Multi-culti disguised as sci-fi

Rating: 5/10 (17 March 2010)

This film rather transparently deals with the apartheid era in South Africa, with a wider message on immigration today, only blacks/immigrants/whoever are portrayed as aliens. The living conditions of the aliens, forced on them by the human population, is so accurately modeled on the living conditions of blacks under apartheid as to leave no room for confusion. This message is largely delivered through the main 'alien' character, who serves to remind that despite a group's manifest loutish behaviour, said group is nevertheless composed of intelligent and noble individuals. Also, inevitably, it is revealed that the master race (humans) are much worse than the downtrodden louts (aliens). The final message, the possibility of a declaration of war on the human race by the alien race in retaliation for mistreatment is again a rather transparent multiculti social message: Treat us well or when we are in the driving seat we are going to treat you badly - or alternately this can be construed as justification for what is happening in post-apartheid South Africa.
The film is fast paced and exciting, and no doubt thoroughly enjoyable for anyone able to ignore or stay unconscious of the film's political message. It would be much more enjoyable (and original) if the film had left multicultural politics behind it and accurately focused on the issues that would arise between humans and aliens. In this respect 'Mars Attacks' achieves more - which is saying something.