District 9

[Doctor Who?]

I thought the aliens didn't use their weapons because they were pretty peaceful and if they did use their weapons they would be at war with the whole earth and they didn't want that.  Also wars need leaders and they didn't seem to have a leader.

I thought the aliens were more humane then any of the Humans on screen.  The only people acting like savages were the humans who were keeping the aliens in camps and expoiting them.  What did the aliens do that was savage besides trying to survive and in the end killing the one guy with the only weapons they had(their bare hands)when he tried to kill the only Human who had helped them.  I really don't see the racism.

[Darth Geek]

Just watched this. Amazing! The aliens didn't use their guns because they didn't know how, only the one alien knew. The only ones who acted savagely were the humans. The gang members, MNU and military.

[Relaxing Dragon]

My friends have a theory on why the aliens didn't use the weapons. It wasn't that they didn't know how (since at least a few of them did. The ones firing at the beginning, the one who was guarding his friend with the exosuit, albeit rather poorly)), it just was they weren't entirely sure how they were supposed to go about fighting back. They're a bunch of drones without a queen (save Chris, who we figure is either a pilot or officer from the ship), and more interested in surviving their situation then rising up. And it really would take all of them at once to effectively fight back, since the humans could still rip them to shreds.

I didn't really see the aliens as savages, just as folks trying to survive in a terrible place. And it seems to me a lot of the racism being seen in the film is being seen for the sake of seeing it. White guy saves the day? With other white guys as bad guys? And Nigerian gangs portrayed like that? Yeah, clearly racist, amirite? Don't think so.

[Trumpysgirl]

My friends have a theory on why the aliens didn't use the weapons. It wasn't that they didn't know how (since at least a few of them did. The ones firing at the beginning, the one who was guarding his friend with the exosuit, albeit rather poorly)), it just was they weren't entirely sure how they were supposed to go about fighting back. They're a bunch of drones without a queen (save Chris, who we figure is either a pilot or officer from the ship), and more interested in surviving their situation then rising up. And it really would take all of them at once to effectively fight back, since the humans could still rip them to shreds.

I didn't really see the aliens as savages, just as folks trying to survive in a terrible place. And it seems to me a lot of the racism being seen in the film is being seen for the sake of seeing it. White guy saves the day? With other white guys as bad guys? And Nigerian gangs portrayed like that? Yeah, clearly racist, amirite? Don't think so.

I agree with the theory on the weapons. In war, to create chaos in an army, you kill the officers, and that's what happened here. The aliens were leaderless, unorganized and desperate to survive. Their only currency was their weapons which they traded in for cat food, which makes sense to me. Christopher and his friend seemed the only two officers left alive, and they were desperate to keep a low profile in order for their ship to remain a secret.

Wikus was hardly the mighty whitey we see in most films, he was probably the most human protagonist that I've seen in a long while. To me, if a black actor had portrayed him, it would have made no difference whatsoever to the plot.

[Relaxing Dragon]

My friends have a theory on why the aliens didn't use the weapons. It wasn't that they didn't know how (since at least a few of them did. The ones firing at the beginning, the one who was guarding his friend with the exosuit, albeit rather poorly)), it just was they weren't entirely sure how they were supposed to go about fighting back. They're a bunch of drones without a queen (save Chris, who we figure is either a pilot or officer from the ship), and more interested in surviving their situation then rising up. And it really would take all of them at once to effectively fight back, since the humans could still rip them to shreds.

I didn't really see the aliens as savages, just as folks trying to survive in a terrible place. And it seems to me a lot of the racism being seen in the film is being seen for the sake of seeing it. White guy saves the day? With other white guys as bad guys? And Nigerian gangs portrayed like that? Yeah, clearly racist, amirite? Don't think so.

I agree with the theory on the weapons. In war, to create chaos in an army, you kill the officers, and that's what happened here. The aliens were leaderless, unorganized and desperate to survive. Their only currency was their weapons which they traded in for cat food, which makes sense to me. Christopher and his friend seemed the only two officers left alive, and they were desperate to keep a low profile in order for their ship to remain a secret.

Wikus was hardly the mighty whitey we see in most films, he was probably the most human protagonist that I've seen in a long while. To me, if a black actor had portrayed him, it would have made no difference whatsoever to the plot.

That's definitely true on Wikus. He was nothing short of an asshole for parts of the movie, and for the most part was a bit more desperate to save himself than help the aliens. A basically good person, but highly flawed. And I loved that.

[Trumpysgirl]

My friends have a theory on why the aliens didn't use the weapons. It wasn't that they didn't know how (since at least a few of them did. The ones firing at the beginning, the one who was guarding his friend with the exosuit, albeit rather poorly)), it just was they weren't entirely sure how they were supposed to go about fighting back. They're a bunch of drones without a queen (save Chris, who we figure is either a pilot or officer from the ship), and more interested in surviving their situation then rising up. And it really would take all of them at once to effectively fight back, since the humans could still rip them to shreds.

I didn't really see the aliens as savages, just as folks trying to survive in a terrible place. And it seems to me a lot of the racism being seen in the film is being seen for the sake of seeing it. White guy saves the day? With other white guys as bad guys? And Nigerian gangs portrayed like that? Yeah, clearly racist, amirite? Don't think so.

I agree with the theory on the weapons. In war, to create chaos in an army, you kill the officers, and that's what happened here. The aliens were leaderless, unorganized and desperate to survive. Their only currency was their weapons which they traded in for cat food, which makes sense to me. Christopher and his friend seemed the only two officers left alive, and they were desperate to keep a low profile in order for their ship to remain a secret.

Wikus was hardly the mighty whitey we see in most films, he was probably the most human protagonist that I've seen in a long while. To me, if a black actor had portrayed him, it would have made no difference whatsoever to the plot.

That's definitely true on Wikus. He was nothing short of an asshole for parts of the movie, and for the most part was a bit more desperate to save himself than help the aliens. A basically good person, but highly flawed. And I loved that.

Wikus was an excellent character. He was the perfect example of what happens when a man with low self-esteem is given a position of power: he abuses the hell out of it. Then, when that power is stripped away and his very life is at stake, we see that he will do whatever it takes to survive no matter what the cost is to others.
I loved it because it forced me to think about what I would have done if I were in the same situation. I'm not a coward, but I'm not brave either, and would I have risked my life for a creature that I have absolutely nothing in common with while simultaneously experiencing a horrifying physical change? There's the answer I'd like to imagine, and then the real answer...

[Darth Geek]

My friends have a theory on why the aliens didn't use the weapons. It wasn't that they didn't know how (since at least a few of them did. The ones firing at the beginning, the one who was guarding his friend with the exosuit, albeit rather poorly)), it just was they weren't entirely sure how they were supposed to go about fighting back. They're a bunch of drones without a queen (save Chris, who we figure is either a pilot or officer from the ship), and more interested in surviving their situation then rising up. And it really would take all of them at once to effectively fight back, since the humans could still rip them to shreds.

I didn't really see the aliens as savages, just as folks trying to survive in a terrible place. And it seems to me a lot of the racism being seen in the film is being seen for the sake of seeing it. White guy saves the day? With other white guys as bad guys? And Nigerian gangs portrayed like that? Yeah, clearly racist, amirite? Don't think so.

I agree with the theory on the weapons. In war, to create chaos in an army, you kill the officers, and that's what happened here. The aliens were leaderless, unorganized and desperate to survive. Their only currency was their weapons which they traded in for cat food, which makes sense to me. Christopher and his friend seemed the only two officers left alive, and they were desperate to keep a low profile in order for their ship to remain a secret.

Wikus was hardly the mighty whitey we see in most films, he was probably the most human protagonist that I've seen in a long while. To me, if a black actor had portrayed him, it would have made no difference whatsoever to the plot.

That's definitely true on Wikus. He was nothing short of an asshole for parts of the movie, and for the most part was a bit more desperate to save himself than help the aliens. A basically good person, but highly flawed. And I loved that.

Wikus was an excellent character. He was the perfect example of what happens when a man with low self-esteem is given a position of power: he abuses the hell out of it. Then, when that power is stripped away and his very life is at stake, we see that he will do whatever it takes to survive no matter what the cost is to others.
I loved it because it forced me to think about what I would have done if I were in the same situation. I'm not a coward, but I'm not brave either, and would I have risked my life for a creature that I have absolutely nothing in common with while simultaneously experiencing a horrifying physical change? There's the answer I'd like to imagine, and then the real answer...

Absolutely. A very brave choice to center the film so completely on a character as flawed as him. And while he does have a character arc, he doesn't become less flawed. I am surprised at the end when he was, essentially, just another Prawn. I figured he would become something different.

[Trumpysgirl]

Absolutely. A very brave choice to center the film so completely on a character as flawed as him. And while he does have a character arc, he doesn't become less flawed. I am surprised at the end when he was, essentially, just another Prawn. I figured he would become something different.

But he was, in a way, in the sense that his human mind remained intact. At least, that's what I was lead to believe when I saw him making the metal flower.

[Darth Geek]

Absolutely. A very brave choice to center the film so completely on a character as flawed as him. And while he does have a character arc, he doesn't become less flawed. I am surprised at the end when he was, essentially, just another Prawn. I figured he would become something different.

But he was, in a way, in the sense that his human mind remained intact. At least, that's what I was lead to believe when I saw him making the metal flower.

Well, yes, but I meant physically. He doesn't look any different than the other Prawns. I figured he would be a totally different creature. (although at least he looks better than that stupid Alien/Human hybrid in Alien Resurrection)

[Relaxing Dragon]

Absolutely. A very brave choice to center the film so completely on a character as flawed as him. And while he does have a character arc, he doesn't become less flawed. I am surprised at the end when he was, essentially, just another Prawn. I figured he would become something different.

But he was, in a way, in the sense that his human mind remained intact. At least, that's what I was lead to believe when I saw him making the metal flower.

Well, yes, but I meant physically. He doesn't look any different than the other Prawns. I figured he would be a totally different creature. (although at least he looks better than that stupid Alien/Human hybrid in Alien Resurrection)

I've seen that brought up before, like maybe he should've had an extra finger or slightly different legs or something. I'm cool with a total physical transformation, since his mind was still fairly human, what with the flower.

[Trumpysgirl]

Hey, do you guys think that us using the spoiler tags is necessary? It seems to me that if you come into this thread without having seen the movie you do so at your own peril.

[Doctor Who?]

Am I the only one who thinks racism is turning in to something that critics like to accuse movies of when they can't find anything else to complain about.  I have noticed the charge being thrown around a lot in reviews in the past couple of years.

[Darth Geek]

Absolutely. A very brave choice to center the film so completely on a character as flawed as him. And while he does have a character arc, he doesn't become less flawed. I am surprised at the end when he was, essentially, just another Prawn. I figured he would become something different.

But he was, in a way, in the sense that his human mind remained intact. At least, that's what I was lead to believe when I saw him making the metal flower.

Well, yes, but I meant physically. He doesn't look any different than the other Prawns. I figured he would be a totally different creature. (although at least he looks better than that stupid Alien/Human hybrid in Alien Resurrection)

I've seen that brought up before, like maybe he should've had an extra finger or slightly different legs or something. I'm cool with a total physical transformation, since his mind was still fairly human, what with the flower.

Well, we don't know that his state of mind was. It could be just a residual human feeling towards his wife. Considering how bleak the rest of the movie was.

[Relaxing Dragon]

Well, we don't know that his state of mind was. It could be just a residual human feeling towards his wife. Considering how bleak the rest of the movie was.

Hey, all things considered, that's better than nothing. And it's still got that glimmer of hope, if Chris keeps his promise to return.

[Trumpysgirl]

One thing that confused me were the spider-like creatures that fought like roosters in the first act. Did they ever explain what those were? They didn't seem like they were Prawns.