Wow, the author completely edited hisher article and put a line through all conversations.
Sexist.
It's interesting that she says "I CHANGED MY MIND," and then proceeds to argue that despite being totally wrong, her point still stands. I think she still refuses to believe that, as TheWhaleShark said, nothing that seemed like an exaggeration was actually one. The prawns aliens were stealing, doing drugs, and acting like bottom-feeders because they had no choice, not because they were inferior beings.
Wow, the author completely editedhisherarticle and put a line through all conversations.
Sexist.
It's interesting that she says "I CHANGED MY MIND," and then proceeds to argue that despite being totally wrong, her point still stands. I think she still refuses to believe that, as TheWhaleShark said, nothing that seemed like an exaggeration was actually one. Theprawnsaliens were stealing, doing drugs, and acting like bottom-feeders because they had no choice, not because they were inferior beings.
Well, no, they did have a choice. Nobody who leads a poverty-stricken life has to turn to crime, but that is often the case, because they feel as if there is no other viable option. Powerlessness leads to desperation. It's the human condition, and it really fucking sucks.
Wow, the author completely editedhisherarticle and put a line through all conversations.
Sexist.
Notice how I specifically avoided gender in my first post because I couldn't tell if the author was male or female. I used "his" for expediency and in English male pronouns are the neutral fallback. And you are right, I am a sexist. I totally think that hermaphrodites are superior beings.
I pretty strongly disliked the movie...let me explain myself (pardon the length):
Plot holes, continuity errors, and bullshit: I agree with Mamath that the premise is a little difficult to believe. The public is cool with having a GIGANTIC mothership just hover over the city for 20+ years?
Maybe they are hidden from the general public until it is too late?
How? There is a gigantic mothership hovering over Johannesburg.
(SPOILERS!)How could a mothership float without any fuel? How could fuel cause a human to transform into an alien? Why were the aliens in Earth in the first place? If the Aliens had such great technology, why were they so stupid?
GOD DAMMIT I FUCKING AGREE! How the fuck does he turn into an alien from getting fuel on his face? Yes, it is important that they explain that because it was a pivotal point in the movie. All the other things you mentioned are EXTREMELY stupid and unbelievable as well. And yeah, I know, it's a fiction movie. I wouldn't be half as annoyed as I am now if the movie decided to answer any of the questions from VentureJ's post. I'm not saying they need to use real science to explain shit here. They could have made up some absolute poppycock to explain how he turned into an alien and I'd be tenfold more satisfied than I am now. I am just so salty about the absolute lack of any explanation this movie gave to answer questions of "why" or "how" certain things in the movie happened.
There's no explicit explanation for MANY things, and that's part of what makes it such a great flick.
Are you fucking kidding me? As I said above, they don't need to explain this stuff using real science, but they need to explain it. It helps make the movie more believable. Leaving this shit unexplained made it way less believable to me. I know, fiction. But still, if a movie can come across as slightly realistic to me, more power to it. The way they did it makes it seem like they wanted to do too much and couldn't explain it all. How does that make it great?
When have science fiction films ever been known for being wholly consistent?
They usually aren't. They do, however, usually explain themselves somehow, even if said explanations aren't within the barriers of real science.
Another question: Did they ever explain why the aliens didn't use their weapons to fuck shit up and take over the world? They easily could have, based on the sheer power of the weapons. I can't remember if they explained this or not. If they did, someone tell me. If they didn't, then that's just another strike against this movie for not explaining anything.
Deus ex machina: They could have killed off Christopher at least 5+ times but the movie Deus Ex Machina'd his ass out of trouble each and every god damn time. The mech suit kinda came out of fucking no where and saved Wikus's sorry ass. Fuck, "the x came out of fucking no where and saved y's sorry ass" could be an acceptably used phrase almost anywhere at various points in the last hour of the film. This is just more stuff that helps this movie be less and less believable.
Weapons porn: Weapons are the driving factor of the movie and the entire plot. That's not debatable. That being said, my friends were ooing and awing so much over the explosions, deaths, and good cinematics surrounding the weapons that I felt like I was with a group of children watching a carnivore get fed at the zoo. It's gorey, and the kids are drawn towards the violence and death. The entire aspect of weapons (and for me, how my friends were all so awed by the alien weapons) kind of brought to mind the song "Vicarious" by Tool. "'Cause I need to watch things die From a distance Vicariously, I live while the whole world dies You all need it too don't lie" That chorus was resonating through my head the entire movie. Sure, MANY movies other than District 9 are guilty of this, but still. I think it resonated so much with me during this movie was just because how thrilled my friends seemed when people were getting viciously killed. But still, I think the movie drifted a bit much from it's moral standpoint and ventured far too much into weapons porn towards the middle-end of the movie. The part where Wikus is being tested with the weapons is fine and meshes with the movie's moral standpoint. The parts where people's heads were getting torn off and blown apart were just there for weapons and violence porn, though. The movie could have done without that stuff.
Not that I thought the movie was terrible, I wasn't sure how much more I could endure before I vomited or started sobbing so loudly that I would be thrown out.
For all the shit talking I've done about this movie. I agree with this point. There were some parts where I was just floored, mouth open, at how gruesome some shit was. Not saying it's a bad thing, though. It is what it is.
Finally, immediately after seeing it I can safely say that I dislike this movie. I do like that it can spur this much discussion. The movie did have a lot of moral substance to it. It's kinda like Cloverfield. I hated it at first, but after all the discussion it sparked between me and my friends, I liked it. It's been awhile that a movie has stirred me to write this much about it. So D9 succeeds in doing at least that much.
Also, the acting and cinematics were indeed superb. I don't consider a movie good if those things are good, though. It's a hygiene factor. I expect them to be there in a Hollywod film.
Now you guys can have fun ripping this post to shreds.
The mech suit kinda came out of fucking no where and saved Wikus's sorry ass.
No it didn't. You knew it was there when the aliens bartered it away. You knew it the whole time. In fact, I was waiting for it to show up towards the end; I wound up expecting it to be there in almost every scene as the movie climaxed.
Did they ever explain why the aliens didn't use their weapons to fuck shit up and take over the world?
Because they were starving and looking for help? Because they aren't assholes?
I think I can safely say that you missed the point.
I think I can safely say that you missed the point.
I came here to say just that, but you beat me to it. But I've been waiting for a chance to use this image in context, so here it is.
Also,
Well, no, they did have a choice. Nobody who leads a poverty-stricken lifehasto turn to crime, but that is often the case, because they feel as if there is no other viable option. Powerlessness leads to desperation. It's the human condition, and it really fucking sucks.
You're right, but the point still stands that the aliens were trapped; their options were 1) Try to make an honest living, fail, and die, or 2) scrounge around, bottom-feed, and try to survive by whatever means possible.
How the fuck does he turn into an alien from getting fuel on his face?
This question, and to a larger extent the entire concept of the fuel itself, is central to the entire point of the movie. If you can't figure out the message that the fuel and his transformation is trying to convey, then the movie went over your head. And if you do understand the message, then why do you care about the specifics?
Here, I'll pull something out of my ass: being that the fuel is biological in nature (it's derived from the aliens, and we know that they make extensive use of biotechnology), it probably contains viruses or something similar that are native to the aliens. There is considerable evidence to suggest that viruses played a critical role in human evolution, so it stands to reason that another humanoid race may have something similar in their biology. Thus, I'm betting that the fuel contained viruses that transferred alien genetic material to whatshisface. The sudden transformation was a bit fantastical, but in a movie where you already have an alien mothership and energy weapons, I think you can continue to suspend disbelief long enough to allow for a sudden transformation. If you can't, then I highly suspect that you're just looking to criticize the movie because you want to criticize it.
Also, it was fairly clear to me that their fuel (like all their technology) is based on their specific genetic code. It is not difficult to suspend some disbelief and take it for granted that the fuel contains some of their genetic material and some sort of agent that can corrupt the genetic makeup of other beings.
The mech suit kinda came out of fucking no where and saved Wikus's sorry ass.
No it didn't. You knew it was there when the aliens bartered it away. You knew it the whole time. In fact, I waswaitingfor it to show up towards the end; I wound up expecting it to be there in almost every scene as the movie climaxed.
This is a catch-22, and it is annoying. People complain about the Chekhov's Gun ploy, but they also complain about deus ex machina. Which do you want? WHICH DO YOU WANT?
DAMMIT! I had the option of seeing this movie or Ponya and thought to myself, "The premise from the previews of this movie is horrible, how could such advanced aliens possibly be at the mercy of humans? At worst they could cut a deal with some opportunistic country with a decent land mass, offer protection using there advanced weapons from other countries, and start up an economy. Or they could flat out kill everyone and inhabit the planet. These aliens would have to have the worst leadership imaginable. This movie is as ridiculous as a fleet of modern battle ships being held up by cave men." Ponya wasn't anything special...I made the wrong choice.
Now I find out the entire movie was a science fiction proper like TNG, dealing with deeper questions about humanity using interaction with a foreign species as a story vehicle. I have to trick my girl friend into wanting to see this movie instead of Up, since Ponya was my pic and next it's her turn...
their options were 1) Try to make an honest living, fail, and die, or 2) scrounge around, bottom-feed, and try to survive by whatever means possible.
3) use their alien weapons to fuck shit up and take over the world (See Jay's point above).
Honestly, the fact that they let themselves be segregated, oppressed, and just fucked in the ass while they had what was essentially WMDs in their hands, is just absolutely ridiculous. It made no fucking sense.
And honestly, after about halfway through the movie the "point" that you all keep referring to (is it really as simple as "segregation is wrong" and "treat life with respect" or does it actually delve deeper than those childish themes and morals? I missed the point, so someone needs to spell it out nicely for me) kinda disappears and then the movie just turns into a weapons, mech, and violence porno movie ala Transformers 2. The movie loses almost all substance and turns into exploding heads. Dude gets back to normal at the end (if that's the case, then it rules out a sequel)? They make metal roses?
I have to trick my girl friend into wanting to see this movie instead of Up, since Ponya was my pic and next it's her turn...
Honestly, I'm giving District 9 more shit than I should be giving it, but Up really was a fantastic movie. Go see it with your girlfriend. It will be a great experience. Far better than seeing her horrified at some of the shit that goes down in D9.
their options were 1) Try to make an honest living, fail, and die, or 2) scrounge around, bottom-feed, and try to survive by whatever means possible.
3) use their alien weapons to fuck shit up and take over the world (See Jay's point above).
The fact that they let themselves be segregated, oppressed, and just fucked in the ass while they had what was essentially WMDs in their hands, is just absolutely ridiculous. It made no fucking sense.
On another note, about halfway through the movie the "point" that you all keep referring to (is it really as simple as "segregation is wrong" and "treat life with respect" or does it actually delve deeper than those childish themes and morals? I missed the point, so someone needs to spell it out nicely for me) kinda disappears and then the movie just turns into a weapons, mech, and violence porno movie ala Transformers 2. The movie loses almost all substance and turns into exploding heads. Dude gets back to normal at the end (if that's the case, then it rules out a sequel)? They make metal roses?
I have to trick my girl friend into wanting to see this movie instead of Up, since Ponya was my pic and next it's her turn...
Honestly, I'm giving District 9 more shit than I should be giving it, but Up really was a fantastic movie. Go see it with your girlfriend. It will be a great experience. Far better than seeing her horrified at some of the shit that goes down in D9.
their options were 1) Try to make an honest living, fail, and die, or 2) scrounge around, bottom-feed, and try to survive by whatever means possible.
3) use their alien weapons to fuck shit up and take over the world.
Honestly, the fact that they let themselves be segregated, oppressed, and just fucked in the ass while they had what was essentially WMDs in their hands, is just absolutely ridiculous. It made no fucking sense.
While their weapons were advanced, they weren't that much better than ours, not to mention very scarce. Sure, there were a couple of million aliens, but were there 2 million explodey guns? Not likely. If they did rise up, it wouldn't take long for a full-on military response, likely killing thousands of aliens. Another point, the mothership was clearly not made for fighting. My guess is that they were refugees, and that ship was the galactic equivalent of a dilapidated fishing boat.
The mech suit kinda came out of fucking no where and saved Wikus's sorry ass.
No it didn't. You knew it was there when the aliens bartered it away. You knew it the whole time. In fact, I waswaitingfor it to show up towards the end; I wound up expecting it to be there in almost every scene as the movie climaxed.
This is a catch-22, and it is annoying. People complain about the Chekhov's Gun ploy, but they also complain about deus ex machina. Which do you want? WHICH DO YOU WANT?
They want option 3, subtle foreshadowing. Checkhov's gun only comes into play when the foreshadowing is obvious and sticks out like a sore thumb. What people love the most is when you get a situation like The 6th Sense or Bone. When they give you the hints you don't think forward and know what's going to happen. But when you see what happens you think back and realize you were stupid for not seeing it coming.
It's amazing that you guys can't imagine that an alien civilization that has mastered interstellar travel would not have some sort of emergency system to keep their spaceship floating.
Far better than seeing her horrified at some of the shit that goes down in D9.
But isn't it one of those movies that horrifies you in a deep and meaningful way? My mom and many of the people here said it disturbed them, but they really liked it. I don't like gore for gore's sake, but I tend to really like the aesthetic of Sci-Fi movies like this one.
Edit: However, if she is not a SciFi fan, or is squeamish, UP is a really good movie. Go see it!
I really could have done without the gratuitous shots of the Secretary-General of the UN tossing that goat's salad, though. Did we really need to see that?
I just saw the movie, but I didn't see anything at all except for 2 pictures which were used in order to demonize Wilkus. Where were my alien sex scenes? I am vaguely disappointed.
I enjoyed the movie despite the content. Normally I would not approve of the excessive content, but I understand its purpose in this movie. All in all, really good, really nice. I enjoyed the plot very much. Glad I saw this instead of sitting through G.I. Joe.
Normally I would not approve of the excessive content,
I'm with you. Too much content in movies these days. You can hardly contain the content.
...Do you just stalk my posts to make fun of me? I know, that could've been worded better. I just don't know of any other way to put it. Mature content, I suppose. Still has the same general problem.
Saw the film a few days ago. Half of me thinks it's a fantastic film, and all of my definitely feels it's the best film released so far this year. I really liked the designs of the aliens themselves, especially (for some reason) the stomach arms. I do have to say that for me, "Christopher" and his son end up being the only sympathetic characters throughout the film. Right up until the end, I feel Wikus's actions could be attributed solely to self-interest, especially considering his response to learning he'd have to wait three years for a "cure".
As for the whole fuel debate, what I took from the film was that the fuel was necessary to pilot the command module up to the mothership, not the mothership itself. Stealing a helicopter would have been useless without the means to pilot the mothership. I was also under the impression that while the mothership had medical technology that could revert Wikus back to fully human, the fuel in the canister wasn't necessary to the process (beyond getting to the ship itself). I took "Christopher"'s comments on having to get back to his homeworld as fast as possible as meaning he didn't have time to keep the ship idle for a little while longer while he helped Wikus, as he initially planned (Wikus couldn't just come with them because...? Eh, that ends up being more speculative, but my take is that "Christopher" didn't want any humans tagging along to the homeworld for security reasons).
Now, the other half of me...
In fact, part of what disturbed me most about the film is that I wanted to call everything an exaggeration, but it really wasn't. There are most certainly gangs like that in Africa whose actions are steeped in mysticism. One crazy gang leader listening to a witch doctor? It's not racist when it's a largely true-to-life depiction.
Have to disagree, actually; it can still be racist if these end up being the strongest portrayals of non-white characters within the film (virtually every other such character being an extra), and it can still be racist if the strongest portrayal of non-white Africans in the film is a negative one. I could make a film set in the United States where all the Caucasians are white-collar Christian family people and all the African-Americans are violent, coked-out drug dealers; examples of both may exist in real life, but that doesn't automatically mean the execution of the depiction can't still be racist.
But isn't it one of those movies that horrifies you in a deep and meaningful way?
Meh, seeing people get vaporized, heads getting chopped off, people essentially getting tortured, mech suits shooting at shit, and profuse blood and other violence isn't really that meaningful to me. It's only meaningful to people who love weapons porn... Frankly, the only part of the movie that held very much meaning to me was when... Wikus was being tested and about to be killed and was strapped down to the chair. Then at the end when Christopher saw the alien expiraments. The rest of the movie to me was pretty much a bunch of chickenshit weapons porn with mild racism thrown in.
I know, that could've been worded better. I just don't know of any other way to put it. Mature content, I suppose. Still has the same general problem.
Believe me, saying "content" vs. "mature content" makes a HUGE difference.
Mature content, I suppose. Still has the same general problem.
This film was rated R, what else do you want?
Superbad was R and there was significantly less amount of gore and heads being ripped off in the movie. Just throwin' that out there.
I didn't realize the film was rated R until I started watching it...
You really should check first if you're so sensitive about these things. :P
Well, it was a last minute decision to go see the movie. We were going to a drive-in, and I could either see that, or G.I. Joe. I had no internet, as we were camping, and so had no time to check for information about either of them. I chose District 9 because it sounded better, and I believe that it was.
Comments
It's interesting that she says "I CHANGED MY MIND," and then proceeds to argue that despite being totally wrong, her point still stands. I think she still refuses to believe that, as TheWhaleShark said, nothing that seemed like an exaggeration was actually one. The prawns aliens were stealing, doing drugs, and acting like bottom-feeders because they had no choice, not because they were inferior beings.
And you are right, I am a sexist. I totally think that hermaphrodites are superior beings.
Plot holes, continuity errors, and bullshit:
I agree with Mamath that the premise is a little difficult to believe. The public is cool with having a GIGANTIC mothership just hover over the city for 20+ years? How? There is a gigantic mothership hovering over Johannesburg. GOD DAMMIT I FUCKING AGREE! How the fuck does he turn into an alien from getting fuel on his face? Yes, it is important that they explain that because it was a pivotal point in the movie. All the other things you mentioned are EXTREMELY stupid and unbelievable as well. And yeah, I know, it's a fiction movie. I wouldn't be half as annoyed as I am now if the movie decided to answer any of the questions from VentureJ's post. I'm not saying they need to use real science to explain shit here. They could have made up some absolute poppycock to explain how he turned into an alien and I'd be tenfold more satisfied than I am now. I am just so salty about the absolute lack of any explanation this movie gave to answer questions of "why" or "how" certain things in the movie happened. Are you fucking kidding me? As I said above, they don't need to explain this stuff using real science, but they need to explain it. It helps make the movie more believable. Leaving this shit unexplained made it way less believable to me. I know, fiction. But still, if a movie can come across as slightly realistic to me, more power to it. The way they did it makes it seem like they wanted to do too much and couldn't explain it all. How does that make it great? They usually aren't. They do, however, usually explain themselves somehow, even if said explanations aren't within the barriers of real science.
Another question: Did they ever explain why the aliens didn't use their weapons to fuck shit up and take over the world? They easily could have, based on the sheer power of the weapons. I can't remember if they explained this or not. If they did, someone tell me. If they didn't, then that's just another strike against this movie for not explaining anything.
Deus ex machina:
They could have killed off Christopher at least 5+ times but the movie Deus Ex Machina'd his ass out of trouble each and every god damn time.
The mech suit kinda came out of fucking no where and saved Wikus's sorry ass.
Fuck, "the x came out of fucking no where and saved y's sorry ass" could be an acceptably used phrase almost anywhere at various points in the last hour of the film. This is just more stuff that helps this movie be less and less believable.
Weapons porn:
Weapons are the driving factor of the movie and the entire plot. That's not debatable.
That being said, my friends were ooing and awing so much over the explosions, deaths, and good cinematics surrounding the weapons that I felt like I was with a group of children watching a carnivore get fed at the zoo. It's gorey, and the kids are drawn towards the violence and death.
The entire aspect of weapons (and for me, how my friends were all so awed by the alien weapons) kind of brought to mind the song "Vicarious" by Tool.
"'Cause I need to watch things die
From a distance
Vicariously, I live while the whole world dies
You all need it too don't lie"
That chorus was resonating through my head the entire movie. Sure, MANY movies other than District 9 are guilty of this, but still. I think it resonated so much with me during this movie was just because how thrilled my friends seemed when people were getting viciously killed. But still, I think the movie drifted a bit much from it's moral standpoint and ventured far too much into weapons porn towards the middle-end of the movie.
The part where Wikus is being tested with the weapons is fine and meshes with the movie's moral standpoint. The parts where people's heads were getting torn off and blown apart were just there for weapons and violence porn, though. The movie could have done without that stuff. For all the shit talking I've done about this movie. I agree with this point. There were some parts where I was just floored, mouth open, at how gruesome some shit was. Not saying it's a bad thing, though. It is what it is.
Finally, immediately after seeing it I can safely say that I dislike this movie. I do like that it can spur this much discussion. The movie did have a lot of moral substance to it. It's kinda like Cloverfield. I hated it at first, but after all the discussion it sparked between me and my friends, I liked it. It's been awhile that a movie has stirred me to write this much about it. So D9 succeeds in doing at least that much.
Also, the acting and cinematics were indeed superb. I don't consider a movie good if those things are good, though. It's a hygiene factor. I expect them to be there in a Hollywod film.
Now you guys can have fun ripping this post to shreds.
I think I can safely say that you missed the point.
Also,You're right, but the point still stands that the aliens were trapped; their options were 1) Try to make an honest living, fail, and die, or 2) scrounge around, bottom-feed, and try to survive by whatever means possible.
Here, I'll pull something out of my ass: being that the fuel is biological in nature (it's derived from the aliens, and we know that they make extensive use of biotechnology), it probably contains viruses or something similar that are native to the aliens. There is considerable evidence to suggest that viruses played a critical role in human evolution, so it stands to reason that another humanoid race may have something similar in their biology. Thus, I'm betting that the fuel contained viruses that transferred alien genetic material to whatshisface. The sudden transformation was a bit fantastical, but in a movie where you already have an alien mothership and energy weapons, I think you can continue to suspend disbelief long enough to allow for a sudden transformation. If you can't, then I highly suspect that you're just looking to criticize the movie because you want to criticize it.
Now I find out the entire movie was a science fiction proper like TNG, dealing with deeper questions about humanity using interaction with a foreign species as a story vehicle. I have to trick my girl friend into wanting to see this movie instead of Up, since Ponya was my pic and next it's her turn...
Honestly, the fact that they let themselves be segregated, oppressed, and just fucked in the ass while they had what was essentially WMDs in their hands, is just absolutely ridiculous. It made no fucking sense.
And honestly, after about halfway through the movie the "point" that you all keep referring to (is it really as simple as "segregation is wrong" and "treat life with respect" or does it actually delve deeper than those childish themes and morals? I missed the point, so someone needs to spell it out nicely for me) kinda disappears and then the movie just turns into a weapons, mech, and violence porno movie ala Transformers 2. The movie loses almost all substance and turns into exploding heads. Dude gets back to normal at the end (if that's the case, then it rules out a sequel)? They make metal roses? Honestly, I'm giving District 9 more shit than I should be giving it, but Up really was a fantastic movie. Go see it with your girlfriend. It will be a great experience. Far better than seeing her horrified at some of the shit that goes down in D9.
The fact that they let themselves be segregated, oppressed, and just fucked in the ass while they had what was essentially WMDs in their hands, is just absolutely ridiculous. It made no fucking sense.
On another note, about halfway through the movie the "point" that you all keep referring to (is it really as simple as "segregation is wrong" and "treat life with respect" or does it actually delve deeper than those childish themes and morals? I missed the point, so someone needs to spell it out nicely for me) kinda disappears and then the movie just turns into a weapons, mech, and violence porno movie ala Transformers 2. The movie loses almost all substance and turns into exploding heads. Dude gets back to normal at the end (if that's the case, then it rules out a sequel)? They make metal roses? Honestly, I'm giving District 9 more shit than I should be giving it, but Up really was a fantastic movie. Go see it with your girlfriend. It will be a great experience. Far better than seeing her horrified at some of the shit that goes down in D9.
I enjoyed this movie because it is ugly and mean.
Edit: However, if she is not a SciFi fan, or is squeamish, UP is a really good movie. Go see it!
Did I see an edited version or something? ^.~
I know, that could've been worded better. I just don't know of any other way to put it. Mature content, I suppose. Still has the same general problem.
As for the whole fuel debate, what I took from the film was that the fuel was necessary to pilot the command module up to the mothership, not the mothership itself. Stealing a helicopter would have been useless without the means to pilot the mothership. I was also under the impression that while the mothership had medical technology that could revert Wikus back to fully human, the fuel in the canister wasn't necessary to the process (beyond getting to the ship itself). I took "Christopher"'s comments on having to get back to his homeworld as fast as possible as meaning he didn't have time to keep the ship idle for a little while longer while he helped Wikus, as he initially planned (Wikus couldn't just come with them because...? Eh, that ends up being more speculative, but my take is that "Christopher" didn't want any humans tagging along to the homeworld for security reasons).
Now, the other half of me... Have to disagree, actually; it can still be racist if these end up being the strongest portrayals of non-white characters within the film (virtually every other such character being an extra), and it can still be racist if the strongest portrayal of non-white Africans in the film is a negative one. I could make a film set in the United States where all the Caucasians are white-collar Christian family people and all the African-Americans are violent, coked-out drug dealers; examples of both may exist in real life, but that doesn't automatically mean the execution of the depiction can't still be racist.
[Edited to spell the guy's name right]
Frankly, the only part of the movie that held very much meaning to me was when... Wikus was being tested and about to be killed and was strapped down to the chair. Then at the end when Christopher saw the alien expiraments. The rest of the movie to me was pretty much a bunch of chickenshit weapons porn with mild racism thrown in. Believe me, saying "content" vs. "mature content" makes a HUGE difference. Superbad was R and there was significantly less amount of gore and heads being ripped off in the movie. Just throwin' that out there.