I think hes also saying if people are presented with a similar situation like they did (where it was going on for like 40 years?) if it were aliens instead the same-thing happening isn't far fetched. I don't know if anyone I know would be that comfortable with aliens even living in town. Especially by their appearance and its fear of the unknown. (people don't like some people of different cultures already)
I'm not sure why thats a negative for him to do that it just fit for it to play out like that.

The whole documentary part to me was just setting the foundation of the story I didn't mind the shift. I'm not sure if it only blames MNU and ignores discrimination or the government all of that had an influence.

The movie was great to me also. I thought it was fun but to get into the other parts I think would be a spoiler a bit.
To me it felt different and it is something that'll get people talking (not just about the movie specifically to me)  

[loIitoads]

Foxdilfer

I'm not sure if it was like trying to spill every drop out of apartheid exactly. And someone said why put it in Johannesburg. I didn't mind that either really Niell Blomkamp grew up in it and so thats his reference point. I think hes also saying if people are presented with a similar situation like they did (where it was going on for like 40 years?) if it were aliens instead the same-thing happening isn't far fetched. I don't know if anyone I know would be that comfortable with aliens even living in town. Especially by their appearance and its fear of the unknown. (people don't like some people of different cultures already)
I'm not sure why thats a negative for him to do that it just fit for it to play out like that.

The whole documentary part to me was just setting the foundation of the story I didn't mind the shift. I'm not sure if it only blames MNU and ignores discrimination or the government all of that had an influence.

The movie was great to me also. I thought it was fun but to get into the other parts I think would be a spoiler a bit.
To me it felt different and it is something that'll get people talking (not just about the movie specifically to me)

I relaly don't think it's all that different or new, and instead feels more like an attempt at consolidation, as many new films that get great acclaim are, of previously presented ideas and scenarios. I'm not outright saying that it's a remake or a rip-off, but the subject matter and presentation are so watered-down and mainstream now that I hardly feel that it's imperative anymore to see a film like this. All of this, too, is speaking as a huge sci fi fan.  

[Foxdilfer]

Aren't some of the greatest stories/movies adaptions though?

I think its straight forward they set the story laid everything out and then put the audience into the struggle for the action. Usually don't most problems stem from money/discrimination and fear of the unknown. I thought everything connected well too.  

[loIitoads]

Foxdilfer

Aren't some of the greatest stories/movies adaptions though?

I think its straight forward they set the story laid everything out and then put the audience into the struggle for the action. Usually don't most problems stem from money/discrimination and fear of the unknown. I thought everything connected well too.

What, derivative? I don't think so. I think they usually have a thread of originality to be truly great, or at least a strong new narrative voice, which it did not have.

Also problems stemming from money/greed is a totally boring, played out cliche, especially in sci fi.  

[Foxdilfer]

I think they did try a new narrative by doing the documentary then taking you close. (still don't want to spoil it for anyone who didn't see yet)
But one (and probably very few) criticize it by saying the people working on the film couldn't make up their minds and wanted it every which way. I think that criticism is a good thing showing they did try something different. I'm glad I feel alot of movies don't try and live off "Star power" wheter it be actors or movies/shows that are just taken and completely redone. (plus I just liked it)

But thats what all problems involve I think. MNU isn't too different from a pharmaceutical company that make billions off chemotherapy and really just having it be public consensus that its the only means of living once you're diagnosed. The number of people who die while still on chemo has never decreased it increases every year. I can see a company like MNU doing that its too tempting to try and find a way to control those weapons and power. (besides why let someone else come and get in on it first) So the movie felt kind of real to me like these situations if they were real would happen in maybe a different fashion but it'd be much the same deal.

Almost all problems at the root its going to be money/discrimination/power/greed blah blah. At least mostly but how its carried out and executed would probably be the difference I agree.

I don't know if this movie claimed to be amazing really and I think when people think about it problems are pretty straight forward but its solving it and even realizing there is a problem.
Thats why I thought Eberts criticism of no "solution" was also a good thing for the film really sometimes people don't look for solutions (aggressively) apartheid and slavery one carried on for decades another for a few centuries at least.
So I wouldn't say I was happy because it not exactly a happy movie but I was glad to see this movie I thought it was one of the few movies thats actually a good reason to go to the theater. Plus the movie kind of gets you talking.  

[x--stevee--x]

i really really enjoyed the movie and i thought it was very well done. it was nice to see something different besides the typical alien movie where they come down here and want to kill us all. instead of that it should a different side where the humans are treating the aliens badly. it was a different perspective which i really appreciated  

[Earl the Noble]

I enjoyed it, I also almost cried.  

[hfzl1234]

I enjoyed the robot scene the most.  

[Quixotic Faye]

I only managed to catch 40 minutes of this movie, because it quite literally made me throw up.

Add shaky-camera-work-meant-to-mimic-documentary-style-footage on the list of s**t I hate about movies.  

[DOOM Marine02]

it was a GREAT MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

[Oshi the Killer]

I saw 9 didn't find it that great. It was entertaining but i don't have to watch it again. The movies I found that are better: Inglourioius Basterds and Halloween 2. Both are way more entertaining and definitely can be re-watched.