A simple description of District 9’s plot is the one given in IMDB: “An extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth suddenly find a kindred spirit in a government agent that is exposed to their biotechnology.” That’s as far as I’m going with the plot. Don’t want to spoil it for you. I went in having only seen the TV ads and was glad I hadn’t known more.
Produced by LOTR director, Peter Jackson, and directed and co-written by South African, Neill Blomkamp, on every level, this film is exceptional. Set and shot in Johannesburg, the lead actor, Sharlto Copley, gives an astonishing performance that ranges from bureaucratic nerd at the beginning to action hero at the end without a trace of that typical, Hollywood, stereotypical, hero crap. What makes his portrayal of his character, Wikus, so real is that he is a deeply flawed person who only wants to live (despite what’s happened to him) and return to a normal life, while finally awakening to the lies his government (which, technically, includes him) have been spreading to control the aliens, and worse.
The first 20 minutes or so is presented as a documentary about how the aliens came to Earth 20 years ago and what’s happened since. It is, in many ways, a commentary on how humans treat each other, although you never feel beaten over the head by it. What you do feel is revulsion at the sight of the aliens, yet end up feeling pity for them once you get to know them. Sort of.
Shot for a paltry, by Hollywood blockbuster standards, $30 million, the fully CG aliens are astoundingly ‘real’ looking, even in full sunlight which is harder to do. Lots of explosions and all the normal action stuff, but they actually serve the story as do the supporting characters. What makes even the bad guys more than two dimensional is you understand why they are doing what they’re doing given the circumstances, even if you disagree with them, which you may not.
This is ‘real’ science fiction. Period. No deus ex machina. No contrived twist ending, although you have no idea where the story is heading. Just an interesting, thoughtful story, lots of action, first-class animation on a non-CGI budget, and fine acting by it’s star. Uncle Dave says, see it!
I thought the movie was fantastic. Great acting, great art, and a story that made me think about what would actually happen if aliens landed.
#4 You must live in Atlanta, worse theaters in the nation.
#26 Didn’t notice that Sharlto Copley is in the short, sitting in the helicopter playing a different character.
Alf,
Yes, I was glad to see Wingnut because that meant Peter Jackson and WETA were involved.
So, your second paragraph implies you are in favor of corporations doing evil things such as overcharging you, selling inferior and dangerous products, profiting off people’s suffering, etc — as long as there is no government involvement that will steal your money to enforce laws to protect you from them, of course.
I paid $6.50 for a matinee, senior discount ticket. No refreshments.
The director has talked about a sequel.
,,,and, it was shot on Camera RED! All electronic. No filum.
Im sorry if your going to make a movie about refuges than do that dont make a movie about and advance race of aliens that make a refuge look like a genius.
First and foremost why in the world would getting splashed in the face with there fuel source cause him to mutate into one of them. Even if i mutated him y would the mutation take their form. yes yes i know its alien but it is unfair to just try an explain everything a away with that simple fact. its like answering every question with by saying god did it. lets just chalk it up to bad writing. It Really did not make any since that the alien was looking for cans of their fuel on earth that means they had to have brought it with them when they left the ship and just discarded it y would they do this!!! Cause i think it would have been a lot easier to just look for it while they were on the ship. Second off there were many things in the movie that was not explained why could the understand each other so well but neither side could speak a single word of the others language. Third Why is there a super high tech ship with aliens that are dumber as dumb as a pack of wild dog and acted as such. even if they were just workers and they had a superior race then why would they give them a ship and deadly guns. Forth how did they become stranded when the only thing keeping the ship from leaving was the fact on one was on it. i mean why would he detach that control room from the bigger ship stranding them there. I just think this story line was just haphazardly thrown together for a quick buck after they canceled HALO and based on this movie im am elated Peter Jackson and the other guy did not make HALO they would have messed it up beyond belief Because when it does come out it will be about the prequel book by Eric Nylund like it alway should have been
Just saw this movie last night and although I think given the right team it might could have been made into an entertaining movie. This wasn’t. Actually it sucked. I wanted to like this movie. I think I saw only a couple of commercials for it and thought it looked good. I don’t want to be lectured to anymore by Hollywood and this movie felt like they had a political statement to make about racism and apartheid, oh and don’t forget to throw in the evil corporations, along with the morally lacking leaders, the pitiful Hi-8 handycam cinematography was played out in what 1999, the plot had potential but the holes in the story were too big to dismiss. I mean c’mon. Cat food as crack? WTF? Don’t waste your time on this one it blows.