District 9

[Burck]

District 9's ending displayed the classic tragedy of humanity: killing, exploiting, and systematically exterminating those different from our own. The beauty of the ending was that it was NOT a typical cliffhanger hinting at another movie, but rather, it showed how we could only speculate how the aliens would retaliate when they returned.

Humanity has feared even the thought of aliens because we know they could easily obliterate or otherwise reign control over ourselves.

When the humans in District 9 opened up the mothership, their was one line I can't forget, "We thought it would be heaven in there" (or something like that). But it wasn't: this was no fantastic discovery, it was just another humanitarian problem. So humanity returned from their "Please don't kill us" approach right back into opportunism mode.

Humanity then either stood by, or took part in the genocide: systematically persecuting and exploiting the Prawn.

In the end, no one knew what happened or what would happen when the mothership returned. And did the protagonist fight for the Prawns because he changed mentally or just because he changed biologically? We don't know, and that says a lot as a species.

We have so little faith in humanity

 

[Axeli]

I thought the movie sucked. The plot was so slap-stick it was not a step above Tranformers 2. The main character was dispicable. The attempts to tug on our heart-strings were not either more subtle or more deep than ringing a gong next to our ears.

The whole movie hides in its premise to avoid having to explain itself. If it had been about anything else we'd all tear it down.

District 9 is like Transformers 2 except that movie did not claim to be more than it was.

The main character was an asshole for the most of the movie, because it was a growth story on that part.

And was the emotional stuff really that blunt? Most of it was there to make a point as far as I could tell.

And would anyone even care if it wasn't sci-fi? Can't say for sure, but the setting does give the movie a couple important plot-devices.

 

[ZDP Buckshot]

....Prawns *clik clik clik*

 

[T3h Merc]

I really enjoyed District 9 and I thought thatthe references to District 6 and the Apatheid were masterfully done. The prawn were quite likable and the alien kid was very...cute? Yeah I guess that works cute. The protagonist was a bit of a dick but he was an ACTION MOVIE dick by the ending. The Nigerians and Scientists had common goals and really contrast well. The bit where he is forced to shoot the Prawn in the weapons lab really tugged at my hearttrings and made me dislike humanity.

Did anyone else think the flamethrowering of the Prawn eggs was disturbing as hell? Oh and why didn't the Prawn have a name for themselves?

T3H MERC OUT!

 

[Ninonybox_v1legacy]

best movie EVAR

 

[nYuknYuknYuk]

I really enjoyed District 9 and I thought thatthe references to District 6 and the Apatheid were masterfully done. The prawn were quite likable and the alien kid was very...cute? Yeah I guess that works cute. The protagonist was a bit of a dick but he was an ACTION MOVIE dick by the ending. The Nigerians and Scientists had common goals and really contrast well. The bit where he is forced to shoot the Prawn in the weapons lab really tugged at my hearttrings and made me dislike humanity.

Did anyone else think the flamethrowering of the Prawn eggs was disturbing as hell? Oh and why didn't the Prawn have a name for themselves?

T3H MERC OUT!

Yeah, where he is forced to shoot the Prawn is pretty sad. As for the flamethrower part, I thought where he was commenting on the popping of the baby Prawns even worse, rather than the act of it. He was ENJOYING it.

 

[Whistler777]

I'm amazed that I even had the patience to sit through such a mediocre film. The first 45min of it are boring and misleadingly funny, and the last 45min are pointlessly bloody action scenes leading up to an unsatisfying ending that relies entirely on the delivery of a sequel.

Granted, it wasn't that bad (the mechsuit part was entertaining), but going into a movie such as this one with high hopes almost always disappoints me in the end.

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

I really enjoyed District 9 and I thought thatthe references to District 6 and the Apatheid were masterfully done. The prawn were quite likable and the alien kid was very...cute? Yeah I guess that works cute. The protagonist was a bit of a dick but he was an ACTION MOVIE dick by the ending. The Nigerians and Scientists had common goals and really contrast well. The bit where he is forced to shoot the Prawn in the weapons lab really tugged at my hearttrings and made me dislike humanity.

Did anyone else think the flamethrowering of the Prawn eggs was disturbing as hell? Oh and why didn't the Prawn have a name for themselves?

T3H MERC OUT!

And you hear that popping noise? It's the noise the babies are making when they are trying to get out, it kind of sounds like popcorn!

Savage. utterly savage. That film was amazing.

 

[Andalusa]

I went to see it this afternoon and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Spoiler: Parts I thought were cool

The guns were awesome, the walker suit, the little alien was so cute.

Spoiler: Parts I didn't think were cool

The fingernails and the teeth. *shudders*

The CG was well done and the movie put it's message across quite clearly to me. The open endedness of it would allow a sequel, but I think a sequel would ruin it unless it was a good one.

 

[letsnoobtehpwns]

Amazing movie. I love it so much.

 

[bmf185]

Instant classic. I was wowed.

 

[zahr]

The quality of District 9's story was comparable to that of a well-made PC game (for example, Thief or KotOR). So I very much enjoyed it; it was far above the quality of most movies.

 

[Ursus Astrorum]

It was a bloody brilliant movie, with great storytelling, symbolism, and action. However, one thing still bugs me:

They used the 'I'm not leaving without you' cliche at the very end. I mean seriously, after all the creativity and awesomeness, you fall back on something that overused?

But eh, it's just a little smudge on an otherwise amazing piece.

 

[WayOutThere]

I thought the movie sucked. The plot was so slap-stick it was not a step above Tranformers 2. The main character was dispicable. The attempts to tug on our heart-strings were not either more subtle or more deep than ringing a gong next to our ears.

The whole movie hides in its premise to avoid having to explain itself. If it had been about anything else we'd all tear it down.

District 9 is like Transformers 2 except that movie did not claim to be more than it was.

The main character was an asshole for the most of the movie, because it was a growth story on that part.

And was the emotional stuff really that blunt? Most of it was there to make a point as far as I could tell.

And would anyone even care if it wasn't sci-fi? Can't say for sure, but the setting does give the movie a couple important plot-devices.

First, thanks for giving me a reasonable reply. I expected to get flamed.

The main charater was an asshole and I would have accepted that it was about his growth up to the point where he hit Christopher with a shovel. That removed all sympathy I had worked up for the character. The final fight scene where he was actually selfless fell flat for me emotionally because I kept rooting for the bad guys to kill him.

As far as the movie being about making a point, I honestly don't see what it is.

I should also expand on what I mean that the movie "hiddens in its premise". Really this plot is not good. Why is it that a substance capable of turning a human into a prawn is important for the workings of a spaceship? How did the spaceship get buried there, weren't the eyes of the world focused on this place? Why were the aliens there in the first place? What did Christopher even have to escape to, if there was anywhere for him to go why did the aliens come to Earth in the first place?

So many things are left unexplained I just can't think well of the plot. Its like the movie relies on the strength of its premise to keep the audience for noticing these things. If the whole idea of the movie wasn't so novel I don't think it would have been recieved well with a plot like this.

 

[TheBigInterview]

I didn't like it. I thought it was pretty bad and the only cool part was

Spoiler

the mecha suit near the end

. I thought it was way too predictable.

There was so much more to appreciate.

 

[WayOutThere]

I thought the movie sucked. The plot was so slap-stick it was not a step above Tranformers 2. The main character was dispicable. The attempts to tug on our heart-strings were not either more subtle or more deep than ringing a gong next to our ears.

The whole movie hides in its premise to avoid having to explain itself. If it had been about anything else we'd all tear it down.

District 9 is like Transformers 2 except that movie did not claim to be more than it was.

IF your comparing District 9 to Transformers 2 then you might have to rewatch both of them.
D9 is nothing like T2. Re watch then come back and say that.

Look man, I know D9 is very different from Transformers 2. I wouldn't have made this comparison in the first place if doing so didn't have some shock value behind it.

My point is this, Tranformers 2 was a brainless action flick and D9 was a brainless action flick buried under weak attempts to be something more. The plot is filled with holes and emotionally it has no depth.

For plot holes:

Why is it that a substance capable of turning a human into a prawn is important for the workings of a spaceship? How did the spaceship get buried there, weren't the eyes of the world focused on this place? Why were the aliens there in the first place? Didn't the ship crash for a reason, how did it just fly up again? Where did Christopher even have to escape to, if there was anywhere for him to go why did the aliens come to Earth in the first place?

For lack of emotional depth:

I hated the main character so much I was actually hoping for him to die so his heroics at the end fell flat.

His abortion of the prawns and his being forced to shot one only made me wish I was somewhere else. They did not suck me into the movie or have really any more effect on me than making me hate the movie. The only place where D9 had any real emotional impact on me is with Christopher and his son, but that just wasn't enough to impress me.

D9 is like Transformes 2 in that it does not accomplish either intelligent plot or emotional depth.

Otherwise, they are very different.

Edit: see my post below for a better explanation of my opinion

 

[park92]

why did the bruce willis lookalike have to die nooooooo!

 

[park92]

christopher built the spaceship i think under his house

 

[Phyroxis]

I thought it had potential that it never quite realized. The metaphor for Apartheid and the faux-documentary were interesting (but 15 years too late for the metaphor) and the action scenes were exiting. The main problem is that the movie becomes generic, but well directed, action movie at the end. If you're looking for a dumb action movie, you'll be pleasantly surprised. If you're looking for a thought provoking sci-fi movie, you'll be very disappointed.

I thought that's what it did best, being a thought provoking sci-fi movie. The reason I say that is I could have just listened to the audio and gotten a great experience. Much unlike most action flicks where the Special Effects are the selling point and the story is full of holes, or just bad to begin with. The action was more of a bonus for me. A fucking awesome bonus.

Exactly what I was thinking. The action was good on its own, but better because the characterization was good. We actually cared about Wikkus and Christopher, so the action was that much more heavy hitting. Moviebob hit the nail on the head with that.

I agree.. I totally thought this was more than just a generic sci-fi action flick. I really felt something while watching it.

 

[TheBigInterview]

I thought the movie sucked. The plot was so slap-stick it was not a step above Tranformers 2. The main character was dispicable. The attempts to tug on our heart-strings were not either more subtle or more deep than ringing a gong next to our ears.

The whole movie hides in its premise to avoid having to explain itself. If it had been about anything else we'd all tear it down.

District 9 is like Transformers 2 except that movie did not claim to be more than it was.

The main character was an asshole for the most of the movie, because it was a growth story on that part.

And was the emotional stuff really that blunt? Most of it was there to make a point as far as I could tell.

And would anyone even care if it wasn't sci-fi? Can't say for sure, but the setting does give the movie a couple important plot-devices.

First, thanks for giving me a reasonable reply.

The main charater was an asshole and I would have accepted that it was about his growth up to the point where he hit Christopher with a shovel. That removed all sympathy I had worked up for the character. The final fight scene where he was actually selfless fell flat for me emotionally because I kept rooting for the bad guys to kill him.

As far as the movie being about making a point, I honestly don't see what it is.

I should also expand on what I mean that the movie "hiddens in its premise". Really this plot is not good. Why is it that a substance capable of turning a human into a prawn is important for the workings of a spaceship? How did the spaceship get buried there, weren't the eyes of the world focused on this place? Why were the aliens there in the first place? What did Christopher even have to escape to, if there was anywhere for him to go why did the aliens come to Earth in the first place?

So many things are left unexplained I just can't think well of the plot. Its like the movie relies on the strength of its premise to keep the audience for noticing these things. If the whole idea of the movie wasn't so novel I don't think it would have been recieved well with a plot like this.

First of all, I don't see any logic in your argument at all.
Because he hit someone over the head with a shovel, that made the movie bad? You lost the sympathy you had for him. That makes the movie good. That means they were doing their job of evoking an emotion out of you. To get you to respond to the characters.

You can align the main characters growth to Tyler Durden, except backwards. He went from a antagonist to the protagonist. I don't know many movies that have done that.

Also, one of these hidden things you are talking about happen in real life all the time. And this is the point they're trying to make. 9-11, the Iraq War. There is media ban enforced on them by the government. And this is what they're getting at. We'll never know anything because of things like the MNU (aka, the United States Government).

Also, seriously. Have you ever heard of an imagination? Not everything has to be told you to. It's not their jobs to hand you the information, just like in real life, you need to assume. You also need to use logic.