Well Executed, But Demoralizing and Depressing

Rating: 6/10 (15 January 2010)

Why isn't anyone talking about how similar "District 9" is to "Avatar," the other attention-getting sci-fi film of the year?
In both, a man belongs to an organization intent on oppressing an alien race. In both, he undergoes a kind of transformation that puts him in the aliens' place and causes him to sympathize with them. In both, the villains are thuggish military types, horror-show caricatures.
Unfortunately for "District 9," though its similarities beg comparison to "Avatar," it pales in comparison in just about every respect. It's a well-made allegorical tale about apartheid in South Africa, but I can't say I enjoyed watching it, as it's nasty and harrowing in a way that's off putting rather than exhilarating. The main character is sprayed with a liquid that causes him to become one of the aliens, and his slow transformation, as his human body disintegrates, is dealt with in stomach-churning detail. Also, the film's version of humanity is depressing and demoralizing, as is its depiction of an alien race. It was hard to root for anyone, because nothing much seemed worth saving. I just felt bad after it was over, and like I needed to take a shower.
Grade: B