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Maybe we're just getting old. But it took a great deal of determination just to sit through this film to the end. At one point, Brooke actually had to leave the theater because she felt sick. The violence, gore, profanity, and gross-out imagery in District 9 is relentless; we wished for a thoughtful interlude free of blood and guts, but one never came.
In the film, District 9 is a slum outside of Johannesburg, South Africa, populated by over a million aliens who came to earth famished and helpless. Their mothership has hovered over the city for 20 years while the creatures and local humans have tried to coexist peacefully. Of course, things eventually spiral out of control due to several factors, human incompetence primary among them.
This movie got plenty of positive reviews--some were actually raving reviews, praising the filmmakers for their unique vision, careful aparteid allegory, and believable aliens. District 9 does possess those things, but for us it was all completely overshadowed by the pervasive video-game-style horror. Plus, some of the conversations between the aliens and humans make you feel like you're watching a bad Saturday morning cartoon.
We humbly recommend you skip this one. Jeremy and Jessica Bagge said...

yikes! thanks for the advice!

August 19, 2009 at 12:56 PM