Believe me, I fully understand your position and had the actions in question been handled less sensationally I feel I could generally agree with you. However, I could easily sense the filmmakers ‘playing’ with their audience at times and this left me wanting a greater sense of authenticity. You even admitted to a degree of sensationalism yourself.

I do not consider myself ignorant of man’s inhumanity to man (or his fellow creatures), yet given that the Multi-National United (MNU) is essentially supposed to be the film’s version of the United Nations, one might expect to see a greater degree of attempts to mediate. Heck, the United Nations spends so much time trying to mediate that little of consequence manages to get done on many, many occasions.

I would expect the masses or smaller organizations to go off half cocked in a violent way at this point or that, but an organization that is created “assist” is a little different matter. And in the end, it’s less the inhumane views that trouble me than it is the manner in which such views are glorified on film and carried just wee bit further than one might expect or wish. Again, trying to literally rip into a poor “infected” man while he’s wide awake, thrashing and screaming? If nothing else, it’s a very impractical–and unscientific–way of conducting a scientific study of what is occurring to him.

As for the aliens’ attitude toward humans – in the case of the wonderful film THE THING, the people in it have to come to terms with the apparent fact that this advanced life form sees as us having no more significance to it (or the universe) than we think a, well, chicken might have with us. But we do not at all get this sense within DISTRICT 9. It is a different relationship entirely. Indeed, man even started out as the savior of the alien race, in a manner of speaking.

The weapon issue was simply one of pragmatics for me. The completeness of its destructive power isn’t what bothered me; it was just that it seems such an impractical and very messy way for such advanced beings to dispatch an enemy. The film’s approach struck me as showy and cinematic, a way to give people a thrill (though it was kind of fun to watch). And it certainly worked; every time those guns were used the audience squealed with joy (it was not unlike the emotions expressed during a rollercoaster ride).

I apologize if I’m getting too wordy here. I’ll leave things there, accept to say that I do agree with you in terms of the film being a significant entry into the Sci-Fi genre. I did like it and it does make interesting commentary, yet I still believe it plays its hand a little too heavily at times. Peter Jackson has done so in the past (though I very much respect him) and this product showed some similar traits to that which he has done.

Thank you again for taking the time to read my piece, and for your thoughtful and reasoned comments on some of my own thoughts.

Best wishes,
John