District 9
I saw District 9 with Keet last night and my goodness that was some of the best sci-fi I've seen in a while.
District 9 can pretty much be described as a documentary style, anti-Apartheid, Alien Nation inspired science fiction twist on the 1980s remake of The Fly, with some action thrown in for good measure. Aliens "crash land" on Earth (for a lack of a better way to call it), and are forced into the eponymous slum in Johannesburg, South Africa. After some time of Humans Are Discriminatory Shits, it's left to the movie's protagonist and political worm Wikus van der Merwe to serve eviction notices to the aliens living in District 9, aided by the MNU, a government agency hell bent on utilising the alien's weaponry, which only arms when alien DNA is present. Plenty of gut-wrenching moments ensue where Humans Are Dicks to the "prawns". After breaking in to a home where an alien named Christopher, his friend, and his son have spent the prior 20 years collecting the liquid they need to fuel their space ship from junked alien tech, Wikus gets a face-full of the stuff, which promptly starts reprogramming his DNA. Now finding himself on the other side of the fence as his body slowly metamorphoses and the world lusts after an arm capable of wielding alien weaponry, Wikus continues to be generally self-serving and cowardly, but makes a deal with Christopher to help him get the fuel for his ship back, on the condition of reversing the transformation.
Over all, District 9 is a very satisfying sci-fi romp. Wikus, in spite of his flaws, does develop to the point of being likeable, and in a way, is more believable as a character because his change of viewpoint isn't instantaneous or forced. The aliens themselves are well rendered, but are more so brought to life not only by believable depictions of their day to day life, but the struggles they endure in order to survive long enough to be able to go home. There was some disappointment in the ending, however; it's an obvious setup for a sequel, which it very much deserves, but one of the final obstacles is dealt with in a fit of deus ex machina that could have easily been set up to be more meaningful. Spoiler: After the prawns tore apart the merc, they could have done something to acknowledge Wikus, some kind of "now, we are square" gesture, making it more than just some random act of violence upon an object of their frustration. But it's far from a deal breaker, and is still a very well told story.
This movie definitely has the Palshife Seal of Approval. Go see it now, if you have not already!
District 9 can pretty much be described as a documentary style, anti-Apartheid, Alien Nation inspired science fiction twist on the 1980s remake of The Fly, with some action thrown in for good measure. Aliens "crash land" on Earth (for a lack of a better way to call it), and are forced into the eponymous slum in Johannesburg, South Africa. After some time of Humans Are Discriminatory Shits, it's left to the movie's protagonist and political worm Wikus van der Merwe to serve eviction notices to the aliens living in District 9, aided by the MNU, a government agency hell bent on utilising the alien's weaponry, which only arms when alien DNA is present. Plenty of gut-wrenching moments ensue where Humans Are Dicks to the "prawns". After breaking in to a home where an alien named Christopher, his friend, and his son have spent the prior 20 years collecting the liquid they need to fuel their space ship from junked alien tech, Wikus gets a face-full of the stuff, which promptly starts reprogramming his DNA. Now finding himself on the other side of the fence as his body slowly metamorphoses and the world lusts after an arm capable of wielding alien weaponry, Wikus continues to be generally self-serving and cowardly, but makes a deal with Christopher to help him get the fuel for his ship back, on the condition of reversing the transformation.
Over all, District 9 is a very satisfying sci-fi romp. Wikus, in spite of his flaws, does develop to the point of being likeable, and in a way, is more believable as a character because his change of viewpoint isn't instantaneous or forced. The aliens themselves are well rendered, but are more so brought to life not only by believable depictions of their day to day life, but the struggles they endure in order to survive long enough to be able to go home. There was some disappointment in the ending, however; it's an obvious setup for a sequel, which it very much deserves, but one of the final obstacles is dealt with in a fit of deus ex machina that could have easily been set up to be more meaningful. Spoiler: After the prawns tore apart the merc, they could have done something to acknowledge Wikus, some kind of "now, we are square" gesture, making it more than just some random act of violence upon an object of their frustration. But it's far from a deal breaker, and is still a very well told story.
This movie definitely has the Palshife Seal of Approval. Go see it now, if you have not already!