It seemed as if I waited ages for this to become a rental. Although I did enjoy the director's "District 9", I've been rather disappointed by Sci-Fi films lately. I think it is more a matter of me getting older and having no patience for BS. I'm especially annoyed that every Sci-Fi film of late is into extremely fringey, esoteric, gnostic belief systems such as Alchemy and Gnostic Inversions.
So I was not surprised to discover that this film was an upfront allegory on the Crucifixion of Christ, complete with the thieves on the cross who die in grace because they atoned and one who denied. It is also intent on paralleling real life situations of third world squalor against first world living. But does it in a manner so obliquely that far left or far right politically inclined people will think it supports their arguments. It does neither.
If anything it is a condemnation of the entire human culture. The celebration of the quick, easy route over the hard work ethic. At least that is the shape of the story until the action, adventure kicks in. Then it is just a straight chase film with derring do. It becomes generic and the story it wants to tell is covered up.
None of the acting is really terrible nor that good. Matt Damon tries but he muffled by big action sequences. Jodie Foster is saddled with a ridiculous accent. But her role feels as if it was slaughtered in the editing room. Sharlto Copley stands out the most as an over the top villain. I think he was the only one who realized the ridiculousness of it all.
Just rent this one.Labels: commentary, culture, movies, reviews