Well it does seem odd they apparently weren't upset when the MNU was torching the 'breeding' shack but only later when Chris saw a fellow prawns corpse all cut up for experimentation did Chris appear to have umbrage with it.
Let us stifle under mud at the pond's edge
and affirm that it is fitting
and delicious to lose everything. ~ Donald Hall
Quote:
Well, i don't recall Chris being there when it happened. Not to mention the Prawns might have a different view regarding child rearing. Especially when you consider the vast majority seemed to not be especially intelligent or motivated.|
Originally Posted by Rookery.
Well it does seem odd they apparently weren't upset when the MNU was torching the 'breeding' shack but only later when Chris saw a fellow prawns corpse all cut up for experimentation did Chris appear to have umbrage with it.
|
With the apparent levels of technology available to the Prawn species, biological included, it's quite possible that different castes and capabilities are created through diet and other cues/triggers. The prawns were also obviously reproducing at an astounding rate given the conditions they were in and the efforts by the MNU to prevent breeding implied by the one scene, and yet their population had basically doubled in twenty years. It's quite possible the young are considered no more than animals/pets until they develop to the point of speaking, thinking and looking like the "adults". i suspect the creatures that were in the pit fighting scene may have been Prawn juveniles before they develop into the adult Prawn form. They breed masses of young and the ones who survive to maturity are accepted as actual members of the Prawn society.
Chris' son was even more intelligent than his father, who seemed far more intelligent than the average Prawn, which is why i'm guessing that Prawn intelligence and motivation is set by caste and mediated through some sort of biochemical or genetic regulation. Possibly Chris and the other Prawn that was killed fairly early on were formerly of a mediator/middle manager caste somewhere between the leaders and workers. At least that's a definitely possibility implied by much of the incidental dialogue and events/visuals seen in the background.
Dr. Todt's theme.
i make stuff...
The movie is also being discussed on slashdot. One of my favorite posts because it sums up much of what i liked about the film is:
Quote:
Edit: *heh* And a bit later on:
|
The fact that they produced the best looking special effects you've EVER SEEN on a budget less than 1/10 that of a normal summer blockbuster didn't phase you as something groundbreaking or revolutionary ? There were plenty more elements to the plot than apartheid. Personally, I felt the bigger parts of the plot were the interactions between the main character and his wife -- who is rarely shown but constantly mentioned throughout the movie. Despite everything that Wikus is undergoing, he is actually gaining humanity throughout the movie rather than losing it -- and his connection to his wife is the greatest force driving him... not some apartheid or megacorporation. Yes, those are shallow devices to setup the situation and they certainly have some flaws, but in the end, this is a uniquely personal and human journey of fear and loss that Wikus takes us through. |
Quote:
|
The third act is where the movie devolved into traditional Hollywood tropes. The long-awaited shootout with the ******* who has been hounding the protagonist since the first act. Pitting two factions, MNU + Nigerians, against each other. The hero being saved by the downtrodden prawns at the very last minute. The little alien Wesley Crusher who's in the downed alien craft and after 20 years discovers how he can wake up the mothership to save the day. How the love for an adult and his child can make anything happen. Finally two adversaries become friends much like Dragonball Z. Everything leading up to the end was good but it's like they ran out of ideas. Okay, they ran out of good ideas. |
Dr. Todt's theme.
i make stuff...
Sounds reasonable Schismatrix.
Let us stifle under mud at the pond's edge
and affirm that it is fitting
and delicious to lose everything. ~ Donald Hall
I really adored the movie- felt inspired to record a video about it as soon as I got home! Highly recommending it as it seems to please on at least one level for a majority of the audiences.
DJs for The Cape Radio
Makes videos & podcasts about reviewing toys, covering conventions, and more at Vangelus.ca
Quote:
Some interesting background there. i hope to eventually find out that more of my conjectures are wrong.
|
Originally Posted by Gearsinger
According to the IMDB trivia page, the cage fighting critters were essentially alien rats.
|
Dr. Todt's theme.
i make stuff...
Christopher and his child (and the other alien working with Christopher, to a lesser degree) are obviously a lot smarter than the typical alien. I get the feeling that at least Christopher arrived in the drop ship and hid it, then joined in with the other aliens in the slums. His home was a heck of a lot neater and more organized than the typical alien home, which they seem to be satisfied, possibly even preferring to live in filth.
The drone aliens seemed very lost without someone to follow the orders of. So they follow along with what the humans say and parrot human habits, since there seems to be no alien leaders. Christopher wasn't trying to lead anyone, so more likely he was some sort of engineer caste rather than a leader.
My biggest problem with the movie was the huge plot holes. Where exactly did the aliens get all that alien tech, especially weapons? It's not like they had access to the ship once they were transported down to District 9, and no indication that things were falling from the ship. So how the heck did they smuggle down guns and stuff, much less something like the power armor, much less keep it hidden for 20 years?
I can see MNU having a stockpile of alien tech, they probably stripped the ship of anything they could carry out to try and figure out how to work it. It was also a bit telling that the only real reference to alien tech in the movie was to weapons or the ship itself... Who cares about possible medical improvements, let's find new ways to kill people.
SG Mate: Cien, what the hell is this Rookery thing?
RadDidIt: (interjecting) Dude. It's the Rookery.
SG Mate: Yeah, but what IS it?
RadDidIt: Silliness Incarnate.
Late to the game but:
Every time I think I have seen it all in cinema, someone makes a gem like this.
Well worth the trip to the theater.
I want to see it soonish... maybe Friday. Or perhaps tomorrow?
@Lasher
First Of The Year
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Edgar Allan Poe
I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.
|
So does this mean humans were right in treating them poorly? No idea.
The Elysienne; Magical controller
Silent Sickle; Natural scrapper
And many more.
Aenigma Rebis: "Actually, Ely's more like Jean Grey. Only... smart."