District 9, an expectation flick

I call District 9 an expectation flick I think your expectations going into the theater will greatly influence how much you like this movie. Critics all across America are raving about this movie, as they should. BUT, and I want you to pay attention to this, don't let your expectations get too high. I went into the theater expecting some terrific, groundbreaking, good vs. evil sci fi actioner. And while it was groundbreaking, and an amazing sci fi actioner, it wasn't as terrific as I had hoped, and the good vs. evil thing is a not what I was expecting. For those of you who may be living in a cave, District 9 is a movie that takes place in an alternate reality where, 20 years ago, aliens came to Earth, more specifically Johannesburg, South Africa, in a broken down ship. The are subsequently put into a shanty town called District 9. Fast forward 20 years to the present day. The world is just as we know it, except aliens are refugees in South Africa. This stirs up images and memories of the Apartheid, but avoids any political grandstanding. The protagonist of the story is a man who works for the company that is in charge of relocating the aliens (or prawns as they are referred to in the movie) to another facility (see concentration camp) further away from the city. The story goes on from there.

In my opinion, I wasn't crazy about this movie. Having said that, it's hard for me to really put my finger on why I didn't. This movie has everything a great movie should, everything that says, for once, all the critics are right. Let me start with what I liked about the movie, and why I understand why its getting the reviews its getting. The special effects are absolutely AMAZING. But not over done, I mean this movie was made on a relatively small budget. The aliens look real. Like they are actual real live beings. The ship that hovers above the city looks like it is really there. The first act of the movie is brilliantly told in a documentary style which follows around the protagonist, a guy named Wickus (guess its a South African thing...). This effectively gets you engaged in the movie because it makes you feel like you are watching a real news program, like aliens really do live in South Africa. The turning point for the second act is a total WTF! moment which I did not see coming, and thus totally enjoyed. The last act is a continuous non-stop action ride. The movie effectively went from a deliberate, sci fi thinker, to a crazy, holy shit did that just happen? action thrill ride.

Now, let me tell you what I didn't like. The middle drags on a bit too long. There are quite a few plot holes. One gaping one is that a broken down spaceship still manages to stay hovering over a city. Another is that, some how, after twenty years, aliens under stand English and Nigerian, and everyone understands alien, even Nigerian gangsters, but whatever, its a movie, suspend your disbelief right? The holes in the plot do not take away from the movie at all, and actually just make it a little cooler, but they are still holes. My main problem was that I couldn't connect with Wickus. At first he seems like a lovable, kind hearted sort of loser, but then when he's working with the aliens, he seems kind of weaselly. The main thing that bothered me, is that I thought the climax or the main problem that would drive the movie, would be something involving human vs. alien, kind of like all the other hundreds of alien movies, and while it kind of is, it is also kind of not. But because its different, it really actually makes the movie a little cooler.

Having said all this, I think District 9 deserves another viewing. I may have just been in a bad mood when I watched it. My roommate saw it last night and really liked it, but he said he was glad he heard my somewhat negative review, in addition to all the rave reviews he read, because it lowered his expectations just enough to where he thoroughly enjoyed it. I advise everyone to go see this movie, just because it is very unique, and a different story. While I can't give it rave reviews, I think I'll give it another shot.