Last night, Michelle and I were offered two tickets to the Albuquerque Isotopes game (the AAA affiliate of the LA Dodgers).  Excited about the night out alone, we headed down to the ballpark – only to discover that there was no one there.  As we drove by the empty ballpark, we noticed that the tickets were for last Tuesday’s game!  After sharing a laugh, I suggested we catch a movie, and because our last movie together was a chick flick, I boldly declared that we should see Peter Jackson’s latest movie, District 9.

I’m a big fan of Peter Jackson.  After all, he directed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which are – in my opinion – three of the best films ever made.  He proved in these movies that he is an excellent story teller.  He also directed the 2005 box office giant, King Kong, which wasn’t much of a story, but the special effects were incredible.

In District 9, Jackson (who worked as the producer this time), combines both his masterful story telling craft with incredible, eye-popping special effects.  The result: the most visually jaw-dropping movie of the year that just-so-happens to include a surprisingly touching story – one that might even prick your heart if you can get past the fact that it revolves around the plight of displaced aliens that look like giant bugs.

The language is pretty rough (although much of it is “tamed” by sharp British accents), and the gore is pretty graphic (very Jackson-esque), but most memorable are noble themes like the importance of caring for the less-fortunate, friendship, loyalty, and the power of committed love in the context of marriage.  I have to admit that I was completely surprised by how good this movie is…I was surprised by aliens!

I know that it’s a very dangerous thing as a Christian and a pastor to recommend a movie, because inevitably there will be someone who can’t believe a Christian (much less a man of the cloth) would enjoy such a film.  So, if you have a hard time with strong language and watching people get vaporized by alien weaponry, I do NOT recommend this movie.  However, if you’re up for a compelling story and incredible special effects, then by all means, go see this movie.

And hurry.  Make sure you catch it before District 10 comes out!