Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Forums

Saw this over the weekend and loved it. I've posted a review on my blog. Here's an excerpt:

We live in a generation when filmmakers indulge in examining man’s inhumanity to man in Nazi holocaust films, and it is not too far a leap to believe that such hatred could be leveled against our first visitors from another planet. If the prawns had come in force and with a grand display of technology and culture, the earth would doubtless have welcomed them with open arms and magnanimous gestures. We know ourselves best by the way we treat those who have nothing to offer except that which we can steal from them. The aliens are nicknamed prawns because they are seen as bottom-feeders, but are their human masters any higher when they steal alien weaponry and even alien biology? Who is the bottom-feeder then?

I saw it. I very much enjoyed it. I would say, "I loved it" but that's not quite accurate because I loved District 9 and Moon didn't quite reach that level for me. Nevertheless I absolutely agree with you - how about that music? The score was haunting. Here's the trailer if anyone wants to hear those plaintive tones: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twuScTcDP_Q 

Man on moon knows he is alone.  Man on moon learns there may be another person on moon.  Man on moon learns there may be many other people on moon.

Talk about freaking out!

I agree with you and I think it's interesting to see the direct correlation in level of effort required for each media type and the baseline level of sophistication in the entertainment offered.

TV:  You don't even have to leave the house.  Plop down on the couch and turn off your brain for a few blissful hours after a hard day's work.  You don't even have to know what's on or when.  Power-up and start clicking.  You can find something to watch and it doesn't even have to be good.  SyFy knows this and they thrive because of it.  They could buy stories from Harlan Ellison or PKD and make thoughtful and challenging shows but they choose not to.  Instead we get Mega Shark, Ghost Hunters and wrestling.

Movies: Generally, you've got to get out of the house to see 'em in first run.  You have to invest a bit of effort to see what's out and when it's playing and where and you often have to make arrangements for the kids or to coordinate with friends etc.  Not to mention the expense.  You're expectations are correspondingly higher and if you're going to make all that effort it had better be better than what you could have stayed home to watch on TV.  But really, to do better than TV they don't have to reach very far so they often substitute action, violence, explosions and boobs - the stuff they can't show on TV - for story and acting and dialog.

Books: Reading takes a substantial amount more time to enjoy.  You've really got to want it to read a book.  Reading is work compared to TV or film.  Just finding a good book is a chore, hence WWEnd.  Once you get it you have to make time for it.  A lot of time when compared to a movie unless you're a graduate of Evelyn Wood and can read 400 pages in 2 hours.  You have to imagine everything with the barest of clues from the author.  You have to think almost the entire time.  It's not being poured into your brain via your retinas.  There's no soundtrack to manipulate your emotions.  The author describes the action and you have to compose every scene yourself.  The commitment to read a book leaves you with very high expectations.  That book had better match up to the effort required or you'll bail for another.

Of course, these are just generalizations.  Many movies rise up beyond expectations like District 9, 2001, Moon or Gattaca.   The same goes with TV - though I think with less frequency.  The best of Star Trek or even Battlestar Galactica had important things to say.

For my money, I'll trust an author to deliver more than I will a studio but I'm not above turning off my brain for some fun TV like Fringe or SGU or even Avatar, for the special effects mind you.  I've learned to temper my expectations lest I have another Sunshine or Terminator Salvation experience.

@Pierre: Glad to see District 9 got the win over Avatar. I would have been happy with Moon too.