 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
District 9
- Review Date: August 10, 2009
- R
- Genre: Science Fiction
- 2009
Common Sense Media says
Sci-fi stunner is smart but gory; way too violent for kids.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this gritty, buzzworthy sci-fi epic filmed in South Africa (and produced by Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson) is full of extremely realistic, bloody violence, including severed limbs, lots of bodies, piles of high-tech weapons, and even torture. The movie's aliens aren't cute or appealing in any way -- they're scary-looking, insectoid creations with complex biologies and lives. Expect constant strong language (especially "f--k"), as well as some drinking, smoking, and discussion of sex.
What's the story?
Set in an alternate present, DISTRICT 9 takes place in South Africa, where, 20 years ago, an alien ship came to rest in the skies above Johannesburg -- with more than a million workers and near-slaves aboard. Now, after two decades of uneasy co-existence, the local government is moving the alien "Prawns" from their ramshackle slums in District 9 to a new camp 200 kilometers away. But as part of the forced relocation, a government bureaucrat discovers that District 9 has secrets of its own.
Is it any good?
Produced by Peter Jackson, District 9 is a rarity -- a lower-budget science-fiction film with amazing effects, thrilling action, and, most importantly, emotional and intellectual depth. Turning the plight of marginalized groups into science fiction is nothing new, but District 9's dark vision of the apartheid years is somehow brain-bendingly exciting and painfully real.
Director/co-writer Neill Blomkamp makes a few mistakes -- some of the character arcs have a few rough edges, and the film's middle section is a bit interminable -- but, at the same time, District 9 is a welcome antidote to "science-fiction films" like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (which, of course, have no science in them whatsoever). The movie's willingness to take on complex political and moral questions is an equally welcome change from the bloodless, thoughtless gloss of big-budget action films like G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. And, of course, it's just plain exciting -- full of action, comedy, eye-popping effects, and tricky stunts. District 9 is a bloody, brutal action-science-fiction allegory served up rough and raw, but that's what makes it worth getting excited about.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the movie's extreme violence. Is it meant to be realistic (in that, yes, high-tech alien weaponry could be
this horrible) or is it just eye candy for action fans? Does it have more or less impact than the violence in a movie like G.I. Joe?How does the movie's news footage/documentary-like style compare to
that of other large-scale sci-fi films? Does it seem more realistic?
Does that make it scarier?How does the movie's setting echo the real-life conditions of poverty and
prejudice during South Africa's apartheid era?
Even though it's a sci-fi film, what messages does the movie send about
that period?Can you think of other sci-fi movies (or other types of media) that have tackled tough political ideas through metaphor and
fantasy?
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- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
Brilliant Movie, at least a hundred F-Words, but nothing you don't hear at your average middle school every day.
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AGE
District 9
Although very non child friendly, District 9 is an amazing film full of action, suspense, and great acting.
Again not good for kids but will definetly get someones attention.
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AGE
Best. Movie. Ever.
Very violent. but other than that two words:FREAKIN AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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AGE
WARNING: THE REVIEW DOES NOT EXPRESS VERY WELL HOW GROSS AND SICK THIS MOVIE CAN BE
I'm a pretty mature 15-year-old and I thought it'd be ok for me to watch this movie before. I finally convinced my parents to let me see this "R" movie. Before I watched the movie, I did check this review and thought the movie would be ok. I was thinking that the language was nothing I didn't hear all the time in school and that violence was nothing. They also said there was just little sexual discussion... Unfortunately, however, this is all wrong. First of all, I do hear cuss words all day long at school, but it is just dispicable how many times they use the f word in the movie... The editor must have put the f word in every possible space he could in the script because it is used to describe everything... And after a while, THE EXTREMELY CONSTANT F WORDS BECOME VERY ANNOYING. Secondly, the violence wasnt just regular explosions and shooting... People literally exploded and parts of their skin would fly on the camera or on the ground. Also, THE PARTS SHOWING DEAD ALIENS BEING DISECTED WAS NOT ONLY GRAPHIC BUT ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING! It even shows a scientist stretching out the bleeding, oozing skin while it rips apart. And finally, the last point I will touch upon is the sexual references... IT IS NOT JUST DISCUSSION OF SEXUAL CONTENT... BUT ALSO NASTY DISCUSSION OF HUMANS' SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH ALIENS. And this appears several times in the story with lines such as "How'd you do it?" and "Did you have to wear a condom?". Ew, I mean that is EXTREMELY SICK AND TWISTED. So basically, this movie is not appropriate at all for teenagers, but for the older ones and adults... use caution. I personally would not recommend it for anyone due to the absolutely sick and graphic references. As a totally different note, it is a good, thought-provoking movie. I just do not think it is worth it....
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AGE
Only for adults, and even then ...
This is pure sci-fi, which means there are a lot of unanswered questions and adult twists and turns with grey choices. And for kids, that may be difficult to process.
Without question, this is a VERY gory and violet film. VERY! As an adult, that was difficult for me. The language is mostly the F word a lot. The sexual mentions are filthy but not what I would consider to be graphic.
The film is very adult oriented.
If you don't like shaky camera-type work in films that are shot to look more documentary style, you won't like this film.
Are there positive messages? Not really. You have to look deep. It's more of a reflection film that makes you think, through the metaphors presented in the story, what kind of people we are and how we treat others. Are we guilty of doing the same things to real humans that we see being done to aliens in this film? How do we treat others around us? Are we so selfish, greed oriented, and domineering that we are willing to disregard humanity and humane treatment of others to just fulfill our own interests? Our society is increasingly this way, and we're not just talking about apartheid.
Personally, I wouldn't feel comfortable being in the theater with anyone under 21 for this film -- it's that strong.
However, kudos to Peter Jackson. It is a truly original, amazing piece of sci-fi art. Like the critics say, this film has enough twists and turns in it to keep you interested until the closing credits. Very few films, especially sci-fi action films can do that these days.
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AGE
This movie has more than just violence. Violence is targeted towards both humans and aliens. The humans are zapped with laser weapons which the aliens have brought to earth; it shows humans graphically blowing up with blood and guts flying everywhere. The aliens look kind of like animals (alas, they crave cat food) and act submissive. They're initially shown to be half starved when their space ship is opened up and appear to want to leave earth. Humans mercilessly beat them and kill them -- again graphically shown which may lead some younger viewers to think its ok to treat animals that way. There is a brief reference to prostitution (with aliens); also a news report in which a government agent is rumored to have contracted a disease from having sex with the aliens (again, aliens shown as animals these references have bestiality undertones). African gangsters trading weapons are not necessarily shown in a positive light but are shown in an aura of power and as they are the ones who pull the strings and have the power. The alien/Sci-fi nature of this movie may lure teens/parents with teens to see this but they should know in advance what they're getting in to.
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AGE
Great movie but extremely violent!
This is a classic SciFi film. It has a good message overall but it's an adult film all the way. It goes beyond people getting shot as it shows people exploding and being ripped apart. Not for the squeamish.
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AGE
Important message; Far too violent and gory for kids
I wish I could take my kids to see a film that is such a powerful commentary on racism and prejudice, however District 9 is far too violent and gory for anyone under 15. I highly recommend it to adults and older teens.
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August 30, 2009
AGE
This movie is amazing but its much worse than what common sense says it is. Its a violent disturbing movie with limbs falling off, bodies exploding with much blood there is also torture, skin being ripped off, fingers being cut off and nails being ripped out. Swearing is constant but not the main problem here. This is an amazing film but for adults only
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| Studio: | Sony Pictures |
| Director: | Neill Blomkamp |
| Cast: | David James, Jason Cope, Sharlto Copley |
| Genre: | Science Fiction |
| Run time: | 113 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | August 14, 2009 |
| DVD release date: | December 22, 2009 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | bloody violence and pervasive language |
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