Sunday, August 16, 2009

You are not welcome here

Just got back from the movies and I must say that I really enjoyed District 9. Peter Jackson is the producer with Neill Blomkamp as the director. This is Neill's first full length movie and he does an outstanding job of bringing thought provoking science fiction to the big screen.

Like all good science Fiction, District 9 does a wonderful job of crafting the current issues with explosions and goo to make entertainment that when you sit and think, tells you something of the human condition. Yes, it could be a buddy movie and yes it could have been pure guts and guns, but setting the aliens within the confines of what was once the most repressive segregated cultures in the modern world, it help high light man's on ability to cause harm to those around them when the 'dehumanize' them.

The Other Half and I went at the matinee and I was surprised that she enjoyed the movie as much as I did. Some of the Boom! and Splat! might have turned her off, but the other items held her to the story. That is good science fiction, when you can get past those window dressings and enjoy the story, regardless of the trappings.

My hope is that they leave the setting with all the delightful questions that the show left open and not be tempted by box office success to create a District 10, Revenge of the Prawns! Please, please, please...

As for a rating, I would give it 3.75 alien tentacle fingers out of 4. Good job Mr. Blomkamp, keep up the good work.

jp
but you are, please sit down.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

I gotta say I'm looking forward to catching that flick. Nice write up.

Ellros said...

Steve was not impressed he said. Said it is worth a rental, but not a full price movie ticket. So I'll pass.

Zarzthor said...

Steve and I usually agree on movies, so that is why I passed on your invite. Now after reading your opinion I'll have to think over waiting for the 'flix to get it.

Unknown said...

I liked it. Was it 'Star Wars'? No. It was thought provoking. The one complaint I would make was that it switched half way through from being a documentary style of a 'day in the life of a corporate scum that kicks out aliens' to a standard view movie.

Other then that, it was solid.

jp

Unknown said...

Now that I have to take squigherder junior with me to the movies, and he thinks he should two-fisted scarf expensive movie snacks......I'm big time on the netflix train and will probably only go out for MAJOR movie events from now on.

Thanks for the review!

Daimyo said...

To clarify what Rob and Eric said, I did enjoy the movie, but I had a hard time recommending it to people.

If people go into District 9 thinking it another Transformers or GI Joe, they would be disappointed. On the other hand, I'm a fan of old school sci fi (not the science fantasy that passes for sci fi - or should I say scy fy? - these days) where they frame social issues in a new context to that people could actually talk about the issue. The old Twilight Zone was pretty good about that in some of their episodes.

That said, production values were excellent and it is refreshing to see an actual piece of sci fi make the big screen. I don't hesitate to tell people to rent it, but only a relative handful would I say they need to drop their $8 to get the silver screen experience.

Unknown said...

I actually ended up seeing it on Sunday. I liked it quite a bit.

I thought it was interesting that they used such an unfamiliar/ethnic name for the human protagonist while using the simple to remember name for the 'Prawn'.

-Adam

P.S. Any chance that Andy showed up on Tuesday John? Just wondering if I should be ready for a demo this Sunday.

Unknown said...

Hey Adam,

I didn't really see any strangers that showed interest. Just some magic players hanging around.

You and Dan going to join the Rampage by chance? No fee since we never got the kit in.

jp

Unknown said...

Not sure, I'll ask him today.