District 9 Breakdown

My good friend Eric went to see District 9 a couple of weeks back but he was majorly distracted by his girl while trying to watch the movie. Not that being distracted by a girl is bad mind you, but hey, movie tickets ain't cheap. Eric said he liked District 9 but that he couldn't help feel a bit unsure since all he could think about during the film was cutting a hole in the bottom of his popcorn box.

So since Eric wasn't able to fully enjoy D9, he decided to see it again, this time with two hot chicks! Just kidding. He went solo so I asked him if he liked it better the second time around. This is what he said -- spoiler free -- via email:

Yes, I did. INFINITELY better!!! Not having the distractions was a HUGE boost to the movie. Still a bit torn on whether it belongs next to Alien or 2001, but it’s close… VERY close. And the more I think about it, the more it does belong with those movies. In breakdown form:

1) DIRECTION

The style of Alien, 2001, and whatever other movie you want to put on par with them has always been at the visual forefront. Not just effects and camera work, but the way the story is actually told. Ridley using his technique and even cadence of dialogue to create a sense of foreboding and closure. District 9 does this too, from the camera work to just how the story is told, there’s a sense that something is off through the entire film.

2) STORY

All those films have had a unique story. Not a hook or a gimmick, something that actually stood out and made the story unique. Again, D9 has it. From the way it portrays the aliens, the government, everything. 

3) CHARACTERS

Here’s were D9 differs a bit from those other movies, or should I say, does what they wanted to do even better. One of the great things about those movies is that for the most part the main hero/heroine is a normal everyday person that turns bad-ass by the end of it. D9 pumps this up to a whole new level. The main character really has zero attributes about him that would allow him to be a hero, and in fact he’s not one. Without spoiling anything it’s more that he manages to get through something rather then actively trying to be a hero. Character’s, like people are self serving, and D9 has amazingly been able to create a character that can be both selfish and at the same time show compassion for someone/thing. 

4) BELIEVABILITY

Again, D9 may have done this better then any other movie. Not in the fake interviews or the sudo-documentary style in the beginning. But rather in how people react to situations, from the aliens, to the government, to the main character. The actions they take are believable through the entire film and there’s never really a “Really?!” moment. Even a noble act in this movie is at some level self serving, and I find that more believable then any Hollywood character ever. Not since Ridley Scott have I seen someone make a world so seamless. I’m talking on-par with Alien, Gladiator, Blackhawk Down. I just believed this was happening, this world existed, and these things were real. I’m not saying that Neil Blomkamp is the next Ridley Scott, who knows, his next could totally flop. But he’s shown he can be on the same level, I’ll leave it at that.

 

That’s my write-up of why the movie could belong up with all the greats. Add onto that the CG is great, action is almost nonstop, it’s well acted, and the tech is just damn cool and you at least have an 8 on your hands. But I’d say it’s more of a 9 if you ask me.

Some serious praise right there. I was planning on seeing D9 last weekend but I got wrapped up in some miscellaneous crap. I'm hoping to catch it within the next couple of weeks... I mean, I have to see it now, especially after hearing Eric rave about it... we usually see eye-to-eye on geek-related shit.

So what have we learned today?

1) District 9 sounds even more awesomer than I thought

2) Don't take your girl to a kick-ass movie because she'll only f#*k up your fun

Have you seen it? Tell me what you think, I'd love to hear...