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"[FILM] District 9"

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Wed 09/09/09 at 21:11
Regular
"THFC"
Posts: 4,488
[FILM] District 9

This film really crept up out of nowhere for me, it just appeared as a trailer about 2 weeks before it was released and as soon as i saw the trailer i knew i had to go see the film. There was little given away from the trailer but all i can say is that what i was expecting, was not what i got. I am not saying this is a bad thing. For this reason i do not want to delve too deep into the plot as it was a nice surprise.

Set like a documentary (obviously it is fictional, so it is a Mockumentary). We see a group of people being interview about events that have happened, they go on to talk about a huge alien ship that is seen hovering over America, but it does not land or stop there, it makes it’s way over to South Africa, where it stops. No movement or sign of life, so live on TV the ship was cut into by humans, where thousands, maybe millions of aliens were found, in a poor condition. They were hungry and weak, so rather than fight or act hostile, we took them all down to Earth and feed the aliens and house them in some slums on the edge of Johannesburg. Soon they regain health and the powerful leaders of Earth decide that they should stay here, so they become a gang like group who are discriminated against by many of South Africa’s civilions, some protest for their rights to be treated like humans and some make money by selling them cat food (the aliens have become rather favourable to). So Earth has a small civilization of aliens living in slums, who break out into the city and cause problems, or vandalise, kill etc.

Quick to act the MNU (multi-national united) decide that after 20 years of the aliens being here they need to be moved, into a new area where they will be away from humans, guarded by military and kept in check. So they send in a MNU worker Wikus to oversee the procedure of removing the aliens. He has to head into District 9 and get them to approve to moving (due to human rights acts). Whilst checking a certain house he discovers a weird cylinder that sprays him. Quick to cover up the embarsement of getting caught out he takes the cylinder and moves on. As he gets home that night he starts to get ill and things start to change. Wikus who was a much loved man is now being turned into test subject and when he manages to escape he is the most wanted man in the world!

I do not want to say what is happening to the characters or what might come of it as this was the big twists that i did not expect to see at all, but that should give you a pretty good overview and starting point to see if you are interested. As i said it is filmed like a documentary so you are hearing people’s views on certain characters. You learn what really happens and not what some people thought happened and it is a different way for a film like this to be shot. It is a refreshing change and it is interesting to see how the aliens race developes on Earth and how they are named “shrimps” as a derogatory name for them. They are treated badly by some and due to them being here for 20 years they are treated like a lot of poor people in places like South Africa.

With no big name actors it allows the film to seem more authentic, if Brad Pitt was sitting there talking as if he was a MNU worked it would take away the realism of such a fictional film (not really sure if that makes sense but the higher paid and more famous actors would spoil the feel of the film in my opinion)

The acting is not top class and seems at times a bit awkward but this is possibly due to it is meant to be shot from real footage and so does not flow as smooth as you see in most films but gives it a more believable side to it.

There is some big actions scenes in the film and you get to see plenty of the aliens, and some of their technology, i really enjoy all this in a film as i like to see other people’s views on how other life could be. Either way the film is enjoyable, a major criticsm for me would be that in the middle section it drags on a bit and could have been cut to being a bit shorter in places. I was never bored but i was finding myself waiting for the next event, and it would often not come for a little while.

Still a good film that would be recommended more for men or fans of aliens! A solid film from Peter Jackson who seems to always do well with his films as of recent!

8/10
Fri 11/09/09 at 12:50
Staff Moderator
"Freeola Ltd"
Posts: 3,299
I watched it the night it came out, but had been reading the American reviews for te previous weeks ranting. :D
Fri 11/09/09 at 12:27
Regular
"I like turtles"
Posts: 5,368
Don't get me wrong guys,I didn't dislike it just I didn't quite love it as much as some people seem to.Saying that notice you all seem to have seen it when it first came out,therefore not really expecting much so you were pretty much blown away by it.I went to see it a week and half later after hearing tonnes of reports about how awesome it was and was left with a bit of a 'is that it ?' kind of feeling.If that makes any sense whatsoever :S

I would give it a 7/10 which is only one less then Emmie ! :)
Fri 11/09/09 at 11:52
Regular
"THFC"
Posts: 4,488
It is a great film I really enjoyed it and so did my mates, and.....

Show Spoiler
Fri 11/09/09 at 11:41
Staff Moderator
"Freeola Ltd"
Posts: 3,299
I thought it was amazing Pete.

The fact that a movie can be secure enough in itself to show a trailer that is clearly there to mislead people (if that was its intention, because it certainly seems deliberate) and then throw some brilliant script and moral fibre in, and still have people saying it's brilliant................

Can't recommend this enough. Just realise, it's a sci-fi movie, not an action flick!
Thu 10/09/09 at 21:41
Regular
"I like turtles"
Posts: 5,368
Good review mate.

Got to see this last night,thought it was OK but nothing really amazing.Thought the little alien in it was quite cute TBH !.Overall,its worth a watch IMO,seen a hell of a lot worse that's for sure.
Thu 10/09/09 at 10:20
Regular
"THFC"
Posts: 4,488
Thanks. For me the acting was not great but this made it more believable, having big names in this film would have ruined it. It kept it more like a real documentary the fact they were not A rank actors, thats my thougts on it.
Thu 10/09/09 at 09:41
Staff Moderator
"Freeola Ltd"
Posts: 3,299
Lovely review. But to differ with you on one point, I thought the acting was good. Wik made me almost believe it.

A thing your did not mention also was the black humor throughout. Actually whether black humor is the right phrase, but there was a continous view of comical value :D

And also the underlying message of anti-racism was well put out with no real "look how terrible we are" thrust in our faces.

EDIT: Butch has also just reminded me of the whole "District 6" thing. So considering this my last point is doubly effective (Critical hit!)
Wed 09/09/09 at 21:11
Regular
"THFC"
Posts: 4,488
[FILM] District 9

This film really crept up out of nowhere for me, it just appeared as a trailer about 2 weeks before it was released and as soon as i saw the trailer i knew i had to go see the film. There was little given away from the trailer but all i can say is that what i was expecting, was not what i got. I am not saying this is a bad thing. For this reason i do not want to delve too deep into the plot as it was a nice surprise.

Set like a documentary (obviously it is fictional, so it is a Mockumentary). We see a group of people being interview about events that have happened, they go on to talk about a huge alien ship that is seen hovering over America, but it does not land or stop there, it makes it’s way over to South Africa, where it stops. No movement or sign of life, so live on TV the ship was cut into by humans, where thousands, maybe millions of aliens were found, in a poor condition. They were hungry and weak, so rather than fight or act hostile, we took them all down to Earth and feed the aliens and house them in some slums on the edge of Johannesburg. Soon they regain health and the powerful leaders of Earth decide that they should stay here, so they become a gang like group who are discriminated against by many of South Africa’s civilions, some protest for their rights to be treated like humans and some make money by selling them cat food (the aliens have become rather favourable to). So Earth has a small civilization of aliens living in slums, who break out into the city and cause problems, or vandalise, kill etc.

Quick to act the MNU (multi-national united) decide that after 20 years of the aliens being here they need to be moved, into a new area where they will be away from humans, guarded by military and kept in check. So they send in a MNU worker Wikus to oversee the procedure of removing the aliens. He has to head into District 9 and get them to approve to moving (due to human rights acts). Whilst checking a certain house he discovers a weird cylinder that sprays him. Quick to cover up the embarsement of getting caught out he takes the cylinder and moves on. As he gets home that night he starts to get ill and things start to change. Wikus who was a much loved man is now being turned into test subject and when he manages to escape he is the most wanted man in the world!

I do not want to say what is happening to the characters or what might come of it as this was the big twists that i did not expect to see at all, but that should give you a pretty good overview and starting point to see if you are interested. As i said it is filmed like a documentary so you are hearing people’s views on certain characters. You learn what really happens and not what some people thought happened and it is a different way for a film like this to be shot. It is a refreshing change and it is interesting to see how the aliens race developes on Earth and how they are named “shrimps” as a derogatory name for them. They are treated badly by some and due to them being here for 20 years they are treated like a lot of poor people in places like South Africa.

With no big name actors it allows the film to seem more authentic, if Brad Pitt was sitting there talking as if he was a MNU worked it would take away the realism of such a fictional film (not really sure if that makes sense but the higher paid and more famous actors would spoil the feel of the film in my opinion)

The acting is not top class and seems at times a bit awkward but this is possibly due to it is meant to be shot from real footage and so does not flow as smooth as you see in most films but gives it a more believable side to it.

There is some big actions scenes in the film and you get to see plenty of the aliens, and some of their technology, i really enjoy all this in a film as i like to see other people’s views on how other life could be. Either way the film is enjoyable, a major criticsm for me would be that in the middle section it drags on a bit and could have been cut to being a bit shorter in places. I was never bored but i was finding myself waiting for the next event, and it would often not come for a little while.

Still a good film that would be recommended more for men or fans of aliens! A solid film from Peter Jackson who seems to always do well with his films as of recent!

8/10

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