About halfway through District 9 something
clicked inside of me. I got a huge smile across my face, felt a slight
tingle and I thought to myself, "This movie is awesome!" And when it
was over and the credits were rolling I knew I had just seen something
special.
When an alien ship parks itself over Johannesburg, and nothing
happens, no one knows what to do. After a couple of weeks of waiting
and watching, the South African military decides to cut its way into
the ship. Once inside, the soldiers find an extraterrestrial race that
is very sick and on the verge of dying. Instead of wiping them out, the
humans build a facility to house the creatures and nurse them back to
health. Years later, the facility is now a dirty slum with humans and
aliens living side-by-side. The locals are not happy and they want
these "prawns" (their derogatory term for the aliens) out of their city.
A contract to evict the aliens to a new area outside of Johannesburg
called District 10 is given to a private company called Multi-National
United (MNU). The head of the MNU team leading the mission is Wikus van
der Merwe (Sharlto Copley). He's popular, has a lovely family and is an
all-around good guy. During the evictions, Wikus is sprayed with
something from an alien device and starts to feel very sick. A few
hours later he notices things happening to his body, such as his teeth
falling out and his fingernails coming off. And then he starts turning
into an alien himself.
Most of the film is shot documentary-style. Although it has a
low-budget feel it never gets shaky or amateur, and with many different
video and film formats used I was most impressed with how well the
aliens and the alien ship, which is always seen hovering in the
background, blend in. Not once did I feel they were out of place or
digital effects. They just felt like they belonged.
Peter Jackson produced District 9, and his name is the
first thing you see (Peter Jackson Presents...), but this is director
Neil Blomkamp's film and vision (it's based on the short film Alive in Joburg
that Blomkamp made in 2005). Blomkamp proves you can shoot an original
story using effects without only relying on the effects. I wouldn't be
surprised to see his name beside other great sci-fi directors like
James Cameron, Ridley Scott, George Lucas and Jackson in years to come.
Aliens aside, it's newcomer Copley who really steals the film as
Wikus. The role requires him to do comedy, action and horror and he
succeeds on all counts. He's a fresh face with a lot of talent.
District 9 is Aliens meets 28 Days Later meets The Office mixed with the video game Gears of War.
Half of it is over-the-top violent while the other half is an
imaginative look at a race divide in Johannesburg. There's lots to like
and as far as science-fiction horror is concerned it's one of the best.
**** out of 5 stars
Rated R
Cast: Sharlto Copley
Directed by: Neil Blomkamp
brian.mckechnie@citynews.ca