Caution: Spoilers!
I really liked District 9.
I don't look for a character I can empathize with in every movie. Lots of my favorite movies have no
character with whom to empathize ; Raging Bull & Taxi Driver to name just a few.
I liked that it was a movie with no clear good guys and bad guys -- I don't like movies that make it too easy for you.
For example, I hate to death all of those Robin Williams movies where Williams plays the lovable huggable doctor/teacher/disc jockey/whatever who just wants to do voices and make everyone laugh & inspire everyone all the time, but the mean old head master/head surgeon/head of the Radio station/head of whatever just wants to stop him.
Why?
Because the plot needs a bad guy and the fim maker doesn't want to take any chance that you might not empathize with old Mork.
In District 9, everyone is some shade of gray and no matter who you root for or against, you're empathizing with someone or something that is not all good or all bad.
In other alien movies, you either root against the aliens because they're exploding out of people's chests or your heart is melting because ET has huge eyes, feels your feelings and just wants to go home to his mommy, or they're playing some bitchin' tunes and inviting Richard Dreyfus onto their space craft.
I liked that District 9 took some familar elements, subverted the genre and did something a little different. And they didn't go all goofy in the end like 2001 A Space Odyssey. It's easy to subvert the genre if you just go all kooky.
District 9 explores the whole idea of empathy and its origins.
This is a common theme in science fiction. It goes right to the heart of what it means to be human, empathetic, how we feel towards those who are different, how we feel when we are made to walk a mile in their shoes, or in this case, their DNA.
Great storytelling, great thematic development and it's all wrapped up in a film with plenty of shooting, guts exploding, chase, conflict and tension -- a great combination of entertainment for both the mind and the body. Not too ponderous, not too mindless action, but more goldilocks juuuuust right. Keeps your blood pumping throughout and then you can either take it at that level or there is plenty to talk about over coffee afterwards -- my favorite type of film.
For my taste, District 9 was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time.
I really liked District 9.
I don't look for a character I can empathize with in every movie. Lots of my favorite movies have no
character with whom to empathize ; Raging Bull & Taxi Driver to name just a few.
I liked that it was a movie with no clear good guys and bad guys -- I don't like movies that make it too easy for you.
For example, I hate to death all of those Robin Williams movies where Williams plays the lovable huggable doctor/teacher/disc jockey/whatever who just wants to do voices and make everyone laugh & inspire everyone all the time, but the mean old head master/head surgeon/head of the Radio station/head of whatever just wants to stop him.
Why?
Because the plot needs a bad guy and the fim maker doesn't want to take any chance that you might not empathize with old Mork.
In District 9, everyone is some shade of gray and no matter who you root for or against, you're empathizing with someone or something that is not all good or all bad.
In other alien movies, you either root against the aliens because they're exploding out of people's chests or your heart is melting because ET has huge eyes, feels your feelings and just wants to go home to his mommy, or they're playing some bitchin' tunes and inviting Richard Dreyfus onto their space craft.
I liked that District 9 took some familar elements, subverted the genre and did something a little different. And they didn't go all goofy in the end like 2001 A Space Odyssey. It's easy to subvert the genre if you just go all kooky.
District 9 explores the whole idea of empathy and its origins.
This is a common theme in science fiction. It goes right to the heart of what it means to be human, empathetic, how we feel towards those who are different, how we feel when we are made to walk a mile in their shoes, or in this case, their DNA.
Great storytelling, great thematic development and it's all wrapped up in a film with plenty of shooting, guts exploding, chase, conflict and tension -- a great combination of entertainment for both the mind and the body. Not too ponderous, not too mindless action, but more goldilocks juuuuust right. Keeps your blood pumping throughout and then you can either take it at that level or there is plenty to talk about over coffee afterwards -- my favorite type of film.
For my taste, District 9 was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time.
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