District 9

District 9 is a slum-like housing for aliens in South Africa. The aliens are being evicted from their slums and moved, until a kind-spirited man who is undergoing a metamorphosis begins to suspect that the humans may not be the good guys in the situation.
Produced by Peter Jackson and directed by Neill Blomkamp, the movie is told in a documentary style, complete with interviews and shaky cameras.

Sounds like an original idea, huh? Well it is, and handled correctly it could be something special in the sci-fi universe, but this film was not handled correctly. This unique and original idea turns into too much of a splatter-fest. The film has an overreliance on visual effects and gore. Visual-guts flying around may excite the “fanboys,” but to me, it’s cheap thrills and quite silly. The characters are flat and undeveloped. What could have been a unique sci-fi film is simply an utterly typical and forgettable action movie. The best picture nod it received is, quite simply, a joke.

The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker begins with a quote that includes the line “war is a drug.” That theme is embedded in the film and most notably with its main character, Staff Sergeant Will James. Sergeant James feeds off the energy of war, and his job requires that he does; he is in charge of an elite squad of soldiers who dismantle bombs in Iraq. James acts more like a cowboy than a soldier during missions, much to the chagrin of his teammates Sgt. Sanborn and Specialist Eldridge. Sanborn and Eldridge are not addicted to the drug like James, and just want to serve the rest of their tour and get out of Iraq.

I have read a few reviews that have called this film one of the most defining of the decade, or one of the all-time great war films. I think they are right about it being a film defining its time, but to think that this film can stand up against the like of Apocalypse Now or The Bridge on the River Kwai seems a little over-insinuating. These films stand the test of time because of their timeless stories and characters.

No one can argue with the great intensity brought on by the powerful camera work displayed in the film. Director Kathryn Bigelow accomplishes this by using the increasingly popular docu-style technique of jittery cameras and fast cutting. The film does not at all lack suspense. The film also does an excellent job of defining its characters, although they stay relatively flat for the length of movie. Sgt. Sanborn is the only character that really arcs. Overall, this is a pretty fantastic war movie, one that truly embraces the soldiers who fight, and the time it defines.