District 9

[Meresgi]

Multi
National
United

Idiots didn't pay attention, no wonder you didn't like certain parts.

And? They don't actually have to be United/National or even Multiple People to name themselves that (Well ok I guess if it's a company the multiple would fit). I mean shit, I could form up a company right now that sells paperclips and call it Global National Universal Paperclips.

[Kiira]

yeah but they didnt make up a company just to prove a point.

[EternityEnd]

And? They don't actually have to be United/National or even Multiple People to name themselves that (Well ok I guess if it's a company the multiple would fit). I mean shit, I could form up a company right now that sells paperclips and call it Global National Universal Paperclips.

Because information like that is put into works of fiction on accident or without specific intent... Oh, wait. It isn't the real world, so the name of the company is significant, and was put in so that people could infer that the company was created as a united multi-national effort.

[Neosutra]

Ya, it was because we werent paying attention, that's why we found aspects of the film unrealistic.

Im sure you believe the Discovery Institute is a research firm, right?

And Meresgi hit the nail on the head. I already said I LIKED the movie, but was critiquing parts that didnt work for me. Some people are just really dense.

[Meresgi]

yeah but they didnt make up a company just to prove a point.

DIDNT THEY?!




http://i.ytimg.com/vi/d-6ScHJLvoE/0.jpg

[Dense]

Some people are just really dense.

I agree. Hi.

[Ziero]

Multi
National
United

Idiots didn't pay attention, no wonder you didn't like certain parts.

It's still a privately owned company, it just has branches all over the world.

It's not multiple nations working as one, it's one, single weapons and technology manufacturing company that employed PMCs, Private Military Corporations, to do it's dirty work since as a company, it doesn't have a standing army of it's own. The nations of the world have no control or say what happens to this company or what it does, it's a few key CEOs who make all the decisions. It's why they could get away with the weapons testing and genetic manipulations, because there was no government interactions, interventions or inspections.

This movie was just as much a message against privately run corporations who go wild with greed and ignore the value of life as it was a statement on the conditions of refugees in SA.

Because information like that is put into works of fiction on accident or without specific intent... Oh, wait. It isn't the real world, so the name of the company is significant, and was put in so that people could infer that the company was created as a united multi-national effort.

Teh ironing burns.

MNU was created before the Aliens landed. They were the first to make contact with them and was thus given the contract by the South African government to be the sole and single care providers for the aliens. No where in the movie did MNU ever state it was created by the nations of the world to help the aliens, and if that's what you "inferred" you'd be incredibly mistaken. In fact it was said that they were around before them, specifically mentioning that this company was one of the largest, leading arms manufacturers in the world. It is not an alliance of international governments, it is a single weapons and technology company that got their hands on the aliens first and made sure no one else did.

The only government they had to worry about was the South African government, and the movie made it clear, they wanted nothing to do with the aliens.

[Izzy]

And? They don't actually have to be United/National or even Multiple People to name themselves that (Well ok I guess if it's a company the multiple would fit). I mean shit, I could form up a company right now that sells paperclips and call it Global National Universal Paperclips.

SEMANTICS YAYYYYY

[Elvis]

I don't think we'd even need or want a coalition of the world's armies. If they were really as helpless as the movie portrayed, either the US, Russia, maybe China would be all over it. We'd probably be fighting with each other instead of together on who gets control.

If the movie did follow a more realistic/worldly approach, I would've enjoyed it more, would want to watch again. Instead, it was focused on JUST JHB as if the rest of the world didn't want to get involved.

I guess that's one of the point of the movie? how the world didn't want to get involved in the South African Apartheid? The only parts I did like were the science fiction aspects of it, fights with the weaponry, grav gun, mecha; but I could've done without the "humanity" aspect of it which is supposed to be based on reality.

There was a massive boycott on SA. However, it came after years of education on the subject. Lots of atrocities were committed and all the usual stuff that comes w/ institutionalized racism, colonialism, imperialism, etc.

These types of things are happening today still and 'the world' (various powerful States) does not get involved unless it suits 'their' interests.

Everyday people do stuff though.

We supported apartheid SA too. We supported similar injustices like the Indonesian invasion/attempted colonization of E. Timor/etc. etc. etc.

-----

I think this movie was fantastic. I don't ever consider whether the science in these kind of films (context: using science as part of the scenery to explore a theme, i.e. human nature) is plausible.

Think of Blade Runner. Are we going to sit here and discuss whether a 'Replicant' could exist?

"Art is the lie that tells the truth."

And how much action was there in this film? Not much. When I saw the trailer, I was expecting a lame sci-fi/action-horror type of popcorn flick. A dime a dozen yarn.

It was completely different. Not the greatest thing since sliced bread, but it was a very compelling piece of pop art.

The themes it explored were fleshed out completely. The interviews and mockumentary style of the story-telling was just enough (without becoming distracting) to convey the parallels between the situation of the Aliens and the various colonized people throughout the world today and in the past.

The main point was to humanize 'the other' - the Aliens.

It's not supposed to be a history lesson. It's just a way to convey a point of view. And it did that very well.

Seems like an above-average popcorn flick; interesting story, interesting themes that people can relate to given the politics in the world today, etc.

[Neosutra]

I didnt like blade runner either =/.

I feel like I should, just found the movie to be mostly boring.

[Elvis]

I was never taken aback by the story of Blade Runner either, so I can see why people think it's boring.

I just liked the concepts it explored and the aesthetics. A lot of that movie is just appreciating the scenery and how innovative the cinematography/set pieces were for the time (1980?). The Director's Cut still holds up to this day. It's really timeless.

[Alderaan]

I didn't like Blade Runner after my first viewing. I was too young and didn't understand it at the time. I was expecting Star Wars i suppose, and understandably. It bombed in the box office at the time, but it ended up becoming a cult hit sort of thing. I look at it as a sci-fi masterpiece now. Some of my friends think it's boring, but they also find some of the greatest films ever made boring as well.

[FallingHigher]

Might check this out at the weekend, it's released in the UK tomorrow.

[Lee]

Finally saw this... And while I didn't really find the allegory to SA to be accurate, the sheer excitement and visuals in the film are enough to bury anything that I would find disagreeable with plot. I came to the movies to have fun and enjoy myself, and I came out of District-9 very satisfied.

I'm hoping they do a sequel, BUT only if they put a lot of work behind it like the first. District-10 gogo.

[MoogleAura]

Oh that Wikus, could barely understand that crazy Dutch/South African accent but he was great though. =D Really hope they do a sequel, I wonder if they'll just rescue the other prawns or start a war?

Fun Fact ~ A friend of mine at work who's from Malawi told me that some of those Nigerians in the film (Inc the guy in the wheelchair) where actually from Malawi. She said they even talked in Malawi. =)

[orson]

This is fucking retarded arguing over whether or not this movie was realistic or not. It's completely subjective as to whether it's believable or not. Some people will see this movie as realistic and some people won't. To hypothesize over the scientific side of the movie is irrelevant because there's no way to change the events in the movie.

If Neo finds that the plot of the movie was unrealistic and that ruined his experience that is a fact, who the fuck cares? Sure he's speculating too but speculation vs speculation is ridiculous. He's not wrong just because you think the scenario is possible because it's only your opinion that it's plausible. Also his belief that it is an impossible scenario doesn't invalidate your feelings that it is plausible (unless there's some inkling doubt that you might be wrong so you have to come up with reasons to explain shit that did or did not happen.) No where was Neo even saying any where that you must not enjoy this movie because of his reasons. People just got butt hurt and started arguing over whether a fucking science fiction movie was realistic or not, WHO CARES!!! Personal opinion is what matters even if you're a professional critic.

I felt that the way they didn't focus on the technology or government reaction did a good job of making me not over analyze. This movie's main goal was commentary on the racism and exploitation of people that has happened in the past. I think it did a very good job of this early on but when it started focusing more on specific people it started to lose direction a bit because they focused too much on the technology saving the day.

Spoiler: show

A lot of the technology was hard to believe; fuel turning the guy into an alien, floating mother ship that supposedly wasn't powered, Christopher creating a bomb for their escape from MNU in seconds, etc.

That didn't bother me much though because the technology wasn't the focus it was the interaction between the characters. The prawns were emotive and very believable. The whole movie was an attempt to make you feel empathy for the alien similar to King King but on a very different level and it did this in spades.

Final word for me is to go into this movie with an open mind and you'll enjoy it more. Overall it delivers on making commentary that humans can be greedy, racist bastards but that we can change (not really a deep message) and the short action scenes keep the movie moving at a good pace to keep your interest.

[EternityEnd]

...You mean a week ago?

[fishstix]

Surprise: Nigerian Government Bans 'District 9' - Cinematical

[Kyo]

Finally got a chance to see this and I really enjoyed the movie, hope there is a sequel, the body changes he was going through looked pretty cool.

[fishstix]

Dunno if anyone still cares, but came across this and thought it was interesting
5 things you didn't know about District 9

particularly this part:

As you may know, District 9 was inspired by Neill Blomkamp's short film Alive In Joburg. But what many people don't realize is that he created Alive In Joburg's footage of people being interviewed about aliens, by using real interviews.

I was asking black South Africans about black Nigerians and Zimbabweans. That's actually where the idea came from was there are aliens living in South Africa, I asked "What do you feel about Zimbabwean Africans living here?" And those answers — they weren't actors, those are real answers...