Secrets Revealed in "District 9"

A good alien invasion flick is hard to come by these days. Aside from the kiddie movies from this year (“Monsters Vs. Aliens” and “Aliens in the Attic”), there hasn't been a good effort for a while to make a decent sci-fi movie for the adult demographic. Luckily, that just changed as District 9 opened in cinemas this weekend.

Directed by newcomer Neill Blomkamp and produced by Peter “The Lord of the Rings” Jackson, the film centers on a fictional encounter in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1989. After a giant alien ship stalled over the city, humans cut open the ship and came into contact with an alien race, nicknamed “Prawns” because of their shellfish-like appearance. In a humanitarian effort, the Prawns are brought down onto Earth to give them food and shelter. However, after a crime wave, their presence isn't welcome and they are segregated into a slum, known as District 9.

Fast-forward twenty years to the present, where the ship is still hanging over the city and the people are still weary of the Prawns. Signs are everywhere, declaring certain areas of town forbidden for “non-humans”. However, the people of Johannesburg don't feel that is enough and demand for the Prawns to be relocated to a place out of town where they won't be able to bother the humans. They turn to private contracting group Multi-National United (MNU) to carry out the evictions.

Heading up this task is a well-meaning simpleton by the name of Wikus van der Merwe. During the eviction raids, Wikus comes in contact with a fluid that starts slowly turning him into a Prawn. Now wanted by MNU for research purposes, Wikus goes into hiding in the only place he knows they won't find him: District 9.

The complicated backstory of the film makes up about the first 45 minutes, which is presented as a documentary on the building of District 9 and the upcoming eviction. Instead of a having an omni-present camera showing everything firsthand, things are revealed through interviews with people involved in the incident as well as using news footage and feeds from surveillance cameras. With a plot as outlandish as this movie has, the documentary footage adds an air of reality to the whole film, making it more believable.

The most realistic and daring thing about the movie is that the story doesn't take any sides. Both the humans and the Prawns are shown to have their faults. During the eviction in the beginning of the movie, the agents of MNU are shown to be trigger-happy, and could care less about the welfare of the Prawns. Wikus even deliberately sets fire to a shack full of Prawn eggs, smiling the whole time. The Prawns are shown to have their faults as well, not entirely fitting in with the customs of Johannesburg, committing crimes, and spitting in the faces of MNU agents. While realistic, this dynamic made it hard to root for either side in the beginning.

As soon as Wikus escapes from MNU's labs, where they, due to his newly transformed Prawn arm, force him to test out the Prawns' weaponry on live targets, the documentary angle is dropped and the rest of the story is told almost solely from the point of view of Wikus. While not a professional actor, Sharlto Copley still gives a very believable, emotional performance as Wikus. By the middle of the movie, I felt ready to forgive him for the horrible atrocities he committed in the first act.

The further adventures of Wikus as he goes into hiding and befriends a Prawn named Christopher Johnson are captivating, and while the plot is pretty straightforward, there are still enough twists to make every new revelation in the film completely unexpected. The action sequences, especially the ones with Wikus using Prawn weaponry, are very well done, and unlike other action movies this summer, feel justified in the structure of the film. I personally liked the Prawn weaponry, especially the giant mech that Wikus pilots in the climax.

For a film with copious amounts of CG, the animation was top notch. The Prawns themselves were all incredibly believable, and the character of Christopher Johnson gave such a great performance, that I completely forgot at times that the Prawns were pure CG. Between the Prawns and Gollum from “Lord of the Rings”, I wonder when the Academy will start to recognize performances made by non-human CG characters.

The finale, while gladly defying the stereotypical Hollywood “happy ending”, still felt a little bit truncated, and some loose ends still hadn't been tied up. Instead, it leaves a glimmer of hope for the future of these characters, and leaves a glimmer of hope in me for a possible sequel in four or five years.

The Bottom Line: District 9 is one of the best films of the year, as well as one of the best science fiction flicks I've seen in a long while. The documentary style storytelling keeps it new and exciting, and there's enough action and exploding heads to satisfy any fan of the genre. I really look forward to whatever Neill Blomkamp decides to direct next.

Pros:
1.A cast of unknowns – By not having a big star attached to the film, the entire world feels more believable.
2.Documentary-style storytelling – It's something I haven't seen before in a science fiction movie, and it really helped me become immersed in the world of the film.
3.Breathtakingly good CG characters – There were times I forgot that the Prawns were entirely CG, a testament to the animators behind the movie.
4.Explosions, blood, and gunfights... with a reason – I love a good action sequence, and this one had plenty. However, the action served to further along the story instead of just merely being spectacle.

Cons:
1.Documentary style dumped – After about 45 minutes, the film switches to mostly conventional camera work, which is kinda disappointing.
2.Unlikeable characters – It took me a while to warm up to Wikus, especially since he was an asshole in the first act.
3.The ending – While not aiming for a Hollywood ending, it still felt like not everything was resolved. Here's hoping for a sequel!

Rating
Out of 5



WRITTEN BY: GrouchoMarx