# District 9: Rave Reviews So Far...
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [August 12, 2009, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152 "2009-08-12T07:49:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2009, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152/1 "2009-08-12T07:49:04Z")
Granted, not a lot of [reviews on Rotten Tomatoes](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/district_9/) just yet, but of those who have reviews, Village Voice, Hollywood Reporter and Variety have all pretty much given this film rave reviews.
I am sure it will change, but currently at 100% positive reviews, this bodes well for the film. The previews I have seen certainly look interesting enough.
Opens Friday.
---
### Author:  [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2009, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152/2 "2009-08-12T08:30:51Z")
Zoidberg is being oppressed already! _Woobwoobwoobwoobwoobwoob!_
---
### Author:  [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2009, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152/3 "2009-08-12T14:29:47Z")
As usual I was out of the loop on this, so am pretty ignorant about it. (In fact I don’t under stand Scissorjack’s comment at all). Anyway, the previews look intriguing, I’m expecting first rate effects, I like a cast of mostly unknowns, but - is the plot gonna be more than Guantanamo for Aliens? That’s sure how the previews paint it.
---
### Author:  [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152/4 "2009-08-12T15:37:44Z")
I’m really looking forward to this movie. Unfortunately, I have no one to go see it with. My SO will NOT go to see any movies that feature aliens. Doesn’t matter that they are being oppressed.
My two friends don’t think it’s actiony enough, and my other 2 friends think it’s too actiony. I’m going to see if a co worker will go see it with me. ☹
---
### Author:  [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152/5 "2009-08-12T15:50:36Z")
> [@well\_he\_s\_back](#):
>
> As (In fact I don’t under stand Scissorjack’s comment at all).
[Tentacle-mouthed aliens](http://www.pyroradio.com/images/uploaded/district9-poster.jpg) resemble Futurama’s [Dr. Zoidberg](http://elitistjerks.com/blogs/zoid/attachments/78d1238560237-i_am_not_lobster-zoidberg.png).
---
### Author:  [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152/6 "2009-08-12T16:00:38Z")
thanks, Biffy. Told ya I was out of the loop, and I didn’t get the memo as well.
---
### Author:  [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2009, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152/7 "2009-08-12T16:31:25Z")
> [@well\_he\_s\_back](#):
>
> As usual I was out of the loop on this, so am pretty ignorant about it. (In fact I don’t under stand Scissorjack’s comment at all). Anyway, the previews look intriguing, I’m expecting first rate effects, I like a cast of mostly unknowns, but - is the plot gonna be more than Guantanamo for Aliens? That’s sure how the previews paint it.
More like “the ALiens are in slums coppressed by the evil gub’mint”. It apparently symbolic, so the government stands for, like, all humanity and stuff, y’know, like? Sio for no reason they do bad things to aliens, because, like, y’know?
---
### Author:  [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152/8 "2009-08-12T20:29:46Z")
> [@well\_he\_s\_back](#):
>
> thanks, Biffy. Told ya I was out of the loop, and I didn’t get the memo as well.
Sweet calamari of the Kalahari!
---
### Author:  [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152/9 "2009-08-12T20:34:30Z")
> [@Scissorjack](#):
>
> Zoidberg is being oppressed already! _Woobwoobwoobwoobwoobwoob!_
Thanks,
I laughed outloud to myself for several minutes on that one 🙂
I’ll be chuckling for a week.
---
### Author:  [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2009, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152/10 "2009-08-12T23:09:49Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#):
>
> I’m really looking forward to this movie. Unfortunately, I have no one to go see it with. My SO will NOT go to see any movies that feature aliens. Doesn’t matter that they are being oppressed.
>
> My two friends don’t think it’s actiony enough, and my other 2 friends think it’s too actiony. I’m going to see if a co worker will go see it with me. ☹
I’m in the same boat. I’d love to see it on the big screen, but I’ll probably just have to wait and rent it. I refuse to go to the movies by myself.
---
### Author:  [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2009, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152/11 "2009-08-12T23:14:43Z")
The director is South African and I believe the movie was an allegory of apartheid. I think it looks awesome. I also think there is nothing wrong with seeing a movie by yourself.
---
### Author:  [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2009, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152/12 "2009-08-12T23:19:46Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#):
>
> More like “the ALiens are in slums coppressed by the evil gub’mint”. It apparently symbolic, so the government stands for, like, all humanity and stuff, y’know, like? Sio for no reason they do bad things to aliens, because, like, y’know?
Would you like some plantains with your kneejerk reaction?
---
### Author:  [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2009, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152/13 "2009-08-12T23:44:53Z")
I posted this in a previous thread on District 9, but I’ll put it here too.
District 9 is an expansion of the ideas in the director’s short film [Alive In Joburg](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNReejO7Zu8) (youtube link, 6:25 minutes long). The short is low-budget and documentary-style and has no plot to speak of and no real spoilers for the movie, which just used the concept as a jumping-off point.
> [@smiling\_bandit](#):
>
> More like “the ALiens are in slums coppressed by the evil gub’mint”. It apparently symbolic, so the government stands for, like, all humanity and stuff, y’know, like? Sio for no reason they do bad things to aliens, because, like, y’know?
The short that inspired District 9 is a commentary on apartheid, which was indeed an act of an ‘evil gub’mint’ doing bad things to black South Africans, because, like, of racism and stuff, y’know?
---
### Author:  [@yendis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yendis)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2009, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152/14 "2009-08-13T09:52:12Z")
> [@Tangent](#):
>
> The short that inspired District 9 is a commentary on apartheid, which was indeed an act of an ‘evil gub’mint’ doing bad things to black South Africans, because, like, of racism and stuff, y’know?
It is also a commentary on the current problems with xenophobia in South Africa.
The film title is also a not so subtle reminder about apartheid since it references the forced removals of non-whites from District 6 in Cape Town. That must have been a quick meeting to decide on a title, flip the six over get a nine and hey presto we have a name for the film.
---
### Author:  [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2009, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152/15 "2009-08-13T10:10:56Z")
I’m stoked. Go us.
With this and the _Charlie Jade_ series, it looks like South Africa’s SF output is finally seeing some quality writing - which should hopefully counter such things as the _Sinbad_ series.
---
### Author:  [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2009, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152/16 "2009-08-13T13:49:25Z")
I’, prepared to believe “District 9” is symbolic of apartheid, except… For that comparison to work, the aliens would have to be the white Boer and English colonists, wouldn’t they?
The entire analogy breaks down if the alien interlopers are treated as the oppressed class!
---
### Author:  [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2009, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152/17 "2009-08-13T14:09:38Z")
> [@astorian](#):
>
> I’, prepared to believe “District 9” is symbolic of apartheid, except… For that comparison to work, the aliens would have to be the white Boer and English colonists, wouldn’t they?
>
> The entire analogy breaks down if the alien interlopers are treated as the oppressed class!
Think powerful/powerless rather than native/alien.
The “alien interlopers” in this film are trapped, their ship in need of repairs.
---
### Author:  [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2009, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152/18 "2009-08-13T15:24:22Z")
When I saw the first trailer (knowing absolutely nothing about the film), I was sure it was an anti-apartheid film (the “interviews” of the public, etc)- when I realized they were aliens, I was floored.
It looks great, and we’re seeing it tomorrow.
---
### Author:  [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2009, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152/19 "2009-08-13T16:09:06Z")
It’s not _just_ anti-apartheid. A lot of the stuff in the trailers (people saying things like “They must just go”, “at least they keep them separate”, even the shots of those plastic refugee tents) could have come from recent South African news footage (as in, last year) of xenophobic violence (South Africans vs West & East Africans) and its aftermath. And even a generation post-apartheid, I’m just ten minutes’ drive away from a shantytown that looks _exactly_ like the alien one Wikus goes into in the trailer.
---
### Author:  [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2009, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152/20 "2009-08-13T16:29:10Z")
It’s got a **92** from [metacritic](http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/district9) (and that’s with 9 major critics chiming in, the lowest rating coming from Ebert). That’s _Hurt Locker_ territory.
Surprisingly, my wife wanted to see it the instant she saw the trailer, so we’ll definitely be catching it this weekend.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/district-9-rave-reviews-so-far/506152.md?page=2)