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Funny...I started this thread and never came back to give my complete thoughts.
I really liked it and thought it was very well done, very entertaining, and overall, a great movie. I defintely wouldn't call it a masterpiece, though. I didn't really like the whole transformation thing going on and thought it came off a bit hokey. I actually loved the ending though and agree with Murphy that it was very powerful, and just about tear jerking.
I look forward to seeing again, and think it has very high replay value.
Funny...I started this thread and never came back to give my complete thoughts.
I really liked it and thought it was very well done, very entertaining, and overall, a great movie. I defintely wouldn't call it a masterpiece, though. I didn't really like the whole transformation thing going on and thought it came off a bit hokey. I actually loved the ending though and agree with Murphy that it was very powerful, and just about tear jerking.
I look forward to seeing again, and think it has very high replay value.
Just for a point of comparison:
Which films in the last 10 years have been masterpieces, in your opinion?
For me there han't been a mainstream release that has come even into the same league as this film.
Oscars:
Shakespeare in Love. American Beauty Gladiator A Beautiful Mind Chicago Lord of the Rings Million Dollar Baby Crash The Departed No Country for Old Men Slumdog Millionaire.
Not one of those films is even in the same league as District 9 as far as I'm concerned. Lord of the Rings is perhaps the closest, but it never got close to the sheer power of this bad boy.
Dec, I defintely don't go by Oscar winners, or even Oscar nominated movies, when listing "the best" movies.
I don't have time to go check out which movies are from the last 10 years, but from your list, all of the LOTR movies, IMO, were simply fantastic. Gladiator was also much better.
Dec, I defintely don't go by Oscar winners, or even Oscar nominated movies, when listing "the best" movies.
I don't have time to go check out which movies are from the last 10 years, but from your list, all of the LOTR movies, IMO, were simply fantastic. Gladiator was also much better.
Fair enough, I agree about the Oscars, but it does put things in perspective.
Ultimately it's all subjective, but for me D9 is better than those by a long way. In terms of filmmaking the LOTR films were excellent, but the first book was boring and the third was frankly a bit poor and the films followed them faithfully and so suffered the same fate.
Gladiator was an intense, stimulating experience, but lacked any depth or truth.
Still, I'd call them great films but D9 has joined a very select group films for me. Frankly, I'd given up thinking that a film could be made that actually told such an interesting, but ambitious story.
For the first time in my life I now think it's possible that someone could make a better film than Star Wars.
Blomkamp probably won't manage it himself, but he's single-handedly raised the bar for me and looks like the first Director with the chops to replace the last generation of greats.
Star Wars? OK, based on when it was released, and how "big' it was, I understand...to a point.
The first 2 sequels were very good...probably better, IMO than the original. But since then, the additional sequels/prequels, whatever they were, have been weak at best. Maybe I'm just older and don't care any longer about that kind of stuff. I don't know. But I remember very clearly going to see the one with Jar Jar Binks (or whatever his name was), and my sister and her husband (as well as myself) were all totally disappointed with where the franchise had gone. We left actually saying that we disliked the movie and were all shocked how lame it was.
One of my favorite movies of all time (in terms of "big" movies) is defintely "The Abyss". It works on all levels and is still one of the few movies that will bring me to tears at numerous times, for different reasons. Just saw it again 2 nights ago, and once again, I was wiping my tired old eyes. That's one of a handful I would call masterpeices.
Star Wars? OK, based on when it was released, and how "big' it was, I understand...to a point.
The first 2 sequels were very good...probably better, IMO than the original. But since then, the additional sequels/prequels, whatever they were, have been weak at best. Maybe I'm just older and don't care any longer about that kind of stuff. I don't know. But I remember very clearly going to see the one with Jar Jar Binks (or whatever his name was), and my sister and her husband (as well as myself) were all totally disappointed with where the franchise had gone. We left actually saying that we disliked the movie and were all shocked how lame it was.
One of my favorite movies of all time (in terms of "big" movies) is defintely "The Abyss". It works on all levels and is still one of the few movies that will bring me to tears at numerous times, for different reasons. Just saw it again 2 nights ago, and once again, I was wiping my tired old eyes. That's one of a handful I would call masterpeices.
The new ones are terrible. I don't deny that. I'm just talking about the originals.
The Abyss is a great film, one of my favourite films as well. Although I've never cried at it.
The Abyss is probably Cameron's most complete movie to date, it works on all levels be it drama, suspense or action and IMO it's as close to a masterpeice as you're likely to come. For me, it's one of those movies that keeps adding new layers every time I see it, much like Alien3 (and I've seen both about a gazillion times).
D9 wasn't a homerun for me and while I definitely wouldn't call it a foul ball, it just didn't connect with me. The whole setting just required more suspension of disbelief that I'm willing to accept - and I'm not talking about aliens arriving at Earth (I can believe that ). No, it's the fact that they (the prawns) were interned at D9 and pretty much left for themselves (while a Nigerian warlord is allowed to run a black market inside - wtf?). Now, while that may be "normal" in real African ghettos (with real people) I doubt that would happen to an alien species.
I might be wrong but if an alien race arrives on Earth (be it now or twenty years ago) I seriously doubt that the average human being would be allowed within five feet of them. The aliens would be hauled off to some undisclosed location(s) for testing, prodding and dissection (as quite a few are in this movie) and the moment one of them harms a human being they would be wiped out.
Cynical as that may seem, that would be the human way.
Wikus' journey from an ignorant racist to "one of them" was good, no doubt about it, but it just reminded me too much of Dennis Quaid's journey in Enemy Mine (another film laced with racial metaphors).
There's just nothing new under the sun in this movie.
Down in the hole / Jesus tries to crack a smile / Beneath another shovel load
The Abyss is an original idea, Titanic is not. Abyss works on so many more levels, and has so much more to it. I wouldn't even put the two films in teh same sentence unless the subjet was Cameron films, or films that took place in an ocean.
I finally saw this movie and really enjoyed it because it shows you don't have to follow the Hollywood (Everything is the same) plot outline for a movie to be entertaining.
One question for those who saw the movie (Spoiler alert) was the alien at the end holding the flower, Wikus and if it was how can Christopher come back three years later and save him if he's fully transformed?
I finally saw this movie and really enjoyed it because it shows you don't have to follow the Hollywood (Everything is the same) plot outline for a movie to be entertaining.
One question for those who saw the movie (Spoiler alert) was the alien at the end holding the flower, Wikus and if it was how can Christopher come back three years later and save him if he's fully transformed?
Yeah it was.
His DNA has combined with the Alien DNA, but his original DNA will still eb there as well so he can probably be turned back.
The Alien seemd to think it was possible, so we just have to go with that. Teh science is made up after all.
I finally saw this movie and really enjoyed it because it shows you don't have to follow the Hollywood (Everything is the same) plot outline for a movie to be entertaining.
Original? You mean a plot where the scumbag learns the errors of his ways after finding the shoe is on the other foot?
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). No, it's the fact that they (the prawns) were interned at D9 and pretty much left for themselves (while a Nigerian warlord is allowed to run a black market inside - wtf?). Now, while that may be "normal" in real African ghettos (with real people) I doubt that would happen to an alien species. 
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