District 9 (12/22/2009)

Rated R for bloody violence and pervasive language.

Directed by Neill Blomkamp

Starring Sharlto Copley

Todd’s Word: I know I’m going to get in trouble with this review. I know it is violent, I know it is disturbing, I know they use the F-word like a bazillion times…but District 9 is a great movie.

Jonathan’s Word: I agree. In these reviews we usually touch on two elements: whether the film was quality and entertaining, but also was it “wholesome.” Reviewing some films can be difficult because a film might be very well done, but loaded with garbage. For me, an excess of garbage often affects my ability to enjoy it. And it definitely hinders being able to sit down with my family and watch it.

Todd’s Word: You mean, you didn’t want to sit down and watch Pulp Fiction with your kids?

Jonathan’s Word: Good example. Pulp Fiction was a brilliant piece of writing and film-making. But yeah, not only will I not show my kids that film, it also won’t be added to my personal DVD collection. But that’s an entirely different conversation, much of what I touch on in THIS article about discernment when watching films.

Todd’s Word: I love the title of that article.

Jonathan’s Word: Glad you like it.

Back to District 9. I really enjoyed it too. I did not think it was inappropriate for most adult audiences, but at the same time, it wasn’t void of violence and profanity.

Todd’s Word: The film opens with a documentary-style series of interviews that introduce the situation. In 1990, an alien ship is seen coming towards Earth and arrives above Johannesburg, South Africa. It hovers above the city for three months without any contact; eventually humans take the initiative and cut into the ship. They discover a large group of aliens who are malnourished and sick. Twenty years later, the initial welcome by the human population has faded. The refugee camp where these “prawns” (a racial slur for the aliens) were located has deteriorated into a militarized ghetto called District 9, where they are confined and exploited in squalor. In 2010, the munitions corporation, Multi-National United, is contracted to forcibly evict the population with operative Wikus van der Merwe in charge. In this operation, Wikus is exposed to a strange alien chemical and must rely on the help of his only two new 'Prawn' friends.

Jonathan’s Word: That about wraps it up. You gotta give the film credit for originality. We’ve only seen a handful of these “documentary-style” or handheld approaches. Some of them worked (Cloverfield… and dare I say The Blair Witch Project), and some didn’t (Quarantine)!

Todd’s Word: No argument there.

Jonathan’s Word: District 9 was the R-rated E.T.

Todd’s Word: E.T.?

Jonathan’s Word: Think about it. Alien comes down and befriends some. But when the government steps in, ‘the greater good of research’ trumps ‘hospitality’ or even ‘humanity.’

Todd’s Word: E.T.? Really?

Jonathan’s Word: Sure. Don’t let the big spaceship floating in the sky make you think this is Independence Day… it’s not. It’s E.T.

Todd’s Word: I’ll agree with you that it feels pretty original. It actually surprised me. I remember seeing the trailer for the first time and seeing the alien in this interrogation type room. I couldn’t help but laugh. I mean it looked so cheesy. Put that together with a first time director and an unknown cast and I was not expecting a whole lot. But when the open sequence rolled out like file footage from a local news broadcast…I sat up in my seat. And when the next sequence was shot like an episode of cops I actually leaned forward…I was hooked.

Jonathan’s Word: I never saw that trailer. I saw one of those really vague trailers. I wasn’t that interested. But once in the theatre… I was hooked.

Todd’s Word: As I sat there for the next hour and 50 minutes, I was riveted. No down time, no breaks, just a whole lot of action…and not mind numbing action…brilliant action. As you follow the disturbing journey of Wikus you can’t help but feel for him, cheer for him and even cry for him.

Jonathan’s Word: Personally, Wikus was a weak main character. And I’m not saying that every lead has to look like Brad Pitt or Will Smith, but Wikus was just plain irritating for a huge chunk of the film. Did he redeem himself? Sure. But it took too dang long. I want a lead character that I can like.

The film delivered likeable lead characters in the two lead ‘prawns,’ Chris and his son. They saved the film.

Todd’s Word: If you are looking for a great film that is pretty original (and you can overlook the language) GO SEE IT!! It just might make my top-ten list of best films in 2009 (if Jonathan doesn’t yell at me).

Jonathan’s Word: Wow. Top 10? I’m not sure about that. But it was very enjoyable. Definitely worth the rent.

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Well like I said, it is violent, it is disturbing, and the F-word is used like a bazillion times.

Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):

1. What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
2. How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
3. How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?