CFE's 100 Science Fiction Film Countdown
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CFE
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#25
A starship crew goes to investigate the silence of a planet's colony only to find two survivors and a deadly secret that one of them has.
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A classic if I ever saw one…
1956’s “Forbidden” Planet represents the kind of science fiction that is so precious in cinema, especially from the 1950s. It represented a gold age of film where the imaginations of the filmmakers were ripe and expansive. There was “War of the Worlds” and others of course, but we can never forget this gem.
"Forbidden Planet" is often acclaimed as the best science fiction film of the 1950s and with good reason. While I wouldn't say its my absolute favorite from the era, its still a great film all these years later.
Standing aside from the usual genre fair of the 50s that sought to make obvious parallels to communism (though there’s nothing wrong with being topical), “Planet” tells the tale of astronauts arriving on some unknown world that has a doctor on it who has made a remarkable breakthrough. It's the kind of breakthrough that is not so much incredible to look at (though for 1956 it’s quite amazing to look at some of those sets and that gigantic machine the doctor creates), but with its emphasis on the characters and its themes of technology taken too far by the more primitive side of human nature even when we don't know we're channeling it.
On the surface- that is in the first ten minutes- it looks standard, if a little more professionally acted and directed with better skill than the B-movies of the period.
To go more in depth on the plot, a ship of astronauts is on a mission to the planet Altair-4 to bring back an expedition that went missing decades before. But the only one left is Dr. Edward Morbius (Walter Pidgeon) and his daughter (Anne Francis), who somehow were both immune to an attack that left everyone else dead. Morbius appears to be a cordial and highly intelligent man, and his technology looks to be so impressive that the only thing the astronauts, led by the Skipper (a very young Leslie Nielsen in his debut), can think to do is to report it back to their superiors on Earth.
But there's a catch - something is killing off members of the crew of the ship, one by one, every night, even when the others keep an eye out and then put up an invisible electric fence, which the invisible something goes through easily. Meanwhile, there's some romance possibly between the Skipper and Alraira, and there's a pushier vibe from the doctor: you shouldn't have come to the planet to start, and now you need to go.
What happens from this point on is even more fascinating, just on a purely intellectual level, but “Forbidden Planet” never forgets that its audience should also be entertained by this story while getting some useful ideas. While everyone may easily remember Robbie the Robot (and for good reason) perhaps the most unforgettable image, personally, is the monster realized on screen with the crew firing to no avail, animated with red electricity and looking so beastly…like some sort of Walt Disney acid trip cooked up for a vignette in “Fantasia.”
Cutting a long story short, the monster is a product of Pidgeon's "id."
So what is the id?
Basically, aside from its being a clumsy translation of Freud's "das Es," it's the seat of our unconscious animal impulses. The brain has three components, so to speak, each built upon the other. The lowest and oldest part is the brain stem, which controls things like breathing and heartbeat. The next developmental component is the midbrain, which does a lot of things with memory, lust, and rage. The newest part of the brain is the cortex, all that gray matter you see if you lift off the top of the skull, and that's where "thinking" and "planning" take place. The problem is that all three parts of the brain are always working.
That's why we don't stop breathing when we fall asleep. And that's why we can damp down, but never entirely rid ourselves, of the impulse to mate and to kill. We're constantly at war with these dangerous, uncivilized impulses, playing Whack a Mole with them. Freud didn't pin his "id" to the midbrain or any other structure. (Nobody ever has.) But that's what's at work here alright. Walter Pidgeon may be a highly civilized and upright human being but his unconscious is generating this murderous monster, without his knowing about it, by harnessing the power of the Krell's huge power plant.
If that's Freud's contribution to the plot, Shakespeare's contribution is taken roughly from his last play, "The Tempest." The play is full of conniving humans, sprites, and monsters, and somebody's virginal daughter, but there's nothing quite like the hideous half-formed creature that the Disney special effects people gave us in "Forbidden Planet." It's really spooky.
One of the strengths of science fiction as a genre is the opportunity it affords to use a different time and place to investigate deeper themes about humanity, bringing out observations and ideas to which more conventional settings might not lend themselves. In this case, the ideas about human nature that tie together the various plot lines contain some perceptive and sometimes provocative insights, with implications that are well worth thinking about.
And it by no means neglects the standard things that make good science fiction movies enjoyable to watch. Besides Robby, there are numerous other interesting devices, and most of them are rendered visually with considerable skill for the time. Much of the movie, indeed, still looks very good today.
The acting from Pidgeon is masterfully subtle: you wouldn't expect him to be a villain, though something is there in the character and in the performance that speaks to this, and by the end it makes the character far more complex than one would expect. And the other performances are workmanlike but also excellent, from Nielsen as a born leader to Holliman providing some great comic relief as the Cook (who, I should add, helps with one of the funniest scenes in the film with those gallons of bourbon Robbie provides).
The special effects, for its time, are extraordinary (sophisticated in a nostalgic pulp way for today too)…the models of the spacecraft are beautifully rendered and quite inspiring.
The music, done by the composer team of Bebe and Louis Barron through the use of electronic synths and other electric noises is beautiful in its "tones" (pardon the pun) and was very much revolutionary at the time.
But ultimately it's the screenplay and careful direction from Hilcox that puts this a notch above the rest of the B-movie lot. When it's meant to be funny, it's intentionally so and it works. When it's dramatic it connects quite well even in its stiff moments with the actors. And when we are made to think about a horrible situation, it comes on gradually, with nuance, not shoved in our faces or injected with mega-action (though, being 21 years old, I can obviously relish in the appeal of said-action whenever I choose).
Of course, one can never comment on “Forbidden Plant” without discussing the one and only Robby the Robot. A precursor to C-3PO, R2-D2 and a number of other film robots since Robby arguably has more personality and spunk than any of them and one wonders if Mr. Spock may not be a soul mate to the literal thinking of this artificial creature. The fact that his performance, as a robot, stands equal with our human cast and does in fact succeed to steal scenes from the rest of the cast when it’s featured speaks volumes for itself. Robby has become such a timeless icon…not just of the film, but really for science fiction as a whole genre, definitely living it up as one of the pinnacle symbols of sci-fi that everyone (even those who haven’t seen “Planet” can recognize). Robby got somewhat of a new lease on life in the 60s when his essence (in a way) was replicated into the Robot from the hit TV series “Lost in Space.”
Consistently fun, entertaining and intelligently innovative, "Forbidden Planet" definitely stands out even in the decade when the science fiction genre came to prominence and produced a number of other bona fide classics.
It isn't just recommended viewing…its essential viewing.
An inspiration for many other sci-fi films, and a fine marker of thoughtful science fiction stories and books from time-old, it's a sophisticated and entertaining classic…an icon of the genre that, despite being ‘forbidden’…will never be ‘forgotten.’
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Forbidden Planet (1956)
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Directed by ... Fred M. Wilcox
Story by … Allen Adler and Irving Block
Screenplay by … Cyril Hume
Inspired by the play “The Tempest” by … William Shakespeare
Produced by ... Nicholas Nayfack
Cinematography by ... George J. Fosley
Production Design by ... Irving Block and Mentor Huebner
Costume Design by ... Walter Plunkett and Helen Rose
Editing by ... Ferris Webster
Original Motion Picture Score Composed by … Louis Barron and Bebe Barron
Walter Pidgeon ... Dr. Edward Morbius
Anne Francis ... Altaira 'Alta' Morbius
Leslie Nielsen ... Commander J. J. Adams
Warren Stevens ... Lt. 'Doc' Ostrow M.D.
Jack Kelly ... Lt. Jerry Farman
Robby the Robot ... Himself
Frankie Darro … Robby the Robot stand-in
Marvin Miller … Robby the Robot (voice)
Richard Anderson ... Chief Quinn
Earl Holliman ... Cook
George Wallace ... Bosun
Bob Dix ... Crewman Grey
Jimmy Thompson ... Crewman Youngerford
James Drury ... Crewman Strong
Harry Harvey Jr. ... Crewman Randall
Roger McGee ... Crewman Lindstrom
Peter Miller ... Crewman Moran
Morgan Jones ... Crewman Nichols
Richard Grant ... Crewman Silvers
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[YT]bNhCHjew3G8[/YT]
[YT]WwRHyjZr_js[/YT]
[YT]ZIuc1_Qg4A8[/YT]
Directed by ... Fred M. Wilcox
Story by … Allen Adler and Irving Block
Screenplay by … Cyril Hume
Inspired by the play “The Tempest” by … William Shakespeare
Produced by ... Nicholas Nayfack
Cinematography by ... George J. Fosley
Production Design by ... Irving Block and Mentor Huebner
Costume Design by ... Walter Plunkett and Helen Rose
Editing by ... Ferris Webster
Original Motion Picture Score Composed by … Louis Barron and Bebe Barron
Walter Pidgeon ... Dr. Edward Morbius
Anne Francis ... Altaira 'Alta' Morbius
Leslie Nielsen ... Commander J. J. Adams
Warren Stevens ... Lt. 'Doc' Ostrow M.D.
Jack Kelly ... Lt. Jerry Farman
Robby the Robot ... Himself
Frankie Darro … Robby the Robot stand-in
Marvin Miller … Robby the Robot (voice)
Richard Anderson ... Chief Quinn
Earl Holliman ... Cook
George Wallace ... Bosun
Bob Dix ... Crewman Grey
Jimmy Thompson ... Crewman Youngerford
James Drury ... Crewman Strong
Harry Harvey Jr. ... Crewman Randall
Roger McGee ... Crewman Lindstrom
Peter Miller ... Crewman Moran
Morgan Jones ... Crewman Nichols
Richard Grant ... Crewman Silvers
A starship crew goes to investigate the silence of a planet's colony only to find two survivors and a deadly secret that one of them has.
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IT’S OUT OF THIS WORLD!
----------------------------------------------
A classic if I ever saw one…
1956’s “Forbidden” Planet represents the kind of science fiction that is so precious in cinema, especially from the 1950s. It represented a gold age of film where the imaginations of the filmmakers were ripe and expansive. There was “War of the Worlds” and others of course, but we can never forget this gem.
"Forbidden Planet" is often acclaimed as the best science fiction film of the 1950s and with good reason. While I wouldn't say its my absolute favorite from the era, its still a great film all these years later.
Standing aside from the usual genre fair of the 50s that sought to make obvious parallels to communism (though there’s nothing wrong with being topical), “Planet” tells the tale of astronauts arriving on some unknown world that has a doctor on it who has made a remarkable breakthrough. It's the kind of breakthrough that is not so much incredible to look at (though for 1956 it’s quite amazing to look at some of those sets and that gigantic machine the doctor creates), but with its emphasis on the characters and its themes of technology taken too far by the more primitive side of human nature even when we don't know we're channeling it.
On the surface- that is in the first ten minutes- it looks standard, if a little more professionally acted and directed with better skill than the B-movies of the period.
To go more in depth on the plot, a ship of astronauts is on a mission to the planet Altair-4 to bring back an expedition that went missing decades before. But the only one left is Dr. Edward Morbius (Walter Pidgeon) and his daughter (Anne Francis), who somehow were both immune to an attack that left everyone else dead. Morbius appears to be a cordial and highly intelligent man, and his technology looks to be so impressive that the only thing the astronauts, led by the Skipper (a very young Leslie Nielsen in his debut), can think to do is to report it back to their superiors on Earth.
But there's a catch - something is killing off members of the crew of the ship, one by one, every night, even when the others keep an eye out and then put up an invisible electric fence, which the invisible something goes through easily. Meanwhile, there's some romance possibly between the Skipper and Alraira, and there's a pushier vibe from the doctor: you shouldn't have come to the planet to start, and now you need to go.
What happens from this point on is even more fascinating, just on a purely intellectual level, but “Forbidden Planet” never forgets that its audience should also be entertained by this story while getting some useful ideas. While everyone may easily remember Robbie the Robot (and for good reason) perhaps the most unforgettable image, personally, is the monster realized on screen with the crew firing to no avail, animated with red electricity and looking so beastly…like some sort of Walt Disney acid trip cooked up for a vignette in “Fantasia.”
Cutting a long story short, the monster is a product of Pidgeon's "id."
So what is the id?
Basically, aside from its being a clumsy translation of Freud's "das Es," it's the seat of our unconscious animal impulses. The brain has three components, so to speak, each built upon the other. The lowest and oldest part is the brain stem, which controls things like breathing and heartbeat. The next developmental component is the midbrain, which does a lot of things with memory, lust, and rage. The newest part of the brain is the cortex, all that gray matter you see if you lift off the top of the skull, and that's where "thinking" and "planning" take place. The problem is that all three parts of the brain are always working.
That's why we don't stop breathing when we fall asleep. And that's why we can damp down, but never entirely rid ourselves, of the impulse to mate and to kill. We're constantly at war with these dangerous, uncivilized impulses, playing Whack a Mole with them. Freud didn't pin his "id" to the midbrain or any other structure. (Nobody ever has.) But that's what's at work here alright. Walter Pidgeon may be a highly civilized and upright human being but his unconscious is generating this murderous monster, without his knowing about it, by harnessing the power of the Krell's huge power plant.
If that's Freud's contribution to the plot, Shakespeare's contribution is taken roughly from his last play, "The Tempest." The play is full of conniving humans, sprites, and monsters, and somebody's virginal daughter, but there's nothing quite like the hideous half-formed creature that the Disney special effects people gave us in "Forbidden Planet." It's really spooky.
One of the strengths of science fiction as a genre is the opportunity it affords to use a different time and place to investigate deeper themes about humanity, bringing out observations and ideas to which more conventional settings might not lend themselves. In this case, the ideas about human nature that tie together the various plot lines contain some perceptive and sometimes provocative insights, with implications that are well worth thinking about.
And it by no means neglects the standard things that make good science fiction movies enjoyable to watch. Besides Robby, there are numerous other interesting devices, and most of them are rendered visually with considerable skill for the time. Much of the movie, indeed, still looks very good today.
The acting from Pidgeon is masterfully subtle: you wouldn't expect him to be a villain, though something is there in the character and in the performance that speaks to this, and by the end it makes the character far more complex than one would expect. And the other performances are workmanlike but also excellent, from Nielsen as a born leader to Holliman providing some great comic relief as the Cook (who, I should add, helps with one of the funniest scenes in the film with those gallons of bourbon Robbie provides).
The special effects, for its time, are extraordinary (sophisticated in a nostalgic pulp way for today too)…the models of the spacecraft are beautifully rendered and quite inspiring.
The music, done by the composer team of Bebe and Louis Barron through the use of electronic synths and other electric noises is beautiful in its "tones" (pardon the pun) and was very much revolutionary at the time.
But ultimately it's the screenplay and careful direction from Hilcox that puts this a notch above the rest of the B-movie lot. When it's meant to be funny, it's intentionally so and it works. When it's dramatic it connects quite well even in its stiff moments with the actors. And when we are made to think about a horrible situation, it comes on gradually, with nuance, not shoved in our faces or injected with mega-action (though, being 21 years old, I can obviously relish in the appeal of said-action whenever I choose).
Of course, one can never comment on “Forbidden Plant” without discussing the one and only Robby the Robot. A precursor to C-3PO, R2-D2 and a number of other film robots since Robby arguably has more personality and spunk than any of them and one wonders if Mr. Spock may not be a soul mate to the literal thinking of this artificial creature. The fact that his performance, as a robot, stands equal with our human cast and does in fact succeed to steal scenes from the rest of the cast when it’s featured speaks volumes for itself. Robby has become such a timeless icon…not just of the film, but really for science fiction as a whole genre, definitely living it up as one of the pinnacle symbols of sci-fi that everyone (even those who haven’t seen “Planet” can recognize). Robby got somewhat of a new lease on life in the 60s when his essence (in a way) was replicated into the Robot from the hit TV series “Lost in Space.”
Consistently fun, entertaining and intelligently innovative, "Forbidden Planet" definitely stands out even in the decade when the science fiction genre came to prominence and produced a number of other bona fide classics.
It isn't just recommended viewing…its essential viewing.
An inspiration for many other sci-fi films, and a fine marker of thoughtful science fiction stories and books from time-old, it's a sophisticated and entertaining classic…an icon of the genre that, despite being ‘forbidden’…will never be ‘forgotten.’
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Despite a few minor instances, Forbidden Planet still holds up very well. The tour of the Krell civilization is very impressive. The command structure even can be seen as something of a precursor to Star Trek and I think it still holds up because of that familiarity. And it's simply a beautiful movie to look at.
Plus it's a movie of ideas which is what science fiction is about.
Plus it's a movie of ideas which is what science fiction is about.
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Wait, Equilibrium to me seemed like a rip off of The Matrix. Is it really that good?
Children of Men is one of the rare films I can call perfect. And Predator is all kinds of badass. Looove it!
Children of Men is one of the rare films I can call perfect. And Predator is all kinds of badass. Looove it!
Aesop Rocks
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Yet, Equilibrium seemingly is better than CoM. I know this is all opinion based but come on, CoM is brilliant. In almost every aspect.
Ace of Knaves
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Equlibrium is cool. And I wouldn't call it a Matrix rip off. It has some Matrix-esque action, but it is different. And it has some interesting themes about the fact that without emotions, the human race wouldn't be tearing itself apart and stuff like that.
But better than Children of Men? A bonafide masterpiece? I disagree with that.
But better than Children of Men? A bonafide masterpiece? I disagree with that.
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I never expected Equilibrium to have that much complexity. I always thought it was a simple Matrix rip off action film for Bale to do because he needed work. I might check it out then.
I don't know if Children of Men is a masterpiece. But damn it if it isn't close. It's perfect, but I would say Inglourious Basterds is a masterpiece. It's just one of those things where you put it into category.
I don't know if Children of Men is a masterpiece. But damn it if it isn't close. It's perfect, but I would say Inglourious Basterds is a masterpiece. It's just one of those things where you put it into category.
Aesop Rocks
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How can Inglorious Basterds be a masterpiece with such a boring opening?
Ace of Knaves
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Wha...?!?!!?!?!?!!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?! That opening was brilliant!!! It's called building suspense man. The way he is all charming and friendly, then it cuts to his face when the guy hesitates and you see the warm smile turn into a cold blooded stare. I LOVE the opening to Inglorious Basterds.
Aesop Rocks
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YOU'RE CALLED SUSPENSE, MAN! 
Ace of Knaves
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The Dude does not abide, man.
Aesop Rocks
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Well, let's get back on-topic.
david icke
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Equilibrium is a hodgepodge movie, it is a rip-off of the Matrix/Fahrenheight(sic) 451/1984.
Imo it has one great scene, when Bale starts getting his emotions back and rescues a wee dog he feels sorry for.
I have just logged on and not read the review yet, but it is the one movie in this list whose placing is very surprising to me.
I know some people really like it, but I've never thought it was *that* good. It's alright for a watch, mainly due to Bale, but i would not say it was a great movie.
I think COM is a great movie though, and Predeator is a lot of fun.
RE: Inglorious basterds opening. I just saw it, amazing opening, great movie.
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How can you call the opening of Inglourious Basterds boring? I man you could feel the length but none of that matters when Waltz is owning the scene! I mean just the gradual suspense of it all. It's a great payoff that doesn't feel overdone. It's clear just like the character's plan.
Waltz better get the damn nomination.
Waltz better get the damn nomination.
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Motown Marvel
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i never got all the rage over equilibrium. it was pretty okay, but nothing special. children of men was phenomenal.
Dark Victory
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You take that "boring opening" and shove it!
On a serious note, I found all the long sequences of dialogue in the film to be fantastic, just like every Quentin Tarantino film. It was funny, entertaining, and a great catalyst for building tension. Not to mention each actor delivered on every front, from line delivery to emotional nuances.
MessiahDecoy123
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Equilibrium is a great movie. The gun-kata is killer eye candy. The rebellion against suppressed art and emotion is perfectly built up. Both premise and choreography are both well executed.
The final sequence dropped kicked me in the chest the first time I saw it.
The final sequence dropped kicked me in the chest the first time I saw it.
david icke
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I thought it was actually a bit cheeseball and obvious the way it was presented tbh, not much subtlety. What do we get in the first raid on the 'sense offenders?' They happen to have the Mona Lisa in their possision, and then you get the 'burn it!' line.
Like, just in case you're not going to get this concept, look! they're even burning the Mona Lisa! OMG! It was like 1984 for kids. Hammered it's point home just too much, and this when the concept has been done far better before.
The gun-kata was a nice watch sometimes, but it still felt Matrix-lite to me, they tried to come up with some kind of combination of matrial arts and gunplay like the Matrix and ended up with this weird concept that is not entirely sound as being workable, even going in with a suspension of disbelief for a sci-fi action movie, you have to give it a big pass, well I did watching it anyway.
CFE
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#24
An extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth suddenly find a kindred spirit in a government agent that is exposed to their biotechnology.
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For every decade, a film comes along that not only raises the stakes of its given genre…but alters our perceptions of that genre. In the past we’ve been met with “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” in the 1950s, “2001: A Space Odyssey” in the 1960s and “Star Wars” in the 1970s…films that have redefined our expectations of the ‘Science Fiction’ film and have set the foundations for further advancements in both technical achievement and storytelling merit.
Of course only time will tell of Neill Blomkamp’s bombastic hyper-overtoned thriller “District 9” will be our contemporary answer to the aforementioned, but it’s a fairly safe bet I’d say.
“District 9” sets an all too familiar stage of civil unrest, social diversity and political flair before an adulterated view of a fantastic backdrop we know so well, where the classic motif of ‘strange alien visitors’ is turned on its head.
Based off of Blomkamp’s 2005 short film “Alive in Joburg,” (more of a feature length extension on the concept, really) the film takes us to Johannesburg, South Africa…where for the past 20 years, a mammoth extra-terrestrial vessel has hovered in ominous silence. Deciding to cut their way into the hull, humanity discovers a nest of 1.8 million creatures…whom are dubbed ‘Prawn’s for their scavenger tendencies and hostile nature of stealing, rummaging and instinctual killing. As it turns out, the ship was nothing more than a glorified cattle drive, stockpiled with common workers whose intelligence, despite seemingly being superior to humans, isn’t all its cracked up to be.
As a result, the Prawns are rounded up by the local government and placed into a giant internment camp dubbed ‘District 9,’ which quickly diminishes into a trash-littered slum that falls prey to a giant inter-species black market between the aliens and a bloodthirsty Nigerian gang led by a maniacal warlord known simply as Mumbo.
Overcrowding, militarization, crime and rioting has made the situation a hot-bed for widespread panic and chaos throughout the city as the human population calls for the aliens to either depart or be executed in mass genocide…as a result the government of Johannesburg turns ‘District 9’ and her inhabitants over to a private conglomerate called Multi-National United (MNU), whose been contracted to police the Prawns until a plan can be formulated.
At the onset of the film, MNU decides that the time has come to evict the Prawns and clean out ‘District 9.’ Leading the charge is lowly yet gullible MNU field operative Wikus Van Der Merwe (Sharlto Copley) who must relocate the 1.8 million population to the ‘District 10’ camp 240 km outside of Johannesburg.
During the course of this daunting and deadly task, Wikus is exposed to a strange fluid cultivated from the alien weaponry that was stocked in an enormous cache aboard the ship…and soon enough he’s caught up in MNU’s scheme to proverbially open Pandora’s Box, as all men with power seem destined to attempt.
Now the single best thing going for ‘District 9’ is its bold leaps to be original, a feat that only gets more impossible as time goes on…especially in Science Fiction. But I think they pulled it off splendidly.
To set the film in South Africa, as opposed to the cliché and bloated Manhattan or Washington D.C. (loved that this was even commented on in the film!), we’re already given a location that, visually, is different for this kind of story…but more importantly, works to make the film frighteningly relevant to the civil disputes that are not only currently plaguing our planet…but have done so for centuries.
Much in the vain of Marvel Comics’ ‘X-Men,’ the ‘Prawns’ are a faceless outlet where you can put what you will…be it the refugees in Darfur or the Gay Community right on our doorstep. The fact that they’re ‘Aliens’ even comments on the illegal ‘Aliens’ that currently reside within our borders. They may be the stuff of fantasy, but the social plight of the Prawns and the light Blomkamp sheds on them is hauntingly real. The film bashes us over the head with the fact that intolerance and racism, despite the major leaps we’ve made over the past few decades, are issues we still face today…perhaps it does so for that very reason.
But for all our efforts, the evils of ignorance will never be completely laid to waste…which, despite how topical ‘District 9’ can seem, actually in turn makes the film somewhat timeless.
Much like ‘Cloverfield,’ the genius of the film is that it’s not a remake or based on an existing property. What I mean is, aside from the viral marketing, the general audiences went into both films without any prior knowledge of the film or its characters…which makes both projects refreshingly exciting upon that first theatrical viewing.
Going hand in hand with the political innuendo, ‘District 9’ feeds it to us in an even bolder move with the film being book-ended with a ‘documentary’ style telling of the ‘event’ which the film is based on…complete with a laundry list of interviews with no-name ‘experts’ and constant news coverage (they even have that dreaded ‘text crawl’ that Lewis Black hates so much, haha)…again, this might date the film, but the ever-growing rapidity of how we hunger for and receive instant communication would say otherwise.
The cast, also like ‘Cloverfield,’ is graciously not made up of known stars… which gives the film that veil of realism that the story calls for. These aren’t actors, but real and authentic people who are going through this scenario and that’s what makes it work.
Nods and Kudos go to the beautiful Vanessa Haywood, who gives a genuine turn as Wikus’ wife Tania…and the awesomely twisted Mumbo, right down to his belief that eating mutilated alien limbs will grant him powers. How great is that!?
Of course the highlights of the cast come from the respective focal points the story takes…on the sides of both the humans and the Prawns. Sharlto Copley’s every-man Wikus is so deliciously underplayed that the idea of him kicking ass by the film’s end seems more plausible…simultaneous with his descent into overwhelming depression and borderline madness upon the alterations to his biological make-up (without giving anything away). Then even more so, there’s the shocking turn of Jason Cope as our ‘hero Prawn’ Christopher. Not since Andy Serkis’ Gollum has a CG Character truly had such a riveting presence in a modern visual effects-based film. These two performances feed off of one another with such a tangible sense of passion and emotion that it’s just incredible to think one of them isn’t even physically on set…in a sense; you know what I mean. It’s a true testament to both of them that the relationship between the two manages to work without any suspension of disbelief.
This can also be said about the films visual effects, which I feel strongly that an Oscar nomination is in order.
I love that the ‘Creatures’ of this ‘Creature Feature’ aren’t given any sort of visual special treatment. The VFX shots of the ‘Prawns,’ the Battlesuit or the Ship aren’t glorified and pristine. To see these fantastic subjects be given a tangible weight is marvelous. Prawns aren’t brilliantly lit all the time to be shown off…the ship is usually always out of focus and of no consequence save a small handful of hero shots. It all adds up to a very authentic and natural approach to telling this story that I find interestingly unique.
When the Prawns are featured, they look pretty damn good. Maybe not as much as the now iconic Xenomorphs, but they get the job done for me.
The action and violence is hard-hitting, to be honest…downright nitty gritty, which I personally love. I always enjoy a well done dismemberment, and ‘District 9’ doesn’t disappoint. The carnage that ensues from the alien weaponry is raw and jaw dropping, initially…thought I’ll admit after the first handful of exploding bodies, it can get a bit redundant. Thankfully, just when you think the film will fall victim to that fact…out comes Wikus in the alien walker battle suit! Like the birth child of the ‘Aliens’ Power-Loader and the subjects of the ‘Robotech’ cartoon, the thing is pure indulgent awesomeness!
Clinton Shorter’s score is not piece of the mosaic that works rather efficiently. Setting up Johannesburg with the tribal beats and chilling chorus, the music of the film establishes the bleak outlook…both of the film and of the future as far as the film is concerned.
When all is said and done, ‘District 9’ has all the potential in the cosmos to become yet another outlandish and exasperated franchise. I will gladly pray that that DOESN’T happen, but we’ll see. As a Science Fiction action thriller, the film works…and, aside from ‘Star Trek’ and, more arguably ‘Watchmen,’ it’s easily one of my favorites for the Summer Season.
In the end, ‘District 9’ may not be a fully developed ‘thinking man’s film…but it still manages to depict the dilemmas that face us as a society. With it’s final shot, it might even be asking us to reflect on how we treat those who are different…when in truth it’s only us whom we ridicule with hate and prejudice…
And perhaps, when the right individual or group is faced with the message and tones of the film, it’ll help to push us just that much closer to a community undivided.
That might never happen in spades, of course…but every little bit is welcome.
----------------------------------------------
District 9 (2009)
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Directed by … Neill Blomkamp
Written by … Terri Tatchell and Neill Blomkamp
Executive Produced by … Bill Block, Ken Kamins and Elliot Ferwerda
Produced by … Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens and Michael S. Murphey
Cinematography by … Trent Opaloch
Production Design by … Philip Ivey
Costume Design by … Diana Cilliers
Art Direction by … Emilia Roux
Visual Effects by … The Embassy, Goldtooth Creative, Image Engine, Weta Digital, Wingnut Films and Zoic Studios
Editing by … Julian Clarke
Original Motion Picture Score composed by … Clinton Shorter
Sharlto Copley … Wikus Van De Merwe
Jason Cope … Christopher Johnson
Vanessa Haywood … Tania Van De Merwe
David James … Koobus Venter
William Allen Young … Dirk Michaels
Mandla Gaduka … Fundiswa Mhlanga
Kenneth Nkosi … Thomas
Eugene Khumbanyiwa … Obesandjo 7
Louis Minnaar … Piet Smit
Hlengiwe Madlala … Sangoma
Nick Boraine … Craig Weldon
Robert Hobbs … Ross Pienaar
Sylvaine Strike … Dr. Katrina McKenzie
Nathalie Boltt … Sarah Livingstone – Sociologist
[YT]VjihaK7HfGs[/YT]
[YT]5KDXZWUb3R0[/YT]
[YT]BzGJTplscfo[/YT]
[YT]uBctuRQj45w[/YT]
Directed by … Neill Blomkamp
Written by … Terri Tatchell and Neill Blomkamp
Executive Produced by … Bill Block, Ken Kamins and Elliot Ferwerda
Produced by … Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens and Michael S. Murphey
Cinematography by … Trent Opaloch
Production Design by … Philip Ivey
Costume Design by … Diana Cilliers
Art Direction by … Emilia Roux
Visual Effects by … The Embassy, Goldtooth Creative, Image Engine, Weta Digital, Wingnut Films and Zoic Studios
Editing by … Julian Clarke
Original Motion Picture Score composed by … Clinton Shorter
Sharlto Copley … Wikus Van De Merwe
Jason Cope … Christopher Johnson
Vanessa Haywood … Tania Van De Merwe
David James … Koobus Venter
William Allen Young … Dirk Michaels
Mandla Gaduka … Fundiswa Mhlanga
Kenneth Nkosi … Thomas
Eugene Khumbanyiwa … Obesandjo 7
Louis Minnaar … Piet Smit
Hlengiwe Madlala … Sangoma
Nick Boraine … Craig Weldon
Robert Hobbs … Ross Pienaar
Sylvaine Strike … Dr. Katrina McKenzie
Nathalie Boltt … Sarah Livingstone – Sociologist
An extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth suddenly find a kindred spirit in a government agent that is exposed to their biotechnology.
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You are not welcome here.
----------------------------------------------
For every decade, a film comes along that not only raises the stakes of its given genre…but alters our perceptions of that genre. In the past we’ve been met with “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” in the 1950s, “2001: A Space Odyssey” in the 1960s and “Star Wars” in the 1970s…films that have redefined our expectations of the ‘Science Fiction’ film and have set the foundations for further advancements in both technical achievement and storytelling merit.
Of course only time will tell of Neill Blomkamp’s bombastic hyper-overtoned thriller “District 9” will be our contemporary answer to the aforementioned, but it’s a fairly safe bet I’d say.
“District 9” sets an all too familiar stage of civil unrest, social diversity and political flair before an adulterated view of a fantastic backdrop we know so well, where the classic motif of ‘strange alien visitors’ is turned on its head.
Based off of Blomkamp’s 2005 short film “Alive in Joburg,” (more of a feature length extension on the concept, really) the film takes us to Johannesburg, South Africa…where for the past 20 years, a mammoth extra-terrestrial vessel has hovered in ominous silence. Deciding to cut their way into the hull, humanity discovers a nest of 1.8 million creatures…whom are dubbed ‘Prawn’s for their scavenger tendencies and hostile nature of stealing, rummaging and instinctual killing. As it turns out, the ship was nothing more than a glorified cattle drive, stockpiled with common workers whose intelligence, despite seemingly being superior to humans, isn’t all its cracked up to be.
As a result, the Prawns are rounded up by the local government and placed into a giant internment camp dubbed ‘District 9,’ which quickly diminishes into a trash-littered slum that falls prey to a giant inter-species black market between the aliens and a bloodthirsty Nigerian gang led by a maniacal warlord known simply as Mumbo.
Overcrowding, militarization, crime and rioting has made the situation a hot-bed for widespread panic and chaos throughout the city as the human population calls for the aliens to either depart or be executed in mass genocide…as a result the government of Johannesburg turns ‘District 9’ and her inhabitants over to a private conglomerate called Multi-National United (MNU), whose been contracted to police the Prawns until a plan can be formulated.
At the onset of the film, MNU decides that the time has come to evict the Prawns and clean out ‘District 9.’ Leading the charge is lowly yet gullible MNU field operative Wikus Van Der Merwe (Sharlto Copley) who must relocate the 1.8 million population to the ‘District 10’ camp 240 km outside of Johannesburg.
During the course of this daunting and deadly task, Wikus is exposed to a strange fluid cultivated from the alien weaponry that was stocked in an enormous cache aboard the ship…and soon enough he’s caught up in MNU’s scheme to proverbially open Pandora’s Box, as all men with power seem destined to attempt.
Now the single best thing going for ‘District 9’ is its bold leaps to be original, a feat that only gets more impossible as time goes on…especially in Science Fiction. But I think they pulled it off splendidly.
To set the film in South Africa, as opposed to the cliché and bloated Manhattan or Washington D.C. (loved that this was even commented on in the film!), we’re already given a location that, visually, is different for this kind of story…but more importantly, works to make the film frighteningly relevant to the civil disputes that are not only currently plaguing our planet…but have done so for centuries.
Much in the vain of Marvel Comics’ ‘X-Men,’ the ‘Prawns’ are a faceless outlet where you can put what you will…be it the refugees in Darfur or the Gay Community right on our doorstep. The fact that they’re ‘Aliens’ even comments on the illegal ‘Aliens’ that currently reside within our borders. They may be the stuff of fantasy, but the social plight of the Prawns and the light Blomkamp sheds on them is hauntingly real. The film bashes us over the head with the fact that intolerance and racism, despite the major leaps we’ve made over the past few decades, are issues we still face today…perhaps it does so for that very reason.
But for all our efforts, the evils of ignorance will never be completely laid to waste…which, despite how topical ‘District 9’ can seem, actually in turn makes the film somewhat timeless.
Much like ‘Cloverfield,’ the genius of the film is that it’s not a remake or based on an existing property. What I mean is, aside from the viral marketing, the general audiences went into both films without any prior knowledge of the film or its characters…which makes both projects refreshingly exciting upon that first theatrical viewing.
Going hand in hand with the political innuendo, ‘District 9’ feeds it to us in an even bolder move with the film being book-ended with a ‘documentary’ style telling of the ‘event’ which the film is based on…complete with a laundry list of interviews with no-name ‘experts’ and constant news coverage (they even have that dreaded ‘text crawl’ that Lewis Black hates so much, haha)…again, this might date the film, but the ever-growing rapidity of how we hunger for and receive instant communication would say otherwise.
The cast, also like ‘Cloverfield,’ is graciously not made up of known stars… which gives the film that veil of realism that the story calls for. These aren’t actors, but real and authentic people who are going through this scenario and that’s what makes it work.
Nods and Kudos go to the beautiful Vanessa Haywood, who gives a genuine turn as Wikus’ wife Tania…and the awesomely twisted Mumbo, right down to his belief that eating mutilated alien limbs will grant him powers. How great is that!?
Of course the highlights of the cast come from the respective focal points the story takes…on the sides of both the humans and the Prawns. Sharlto Copley’s every-man Wikus is so deliciously underplayed that the idea of him kicking ass by the film’s end seems more plausible…simultaneous with his descent into overwhelming depression and borderline madness upon the alterations to his biological make-up (without giving anything away). Then even more so, there’s the shocking turn of Jason Cope as our ‘hero Prawn’ Christopher. Not since Andy Serkis’ Gollum has a CG Character truly had such a riveting presence in a modern visual effects-based film. These two performances feed off of one another with such a tangible sense of passion and emotion that it’s just incredible to think one of them isn’t even physically on set…in a sense; you know what I mean. It’s a true testament to both of them that the relationship between the two manages to work without any suspension of disbelief.
This can also be said about the films visual effects, which I feel strongly that an Oscar nomination is in order.
I love that the ‘Creatures’ of this ‘Creature Feature’ aren’t given any sort of visual special treatment. The VFX shots of the ‘Prawns,’ the Battlesuit or the Ship aren’t glorified and pristine. To see these fantastic subjects be given a tangible weight is marvelous. Prawns aren’t brilliantly lit all the time to be shown off…the ship is usually always out of focus and of no consequence save a small handful of hero shots. It all adds up to a very authentic and natural approach to telling this story that I find interestingly unique.
When the Prawns are featured, they look pretty damn good. Maybe not as much as the now iconic Xenomorphs, but they get the job done for me.
The action and violence is hard-hitting, to be honest…downright nitty gritty, which I personally love. I always enjoy a well done dismemberment, and ‘District 9’ doesn’t disappoint. The carnage that ensues from the alien weaponry is raw and jaw dropping, initially…thought I’ll admit after the first handful of exploding bodies, it can get a bit redundant. Thankfully, just when you think the film will fall victim to that fact…out comes Wikus in the alien walker battle suit! Like the birth child of the ‘Aliens’ Power-Loader and the subjects of the ‘Robotech’ cartoon, the thing is pure indulgent awesomeness!
Clinton Shorter’s score is not piece of the mosaic that works rather efficiently. Setting up Johannesburg with the tribal beats and chilling chorus, the music of the film establishes the bleak outlook…both of the film and of the future as far as the film is concerned.
When all is said and done, ‘District 9’ has all the potential in the cosmos to become yet another outlandish and exasperated franchise. I will gladly pray that that DOESN’T happen, but we’ll see. As a Science Fiction action thriller, the film works…and, aside from ‘Star Trek’ and, more arguably ‘Watchmen,’ it’s easily one of my favorites for the Summer Season.
In the end, ‘District 9’ may not be a fully developed ‘thinking man’s film…but it still manages to depict the dilemmas that face us as a society. With it’s final shot, it might even be asking us to reflect on how we treat those who are different…when in truth it’s only us whom we ridicule with hate and prejudice…
And perhaps, when the right individual or group is faced with the message and tones of the film, it’ll help to push us just that much closer to a community undivided.
That might never happen in spades, of course…but every little bit is welcome.
----------------------------------------------
Last edited:
Ace of Knaves
Avenger
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Loved District 9 
Aesop Rocks
#1 Big Dog
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District 9 is an amazing movie!
few previous to it should of barely made it in top 100 let alone top 30
Figs
Avenger
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I like Equilibrium but I agree with others that it was't as awesome as some people claim.
I do have some major disagreements with your opinions on the film though. You mentioned in one of your previous posts that it's a "ripoff" of Matrix and Fahrenheit 451. I still can't believe that's most people's biggest complaint about this film, that it "rips off Fahrenheit 451 and Orwell's 1984". Throughout time art whether film, literature or music has always had past influences. I still will never understand why people don't apply this to Equilibrium. It's like they hate it so much most other films get the pass but for Equilibrium...nope, it wasn't influenced by those past works, it copied them.
Second thing. I still don't feel this was a Matrix ripoff at all. I think people say that solely because the stupid quote on the cover saying that it's better than The Matrix. The gun-kata was obvious not something that would actually work in real life but it was fun to watch, but I don't see how that was like The Matrix. In fact I always found it to be more stylish than any gun work in The Matrix films. Don't get me wrong, Matrix had some great wire work and the whole bullet time effect but the gun shootouts were cooler in Equilibrium.
The last thing is I am getting tired of people across the internet pulling out the overused and incredibly cliche' line about "hammering it's point home". As said before this movie is obviously inspired by 1984 and Fahrenheight 451, so the fact that they're burning items of art that can trigger emotions isn't out of the ordinary. The scene didn't shove it down our throats, it was a single scene in the film to show how bad and controlled things have gotten.
I understand if you didn't like the film or just thought it was ok but a good number of those complaints I've heard time and time again and feel most of them are a bit biased.
Max J Power
Trash Boat
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It doesn't.
I like Equilibrium, but it doesn't reach the depth it aspires to with its themes. Its view of dystopia is an interesting pastiche of other sources, but its development of the dystopian theme is pretty basic. And the gun kata stuff was a little too unbelievable for me. It got kind of cheesy after awhile.
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