District 9 Review
Neill Blomkamp's directorial debut shows aliens and humans cannot exist as equals.
By Ben Salter
Originality is rare in this day and age of sequels, remakes and tried and tested Hollywood formulas. District 9 marks the directorial debut of Neill Blomkamp, protégé of Peter Jackson, who has developed one of the best sci-fi films of the decade. To be honest I hadn’t heard a thing about District 9 before I went to see it; being the curious movie buff that I am, this is a rare feat for me. With little background knowledge about the unknown director and cast, District 9 absolutely blew me away. Combining great character development and impressive CG effects with science fiction and references to the unstable, corrupt, political state of South Africa District 9 is more than a typical sci-fi action flick.
The world is shocked when an alien spacecraft descends upon Earth and hovers above Johannesburg, South Africa. The race of malnourished aliens is transferred into what was meant to be a temporary facially known as District 9. Twenty years later District 9 has turned into a slum, and the rioting citizens of Johannesburg are no longer willing to put up with such filth in their mist. The MNU corporation is formed to manage relations between the humans and the aliens, and is commissioned to evict the prawns – the derogatory name give to the aliens – from District 9 and move them into a concentration camp.
Wimp Joe Wikus van der Merwe, who is used to pencil-pushing behind the comfort of his desk, finds himself at the head of the debarkle and unwilling becomes the key to humans using the alien developed weaponry when his DNA is accidently fused with that of the Aliens’. As he becomes a fugitive Wilkus forms a relationship with a prawn by the name of Chris Johnson. Together they set out to set things right for both Wikus and the Prawn race, so that everyone can return home.
Wikus is portrayed by unknown South African actor, Sharlto Copley. He does a great job in transforming Wikus from an ass-kissing nobody – the annoying guy in the office that everyone loves to hate – into a sympathetic hero and savour of the alien race. The human supporting cast is easily forgettable, which is what makes Wilkus’s relationship with Johnson even more important. Copley displays his pure talent by making his deep and meaningful relationship with thin-air believable. This was imperative to the success of the character development, as Johnson and his son become the supporting cast.
That brings us to the special effects used in District 9, which we’ve begun to take for granted. Christopher and the other alien characters are integrated into the scenes without a hitch, as is the mothership, which remains stationary in the sky above Johannesburg. The hard-shelled prawn lookalike creatures have been well modelled and interact with a human cast well. The audience is treated to a handful of closes-ups of the CG faces that convey great emotion at all of the right times.
The film making is completely absorbing, and captivates the audience from start to finish through great character narrative and bold techniques. A majority of the film is shot using low-resolution film as a documentary; either following Wilkus, or recounts through testimonials. As such the comparisons to Cloverfield are expected, but don’t be fooled this is far from a copycat. The documentary style scenes are fresh, and not what we’re accustomed to seeing. Blomkamp took massive risks by only developing one human character, especially when you consider that the Prawns speak their own dialect and are subtitled throughout the film. There isn’t a big name actor in sight, and we’re taken away from tradition science fiction locations.
While it’s an alien meets human science fiction on the surface, the underlying social and political commentary is nothing short of fantastic. District 9 is about the corrupt government and military personal, the racism in South Africa and the rioting gangs that are allowed to control the streets. Blomkamp and co-writer Terri Tatchell could have set the film in the US, and District 9 itself questions why the alien race decided to hover above South Africa 20 years ago. But, by setting he film in Johannesburg Blomkamp gives the film character through the accents and actions of the locals, and the displaced feel of the residents of the slum that is District 9. Kudos must be given to Blomkamp and Tatchell for taking District 9 away from the traditional sci-fi path, and moving it into an area already overflowing with political and social tension.
Weighing in at just over an hour and a half District 9 never produces a dull moment. The documentary style footage is taken as fact, while the violence is nothing short of spectacular. Don’t be fooled, the MA rating is here for a reason; full of gory scenes and humans being incinerated by alien weaponry there’s more than enough firepower to keep an action nut happy. Meanwhile the political and social commentary offers something if you’re looking for something more than your typical action infested sci-fi.
District 9 is highly recommended to anyone looking for a action-filled science fiction film, or a great social commentary on South Africa. The violence is high, the character development is fantastic, and the documentary style scenes bring with them originality. Hats off to Neill Blomkamp and Sharlto Copley who have debut with one of the finest films of the year.
The Verdict
9.0/10
Submitted by ICC_06
27/08/2009
10
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