DISTRICT 9

District 9 was actually really good. I liked how they showed it from a different perspective. It was very real. Before watching it, I liked the whole ad campaign behind the film, it was different and mysterious and got me excited for the movie.

The way they told the story, kind of a split between documentary-style with interviews and the live-action, it set it apart from other action films. It was different from Cloverfield, which was strictly from behind-the-camera, you had a lot of shaking, a lot of running—I actually got motion-sickness from Cloverfield because the camera was moving so much. This was way better than that way of storytelling.

The movie is about an alien ship that comes to earth and hovers in the air over part of South Africa. Humans begin to explore the spaceship and find beings inside which they quarantine on earth in District 9. Over time the humans become conflicted on what to do with them and it causes much disturbance between local gangs, scientists and the government. Wikus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley) was my favorite character. I thought he did a good job from not having that much prior acting experience.

As far as my list of summer movies to see, this is near the top. I loved Transformers and I loved Star Trek, but this is right up there, it’s really good. I’m going to grab it once it comes out on DVD. It was a really good idea.

As far as future flicks, I can’t wait to see Legion with Dennis Quaid and The Wolfman with Benicio Del Toro. Those are two I’m really excited for.

More Than A James

If you’re considering watching More Than a Game just because of LeBron James, you’ll be disappointed. James might get top billing on the posters and other marketing—and for good reason—but the documentary is much more than James’ ascent from prodigy to pro. More Than a Game follows two years of James’ Akron, OH high school, St. Vincent-St. Mary, from unknown program to national powerhouse.

While More Than a Game is about basketball, the game serves as a background and the glue to the true crux of the movie, the growth and relationships of James’ high-school teammates, James Dru Joyce III, Willie McGee, Sian Cotton and Romeo Travis. The central character in the documentary is Dru Joyce II, who coached four of the boys during their AAU days and eventually at St. Vincent-St. Mary. As you watch the boys morph into young men, you’re also treated to Coach Joyce’s growth from a former football player to coach of a high-school basketball team to coaching one of the all-time high school basketball sensations during the most media-saturated era in sports.

Unlike 1994’s Hoop Dreams, More Than a Game doesn’t try to be a cautionary tale, but like the standard bearer for sports documentaries, it does inspire. More Than a Game focuses on the lifetime bonds that the game fosters in an entertaining, 105-minute format that delivers happiness, grief, redemption and glory in a movie-like arc. Although he’s the focal point as the team’s best player, LeBron does not overshadow his teammates. There’s plenty of pre-NBA LeBron footage to be had, but you need not be a fan—or even know of LeBron, impossible as that may be—to enjoy the film. —Ming Wong #2