The Chronicles Of…

James and I went to the movies last night and saw District 9.

It’s an Alien flick but it’s not like any alien flick you’ve seen! It really is different and also brilliant! What I particularly like was the subtle satire of all the big american end of the world alien movies like independence day etc… An alien space craft that looks very similar to that of independence day settles not over Washington or New York, but over Johannesburg South Africa… And the aliens, far from being hostile overlords, are vulnerable refugees (which is why I guess they picked the continent of Africa…)

I think there are some intentional parallels drawn with the apartheid in SA and some of the current refugee issues on that continent, certainly there’s a stab at the Nigerian scammers.

It’s a bit “Hot Fuzz” is structure, with a slower moving first half and then some very fast moving bloody action for the second. It’s bloody, but not too hard to handle… a few bodies exploding and the occasional head and limb torn off… you know, Shaun of the Dead style.

Anyway, I liked it. Worth the money to see at the cinema or at least a must DVD rental.