District 9
District 9: 9/10 (heh ironic huh?)
Wow, this was definitely the best summer movie I've seen this year. I loved the documentary style shooting of the movie which made it rather interesting while watching it and getting a unique point of view. This isn't your typical sci-fi movie with "OMG ALIENS COME TO EARTH AND WRECK HAVOC ON HUMANITY!!!!" but a very different contrast to an aspect of aliens we've never really seen dealt before with movies.
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I really enjoyed how the Prawns were put in refugee camps and you saw how humanity dealt with lifeforms that weren't affiliated to any specific religion/race which is the typical reason for discrimination, but rather because they are a completely different species. It was interesting to realize that I actually felt bad for the aliens (which are usually seen as evil and destructive) and their predicaments as how they were poorly treated by humans.
I also liked the circumstances that the main character went through at first how he was ambiguous and rather mean spirited towards the Prawns when he was doing the evicting and communicating with each one of them and we saw how they all reacted as well as the terrible life styles they lived in a slum like area. Then eventually when Wikus became infected and started to become one of them you saw his struggle both physically and mentally as the movie progressed and you can feel his anguish and dilemma of what is happening to him.
The best part of the movie naturally came during the climax and falling action when Wixus helps Christopher get back the fluid he had taken and then realize that he could either help save himself by getting restored or help Chris escape and save his people. At first when he ignores Chris and decides to selfishly choose to help himself you are torn between understanding his pain and what he's going through and sacrificing yourself for the better cause. However, that issue is resolved at the end when he takes control of the robot and helps to fight the MNU and let Christopher get to the ship and return to his home planet. You finally see that even though at first he was selfish for what he did he comes to terms to do the righteous thing all with such limited time and his own life at stake.
The very last minute when you see his wife having that trash made flower and she wonders if it's from him and the last scene where you see a Prawn making the same flower in a rumble was really touching and made you really appreciate his character and what he did. I honestly couldn't think of a more perfect way to end the movie----though I am curious about what happened with Chris's promise that he'll return in 3 years to fix him and the remaining alien refugees in the camp.
*END MOVIE SPOILERS*
The movie was very well paced and wasn't slow in any parts at all. It had some great action scenes all throughout that kept you excited and the unique take on an alien movie that was vastly different from your stereotypical ones. In this movie you can empathize with both the human(s)/aliens which I think was really the best part of it since it allows an ambiguous prospective as well as a real sense of connection with the characters and the predicament they are placed under and what you would do in that situation. The morale/ethic dilemma that the movie upheld was what made it really an interesting watch and opens your eyes on discrimination as well as humanity itself on a whole and reflect upon our behavior and how we can improve ourselves for the sake of ourselves.
