District 9

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

God, this movie stays with you long after the cinema, I just cant stop thinking about it, and the way Wikus was depicted was simply brilliant. He wasnt your typical likeable loser whoe becomes a hero.

He actually does some pretty nasty and evil things during the movie, but you what made it so different, they all felt like natural stuff to do in the situation, I could see myself doing many of the things Wikus did in the movie. He just seemed like a normal person in extraordinary situation that he at first couldnt handle, but he found his courage at the end and became a hero. Now many movies characters do this, but they dont do it so convincingly, this was like watching a documentary, not a movie, not once did I think during it I was watching something not real, and thats were the real power of the movie comes from.

 

[TheFuture]

God, this movie stays with you long after the cinema, I just cant stop thinking about it, and the way Wikus was depicted was simply brilliant. He wasnt your typical likeable loser whoe becomes a hero.

He actually does some pretty nasty and evil things during the movie, but you what made it so different, they all felt like natural stuff to do in the situation, I could see myself doing many of the things Wikus did in the movie. He just seemed like a normal person in extraordinary situation that he at first couldnt handle, but he found his courage at the end and became a hero. Now many movies characters do this, but they dont do it so convincingly, this was like watching a documentary, not a movie, not once did I think during it I was watching something not real, and thats were the real power of the movie comes from.

Agreed. He is what I like to refer as "a perfectly flawed human". Every misdeed of his is easy to abhor, however I don't think his reactions were anything that the average human wouldn't commit

Spoiler

(other than the murder of the baby prawns that is, that is debatable).

I mean for example when

Spoiler

he knocks Christopher out and attempts to leave him behind to be executed, that was a real dick move. However if that was me, and I just found out that I would fully transform into a prawn and stay like that for 3 years, I'm not sure that I wouldn't have the same reaction as Wikus.

It was just done perfectly. Take the surreality away and I think Wikus is one of the better interpretations of what is to be human in recent years in film.

 

[omid17]

God, this movie stays with you long after the cinema, I just cant stop thinking about it, and the way Wikus was depicted was simply brilliant. He wasnt your typical likeable loser whoe becomes a hero.

He actually does some pretty nasty and evil things during the movie, but you what made it so different, they all felt like natural stuff to do in the situation, I could see myself doing many of the things Wikus did in the movie. He just seemed like a normal person in extraordinary situation that he at first couldnt handle, but he found his courage at the end and became a hero. Now many movies characters do this, but they dont do it so convincingly, this was like watching a documentary, not a movie, not once did I think during it I was watching something not real, and thats were the real power of the movie comes from.

Agreed. He is what I like to refer as "a perfectly flawed human". Every misdeed of his is easy to abhor, however I don't think his reactions were anything that the average human wouldn't commit

Spoiler

(other than the murder of the baby prawns that is, that is debatable).

I mean for example when he knocks Christopher out and attempts to leave him behind to be executed, that was a real dick move. However if that was me, and I just found out that I would fully transform into a prawn and stay like that for 3 years, I'm not sure that I wouldn't have the same reaction as Wikus. It was just done perfectly. Take the surreality away and I think Wikus is one of the better interpretations of what is to be human in recent years in film.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Agreed. He is what I like to refer as "a perfectly flawed human". Every misdeed of his is easy to abhor, however I don't think his reactions were anything that the average human wouldn't commit

Spoiler

(other than the murder of the baby prawns that is, that is debatable).

I didnt think it was that debatable, I just thought he has often done that in the past and has become so used to it he doesnt realise he is doing wrong. Many people who do evil dont realise it, many normal people as well, if its something you are used to you dont think its evil.

I mean for example when

Spoiler

he knocks Christopher out and attempts to leave him behind to be executed, that was a real dick move. However if that was me, and I just found out that I would fully transform into a prawn and stay like that for 3 years, I'm not sure that I wouldn't have the same reaction as Wikus.

It was just done perfectly. Take the surreality away and I think Wikus is one of the better interpretations of what is to be human in recent years in film.

^Exactly, he felt much more real than reluctant heroes we get in the majority of movies, so much so, that I was genuinly surprised when he turned hero in the end, and i thought it was brilliantly done. His father in law stated to his wife at the start that 'Wikus has always been weak' so again, it makes his actions not only understandable, as he just wanted to be normal again, but also much more real, it all just hit home so much more.

 

[dark_b]

it just shows you that in hollywood only a new director has the balls to writte a character like this.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

^True dark B, true, I think because the budget was so low there was a lack of studio interence also, that tends to be the case most of the time now.

 

[dark_b]

but why couldnt a character like this work in a 200 million budget movie?
i understand that the studio wants action with an expensive movie. but a character?

and to think that in 2007 i had to watch for 2 hours a guy dancing and having an EMO haircut.

 

[nite-owl]

The budget wasn't that low it was like 30 million or something.

 

[dark_b]

30 millions is low when it comes to a movie like district. it was not only character driven but it had action. and not to forget the main aliens were all 100% CGI.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

but why couldnt a character like this work in a 200 million budget movie?
i understand that the studio wants action with an expensive movie. but a character?

and to think that in 2007 i had to watch for 2 hours a guy dancing and having an EMO haircut.

Its because the more money the studio invests the more they want to play it safe, its understandable, as some of these movies cost ridiculous amounts, but unfortunately, its ultimately us who suffer.

The budget wasn't that low it was like 30 million or something.

Are you kidding? Thats extremely low these days, especially when most 1st movies in a franchise now cost at least $130-150 million.

30 millions is low when it comes to a movie like district. it was not only character driven but it had action. and not to forget the main aliens were all 100% CGI.

Exactly, this movie had some superb action as well, $30 million is extremely low for a budget these days, especially when more and more movies are coming out with budgets of $200 million or more.

 

[omid17]

and with 30 mill we also got some awesome actors too

 

[Master Chief]

He milked every penny. Shooting in Johannesburg must have helped a bit too.

 

[omid17]

He milked every penny. Shooting in Johannesburg must have helped a bit too.

agreed

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

and with 30 mill we also got some awesome actors too

Sharlto Copley was amazing, all of the realism and the way things played out just wouldnt have seemed half as genuine without Copley being so convincing.

 

[dark_b]

Sharlto was really good. he has some talents since they are all saying that he is not even an actor. but he has talent. to transform yourself from the guy in the beginning to the guy at the end.............now thats acting.

 

[Figs]

Sharlto was really good. he has some talents since they are all saying that he is not even an actor. but he has talent. to transform yourself from the guy in the beginning to the guy at the end.............now thats acting.

He's not really an actor??

If that's true I hope he does some more films because I thought he was great in District 9 and can't wait to see what he'll do next.

The scene that I thought he did extremely well in was when they were having him test out the weapons.

 

[Soapy]

Yeah, aside from playing one of the soldiers in Alive in Joburg, District 9 was his first acting job. He used to be a producer or something.

 

[dark_b]

Figs this was hes first movie. ok he did the short Alive in Joburg but that was nothing. this is hes first movie.

 

[Figs]

Yeah, aside from playing one of the soldiers in Alive in Joburg, District 9 was his first acting job. He used to be a producer or something.

Figs this was hes first movie. ok he did the short Alive in Joburg but that was nothing. this is hes first movie.

That's crazy. He did a pretty damn good job in D9 so hopefully that wasn't a one time acting performance.

 

[Etienne]

He's not really an actor??

If that's true I hope he does some more films because I thought he was great in District 9 and can't wait to see what he'll do next.

The scene that I thought he did extremely well in was when they were having him test out the weapons.

He's a producer/director/writer. The EW article talked a bit about Blomkamp and Copley's friendship.

Even the star of the film – Sharlto Copley – believed in Blomkamp in the beginning stages. When Copley was a 20-year-old TV producer, he hired a 14-year-old Blomkamp as a computer graphics designer. “I gave Neill his first job,” Copley says. “And he’s certainly returned the favor.” But Blomkamp always knew his buddy (who had virtually no acting experience) had hidden talents: “He can become whatever character he wants. He once convinced one of his friends he was in the witness protection program.”

Apparently Copley has been offered the part of "Howling Mad" Murdock in The A-Team movie.

http://www.blackfilm.com/20090903/features/ateamnews.shtml

 

[Figs]

If he gets the part for Murdock I think that would equal an epic win.

 

[omid17]

Sharlto Copley was amazing, all of the realism and the way things played out just wouldnt have seemed half as genuine without Copley being so convincing.

Sharlto was really good. he has some talents since they are all saying that he is not even an actor. but he has talent. to transform yourself from the guy in the beginning to the guy at the end.............now thats acting.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Copley was the guy who gave Blomkamp his first job in a SFX company, so yeah, this was his first real acting job, and quite honestly, he was astonishing, especially since according to Total Film he improvised all of his lines in the movie.

 

[Kent]

Copley was the guy who gave Blomkamp his first job in a SFX company, so yeah, this was his first real acting job, and quite honestly, he was astonishing, especially since according to Total Film he improvised all of his lines in the movie.

Wait. He improvised all of his lines?

 

[gwynplaine]

Probably a lot of them, but all of them i don't think so.