District 9
August 23rd, 2009
So I went to see the film District 9 today with a couple of friends. I don’t like to write too much and am not some movie expert, but I’ll share some thoughts on this film. First off, I’ll start by saying that I don’t like number/star ratings because it allows some lesser films to sit along side other great films. That just doesn’t make any sense to me. Currently this movie sits at #33 in the Top 250 at IMDB, which is higher than many great films. Yes I do realize that the ranking will change as people continue to rate it. Okay, where to begin…
The Basics
An alien race is being contained in the slums of South Africa by Earth’s government. We follow a man who is in charge of relocating the aliens to a new camp. In the process, he gets infected by alien biotechnology and starts to become one of them. This of course leads to him becoming alienated himself. Through the transformation we watch him ‘become more human’ and stuff, while blowing shit up and killing people. Okay so that wasn’t the best synopsis, but hey I’m LAZY.
Things I liked
- Being from Vancouver I’m really proud of all the connections related to the production of the film. It’s a good booster for our local film industry. You can read more about this at Vancouver Film School’s website.
- I like the themes about human ignorance and discrimination. It’s something that a lot of us have had to deal with at one point or another. It’s funny how so many of us have experienced it, but yet we continue on with this same mentality and keep the cycle going.
- The visuals were fun to watch. There were cool weapons/machines, explosions, and bodies being blown to bits. There were quite a few moments that wouldn’t be too fun for the squeamish. Setting the film in the slums also created a very gritty and unforgiving atmosphere.
- The main character was very entertaining. They also really did a wonderful job of making the aliens come to life on screen.
- Action scenes were great. I loved the big mech-suit in the final bullet-fest.
Things I didn’t like
- The shaky camera. Yes I know it was done on purpose to create a documentary/journalistic style of film. For me, it made sense in the beginning when there was a camera crew following the main character. In the end I just found that a good 70% of the film just made me dizzy. I am personally tired of all this cliche ‘live camera’ style crap that’s been going around. It just seems like an excuse to avoid good camera work.
- Although the main character ends up becoming the most wanted fugitive in the world, his access code to secure areas is still valid, allowing him to get where he wants to go.
- An important emotional driving force in the film that I hoped would be resolved in the end wasn’t. I guess it just leaves an opening for a District 10.
Overall I would say that the film was quite enjoyable and is worth the price of admission. If you are a sci-fi/action fan, you should go and see this movie!
Categories: MOVIES, REVIEWS | Tags: district 9, movie, review | No Comments
