District 9?

[Alluveal]

Anyone see it yet?

I've heard good things so far.

 

[Ninja_Squirrel]

I saw it. It was okay. I give it a C+, which isn't horrible. It is not the masterpiece so many others are making it out to be, but I think I'm in the minority with that opinion. A lot of people out there are loving it.

 

[GKarsEye]

Even if I end up hating it, I'm just excited that this came out along with Moon. How long have we been pissing and moaning about the lack of intelligent, adult sci-fi? Two such movies- attempts, even- is a great thing.

 

[Mike G]

Saw it last night, and I really enjoyed it. I don't think it was the masterpiece I thought it would be before it came out, but I would definitely recommend it to everyone here. It was intelligent, original, and entertaining. I would not be surprised if this director went on to do some amazing films in the future.

 

[Alluveal]

I thought it was directed by Peter Jackson? Or did he just produce?

 

[Jade Jaguar]

According to the IMDb, producer Peter Jackson offered director Neill Blomkamp $30 million, to direct what he wanted, after another picture deal fell through. I read the synopsis on the IMDb, and the film sounds interesting to me.

I just read a bit more. It seems that the film is based on a short, made by the same director, in 2005. Shades of George Lucas, who made a student film, and later based his first feature, THX 1138 on it.

 

[darth_librarian]

I got Geek-horn for this one. Its great to see a sci-fi movie that is not a remake, franchise, novel or comic book spin off. To get two in one year is awesome.

 

[B5_Obsessed]

According to the IMDb, producer Peter Jackson offered director Neill Blomkamp $30 million, to direct what he wanted, after another picture deal fell through. I read the synopsis on the IMDb, and the film sounds interesting to me.

I just read a bit more. It seems that the film is based on a short, made by the same director, in 2005. Shades of George Lucas, who made a student film, and later based his first feature, THX 1138 on it.

The deal that fell through was HALO. Other short films that spawned feature films include "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" and the upcoming animated film "Nine".

I thought the film was good, definitely something a little different although I was really expecting this great thought provoking socio-political angle to the film. The angle is there, but it's only really for satirical and comedic purposes. The film goes from mostly satirical mockumentary into straight out action film, which is fine but I must admit I fell for all the hype and was expecting some kind of mind expanding experience.

 

[jnk5y]

I thought it was great. I agree with you Obsessed that it could have done more with the socio-political angle. But I like that they didn't try to ram it down our throats. Sometimes a movie gets ruined by trying too hard to make the audience notice. It was there for the people who wanted to notice.

 

[B5_Obsessed]

I thought it was great. I agree with you Obsessed that it could have done more with the socio-political angle. But I like that they didn't try to ram it down our throats. Sometimes a movie gets ruined by trying too hard to make the audience notice. It was there for the people who wanted to notice.

I'm not even necessarily saying that I wanted the angle - the use of South Africa for a location was a rather heavy chunk of lead as it was, but I was certainly expecting it after all the hyperbole about this "powerful, thoughtful, intelligent, must be experienced to be believed" motion picture event that the critics and online reviewers had been gushing over for weeks.

 

[jnk5y]

I thought it was great. I agree with you Obsessed that it could have done more with the socio-political angle. But I like that they didn't try to ram it down our throats. Sometimes a movie gets ruined by trying too hard to make the audience notice. It was there for the people who wanted to notice.

I'm not even necessarily saying that I wanted the angle - the use of South Africa for a location was a rather heavy chunk of lead as it was, but I was certainly expecting it after all the hyperbole about this "powerful, thoughtful, intelligent, must be experienced to be believed" motion picture event that the critics and online reviewers had been gushing over for weeks.

Ah I see. Thankfully I missed all the gushing

I think the way the main character acted towards the aliens was interesting. An average guy, not a bad guy, not a racist or anything but the way he talks about the aliens, how he shows off for the new guy and how he treats them shows how easy it is for a "good" person to be horribly prejudiced and downright awful to another being. It reminds me of the nice old ladies in the south (USA) who can help the poor and needy one day and then treat blacks like they are worse than dirt the next.

 

[B5_Obsessed]

I think the way the main character acted towards the aliens was interesting. An average guy, not a bad guy, not a racist or anything but the way he talks about the aliens, how he shows off for the new guy and how he treats them shows how easy it is for a "good" person to be horribly prejudiced and downright awful to another being. It reminds me of the nice old ladies in the south (USA) who can help the poor and needy one day and then treat blacks like they are worse than dirt the next.

You can't really fault him. He was going on assumptions because the Prawns were very secretive and appeared to be a bunch of garbage eating thieves. His experience told him that you had to take a firm hand with them because they could kill you pretty damn quick if they got mad. There is a point, however, when he sees discovers what the Prawns have been up to and he starts gleefully shouting "I knew you f***ers were smart!", so it also shows that he had an open mind, he just needed to see it for himself.

 

[hypatia]

I watched it on Pay Per View tonight.

I'm not much into action/adventure, so from my perspective they could have cut the time in half. I'd definitely have been impressed if they had played that angle down and the socio-study angle up. But it might not have been as popular. And at least that angle was there, and not "in your face, this here's a moral" kind of way, either.

It was definitely better to show the lead's prejudice as being sympathetic and in ignorance, but definitely there. He doesn't take them seriously, nor their rights. ("This says you have to give me 24 hours" caught him off guard.)

Definitely an improvement in the sci-fi offerings we've had lately (it has been rather repetetive, hasn't it been?) I look forward to renting/buying "Moon" soon as well.

Definitely these are the movies I'd like to see more of.

 

[B5_Obsessed]

Definitely an improvement in the sci-fi offerings we've had lately (it has been rather repetetive, hasn't it been?) I look forward to renting/buying "Moon" soon as well.

Definitely these are the movies I'd like to see more of.

Hyp, are you just very busy or are you living on an asteroid? I rented MOON at least a month ago.
It's good, almost no action, so you should really like it.

 

[hypatia]

There is no movie theater in the town I live in, and I rarely see movies in the theater. It just stopped being worth driving 40 minutes to sit through a 2 hour or more movie when if I wait just about half a year I can see it or buy it anyway.

 

[KoshN]

Even if I end up hating it, I'm just excited that this came out along with Moon. How long have we been pissing and moaning about the lack of intelligent, adult sci-fi? Two such movies- attempts, even- is a great thing.

I saw District 9, and initially disliked it, but it grew on me and by the end, I liked it. Just saw Moon (Netflix rental) and disliked it, ....didn't hate it, just disliked it. Seemed thin, not much there, padded out movie length.