District 9

[Korietsu]

Don't really care about the whole reverse-engineering bit though it did irk me. I thought the bigger plot hole was why the aliens didn't own the shit out of MNU, seeing as it only took 1 and a half of them to wreak havoc.

Cat food. That and the guys that were out there were mostly drones. Chris and his kid were a bit smarter than that, and not catfood crazy.

[Neosutra]

Oh Im sorry guys, I didnt realize the techinical plot holes that I found unrealistic fucking effected your movie experiences. Suck a dick.

And EternityEnd, your conclusions are retarded. You are underestimating our knowledge of material science and biology. The periodic table doesnt change for you based on whether you are on earth or planet fucking vulcan.

The technical premises were silly.

The lack of reverse engineering and COMPLETE inability of humanity to use any of their tech was silly.

The complete lack of organization and effort put in by the worlds governments to house/help the aliens was silly.

I realize the point of this movie was to show humanity's prejudice of everything that is different, but it trivialized our species and lost the realism in these points. Im sorry if you can dismiss all of that and beat off to "really awesome special effects". This movie was entertaining only in the fact that they kicked ass in the end, stop trying to turn it into a deep metaphor for human behavior, because the writing and directing failed on that lvl in many areas.

[Octavious]

ITT: maybe if people realize that since the aliens landed there a long time ago, it's not meant to be an accurate portrayal of what it would be like today and anyone thinking it was unrealistic should notice that aliens didn't land over south africa in 1980 in the real world. :O

[Neosutra]

Yes.. I realize it was just a movie, thankyou captain obvious. We are discussing the realism in the movie, and problems that lead to loss of that realism (and thus loss of appreciation for the movie) via plot holes, inaccurate techinical assumptions, and innacurate representations of human behavior.

[Octavious]

Yes.. I realize it was just a movie, thank you captain obvious. We are discussing the realism in the movie, and problems that lead to loss of that realism (and thus loss of appreciation for the movie) via plot holes, inaccurate techinical assumptions, and innacurate representations of human behavior.

Maybe I'm missing something, one can assume since it went back 20-30 years it could almost be considered a 'what-if' sceanario, like The Watchmen. I'm sure you complained about super powers being unrealistic because we could have genetically figured out how to give people powers by 1985 when the Comedian was murdered.

I didn't think the movie was like licking god's nipples or anything, but it was good. I disregarded the fact that the weapons couldn't work on the basis that maybe in the timeline of the movie we hadn't progressed that far in that particular science.

[Neosutra]

Maybe I'm missing something, one can assume since it went back 20-30 years it could almost be considered a 'what-if' sceanario, like The Watchmen. I'm sure you complained about super powers being unrealistic because we could have genetically figured out how to give people powers by 1985 when the Comedian was murdered.

I didn't think the movie was like licking god's nipples or anything, but it was good. I disregarded the fact that the weapons couldn't work on the basis that maybe in the timeline of the movie we hadn't progressed that far in that particular science.

I didnt have a problem with the watchmen because it started off by assuming supernatural premises and just made a good story based on that. I.E. I dont have a problem with superman/batman movies, as I find them entertaining and dont require realism as a factor for enjoyment. Aliens most likely exist, and most certainly ones more advanced than us. Superheroes with big blue penis's do not exists (on this planet). There is a difference in the assumptions or realism.

District 9 however based a lot of its quality on this documentary style and a large statement on human social behavior and intelligence. It trivialized our social structures and ability to regulate our own atrocities (to an extent) and drastically underestimated our understanding of our universe. People making excuses for why humans couldnt figure the technology out in 20 years either dont understand much about science, or are just making excuses to make the plot holes not seem so big.

If you make a movie based on the premis that "humans act like this and are this intelligent/stupid" and that premis is inaccurate, than you lose credibility as a plausible story.

[Kwijiboe]

Oh Im sorry guys, I didnt realize the techinical plot holes that I found unrealistic fucking effected your movie experiences. Suck a dick.

And EternityEnd, your conclusions are retarded. You are underestimating our knowledge of material science and biology. The periodic table doesnt change for you based on whether you are on earth or planet fucking vulcan.

The technical premises were silly.

The lack of reverse engineering and COMPLETE inability of humanity to use any of their tech was silly.

The complete lack of organization and effort put in by the worlds governments to house/help the aliens was silly.

I realize the point of this movie was to show humanity's prejudice of everything that is different, but it trivialized our species and lost the realism in these points. Im sorry if you can dismiss all of that and beat off to "really awesome special effects". This movie was entertaining only in the fact that they kicked ass in the end, stop trying to turn it into a deep metaphor for human behavior, because the writing and directing failed on that lvl in many areas.

I understand that you see the movie's interpretation of scientist/researchers to be inaccurate, or more likely, an affront to human to capabilities. However, we don't know what complications researchers are faced with in the process of reverse engineering, we just know that there is a period of 20 years where little to no progress has been made. That being said, we can't disregard that little progress or even, a lot of progress has been made. The movie doesn't offer any contradictory evidence or definitively state that humans will never be able to accomplish certain goals. You are assuming continuity in this regard; just because we haven't been able to do so in a small (is 20 years small?) period of time doesn't mean that we will never achieve those goals. (or haven't already accomplished some of those goals)

As for the complete lack of an organization (organizations, or world organizations) and effort put in by an organization or organizations to house/help others/aliens. Are there examples of this happening in our past? If there are past examples, then this casts doubt on your conclusion.

Plot holes are in every movie, and some are excused by warranted assumptions. However, there is no way we can make safe assumptions about what else is going on in the movie realm, if, we are not given adequate evidence to make those assumptions. Most importantly, we can't make assumptions about past or present events. There is no one explanation to arrive at certain conclusions, so we can not definitively accept any conclusions. Are humans incapable? Possibly, but not necessarily so.

[Kibble]

District 9 however based a lot of its quality on this documentary style and a large statement on human social behavior and intelligence. It trivialized our social structures and ability to regulate our own atrocities (to an extent)

Haha, oh, wow. For being as intelligent as you claim to be, you think you'd have heard about South African apartheid.

[Rhyis.]

Are people actually arguing that a sci-fi film wasn't realistic enough?

[grantlogan]

Are people actually arguing that a sci-fi film wasn't realistic enough?

Leave it to Neo to totally shit up a thread to the max. Nobody mention Independence Day!

[Seraph]

Leave it to Neo to totally shit up a thread to the max. Nobody mention Independence Day!

But Jeff Goldblum got Linux to interface with the alien mothership OS in less than 24 hours, how the hell couldn't we figure out how to fire an insect gun in 20 years? D:

[Neosutra]

I wasnt arguing that the movie wasnt realistic enough, I was pointing out which parts killed the realism that the movie was attempting to portray. Try and keep up.

[Xno Kappa]

Cat food. That and the guys that were out there were mostly drones. Chris and his kid were a bit smarter than that, and not catfood crazy.

So 1,799,997 of the 1.8 million aliens got addicted to cat-food and harbored no ill will to the human race for introducing and enabling what essentially are drugs to drug-addicts of their imprisoned people? Gotcha. Seemed more like a weak plot device to me.

[Korietsu]

So 1,799,997 of the 1.8 million aliens got addicted to cat-food and harbored no ill will to the human race for introducing and enabling what essentially are drugs to drug-addicts of their imprisoned people? Gotcha. Seemed more like a weak plot device to me.

It's not like they harbored no ill will, its just that they were too dumb to do otherwise. Its one of those, don't bite the hand that feeds things going on. The aliens that turned in the power armor dropped from 10k to 100 cans just because they wanted the food that much.

[Rhyis.]

So 1,799,997 of the 1.8 million aliens got addicted to cat-food and harbored no ill will to the human race for introducing and enabling what essentially are drugs to drug-addicts of their imprisoned people? Gotcha. Seemed more like a weak plot device to me.

Sure sounds like Africa to me.

[Azkarin2]

And EternityEnd, your conclusions are retarded. You are underestimating our knowledge of material science and biology. The periodic table doesnt change for you based on whether you are on earth or planet fucking vulcan.

Isn't there a chance that there is something out there that could fuck up our idea of science? I took my last science class 6 years ago but I was always under the assumption that there is always the chance that we are all wrong with our theories about the universe... So when I see plot holes like this I just chalk it up to that small chance we don't know everything. Maybe new elements, antigravity, etc.

[EternityEnd]

I wasnt arguing that the movie wasnt realistic enough, I was pointing out which parts killed the realism that the movie was attempting to portray. Try and keep up.

There's nothing real about this movie, idiot. It's fictional. It was analogizing the aliens' treatment to the treatment of the Africans in the same area, largely to humiliate the South African government enough to where they might make an effort to clean up their slums. It was a movie made to draw those parallels and stir sympathies with the real poverty-laden and oppressed people in that region. (They filmed District 9 in real slums in South Africa.)

The aliens, and their technology? Not the movie's focus. They also weren't real. The movie was made as a humanitarian effort to help the real people the aliens were meant to portray. There was nothing real about the alien scenario, it was fictional.

I guess Superman would be better idea if Clark Kent didn't have superpowers, and instead saved everyone using regular means. After all, the powers kill the realism which Superman tries to portray. Err....

I don't even think you're a scientist, Neo. I think you're making it all up to sound more important and relevant in religious debates. You never seem to go into detail in your mind-numbing arguments with Plow, all you can do is yell "NO U" all damn day. A real scientist as intelligent as you allege yourself to be wouldn't constantly misspell words like "sophomoric" to the point where I have to PM you with corrections. Your spelling is so lamentably bad that I find it strikingly hard to believe that you passed High School English courses, let alone have written enough papers in college to qualify for half the profession you claim to have.

I fucking swear... Must you ruin every single thread you post in? This is a movie thread, not a Firas or religion thread. Why are you shitting it up so hardcore with your pitiful debates about "realism" when you're trying to describe a fictional movie on a fictional earth?

[Neosutra]

Isn't there a chance that there is something out there that could fuck up our idea of science? I took my last science class 6 years ago but I was always under the assumption that there is always the chance that we are all wrong with our theories about the universe... So when I see plot holes like this I just chalk it up to that small chance we don't know everything. Maybe new elements, antigravity, etc.

Not fundamental things like matter and components to physics objects. If the aliens had floating spheres of light that altered reality and space time, I would understand the "omg how do we work this", but if they are physical components then we can use a plethora of techniques to determine the chemical/biological/material makeup, and figure out what is causing each component to work. It was just a trivial representation of humanity, which kinda blew it for me. And again, I still liked the movie, Im just pointing out aspects that I thought could have been done better.

Edit: Holy crap Eternal, get the stick out of your ass. I realize you feel utterly and completely raped from the few times you've posted in science/religion threads, but dont let that previous scarring spill over into other threads.

YES, WE ALL KNOW IT WAS FICTIONAL, BE LESS RETARDED. The point is that movies (and try to keep up here) that are trying to immerse you into their world, lose that realism that draws you in when they make logical mistakes or obvious plot holes. The movie was supposed to take place in our universe, on our Earth, and be an accurate representation of humanity and our own prejudice. We are analyzing the factual problems with the REALITY they are trying to display.

I realize these are hard concepts for you, but grow the fuck up.

[Headspace]

What a terrible conversation, on both fucking ends.

[EternityEnd]

Edit: Holy crap Eternal, get the stick out of your ass. I realize you feel utterly and completely raped from the few times you've posted in science/religion threads, but dont let that previous scarring spill over into other threads.

What? lol You're the one who gets seduced by Plow's trolling attempts and continue arguing with him in every thread in General. Do you even know which poster I am? I think you're confusing me with you.

The movie was supposed to take place in our universe, on our Earth, and be an accurate representation of humanity and our own prejudice. We are analyzing the factual problems with the REALITY they are trying to display.

It did represent humanity and our prejudice astutely. Seeing as the movie was based entirely on Wikus' point of view, we have little to no information on what methods were employed on the alien technology. The experiments weren't held by massive government run agencies, they were held by a private human weapon manufacturer, MNU. We don't know the technology they had access to-- let alone in the late 80's.

We don't know anything about said alien weaponry, other than the fact that it was biologically linked with the aliens. We don't know what tests they performed, how the weapons reacted, what materials the weapons were made from, what power-source they used, if they had other defense-mechanisms built in to prevent other species from operating them other than the biological restriction... We don't know anything about any of that, because the movie was based off of Wikus' point of view. He didn't care to inquire.

There were lots of details left untold in the movie-- that was intentional, as the details were unimportant and irrelevant to the moral and point of view of the movie. Attempting to argue the ineptitude of the fictional human scientists when you lack nearly all the pertinent details is impossible, illogical and unintelligent.