Is it Real or is it Memorex?
Written: Aug 16 '09 (Updated Aug 18 '09)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Bang For The Buck |
 |
|
|
Pros: Entertaining popcorn movie. Rousing Score. Sympathetic character.
Cons: A lot of improbabilities, but still entertaining.
The Bottom Line: It defies logic, but it's very entertaining. Non-stop action.
|
|
|
| lli_wright's Full Review: District 9 |
District 9 is unlike any sci-fi movie in recent memory. The last time I was wowed by sci-fi was the Matrix. Good sci-fi only only comes around so often and like the Matrix, what Peter Jackson (the producer) has done is make the audience believe it could happen and care about what is happening. I wasn't thrilled with his remake of of King Kong which was way long and more cinematic glitz than substance. His LOTR trilogy will go down in history as a monumental cinema accomplishment. He returns to form with District 9. He has teamed with a newcomer Neil Blomkamp (director) to make one original movie.
It begins slowly with a camera positioned on Wikus (pronounced Vickers) explaining his job tasks in the Multi-National United,a quasi-government agency located in Johannesburg, South Africa, and formed to control captured aliens. The alien mothership has stalled (literally) over Johannesburg and the Army arrested the 1 million spaceship inhabitants and placed them in District 9, surrounded by barbed wire. It has been 20 years since they and the mothership arrived and the South Africans are fed up with them. Residents want the government to kill them or relocate them to another country. Because of the public's outcry, the MNU headed by Wikus, begins to evict the aliens ("prawns") and relocate them to another area 200 miles outside of Johannesburg. In the meantime, during those years, Nigerian gangsters have moved into the ghetto and become the financiers for the District, trading guns, food, illegal activities, and enrichening themselves.
When Wikus arrives at District 9 to evict the inhabitants, he is confronted by aliens who are compliant and some are defiant. In some cases, gun fire erupts between the two sides. Wikus wants peace, not war, and seems to be sympathetic to the alien position. In one of his home calls, Wikus contracts a virus that literally turns him into half-human, half-alien. He becomes valuable to MNU for experimental purposes, but he wants to revert to his natural human position, and escapes from the MNU labs back into the alien compound. He seeks a remedy to his half-human, half-alien condition and befriends an alien, Christopher who has the technology to cure his condition. Their relationship is both contentious and dependent.
D9 is more than engaging. You find yourself first rallying against the aliens and then sympathizing with them. You root for Wikus and then wish him out of his pain. The brilliance of the movie is you never know what side to care for - MNU? Wikus and crew? Or the aliens?
There is enough violence, gun fire, explosions, and body blow-ups to entertain the fan boys. And the story aint shabby either. Is it coincidence that it takes place in South Africa which had a long history of apartheid?
What may cause the Hollywood suits to take notice is the movie has no-big name actors and cost only $30Million. [it made its money back the first weekend] The story has funny moments and improbable moments, but it never stops entertaining and holding attention. . The cinematography keeps moving along with the many characters, and the music score is rousing. As it goes along, it's a little bit of ET, a little bit of Robocop, and Aliens. As the main character Wikus (Sharlto Copley) evolves and transforms we tend to care whether the supporting characters live or die.
The only drawback to the movie are the aliens who seem to be from the casting office of other sci-fi movies.
This movie has long legs and will be considered one of the best alongside Blade Runner, Aliens, and Matrix.
Actors: Sharlto Copley (Wikus)
Jed Brophy (Police Officer Jason Hope)
Marion Hooman (Mrs. Wikus)
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Action Movie
Viewing Method: Other
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Nothing
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
lli_wright
|
|
Location: Chicago, IL, US
Reviews written: 243
Trusted by: 13 members
About Me:
Working stiff who loves to give opinions to anybody who will listen.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.