Minute44 - Dan Schonhaar

Directed by: Neill Blomkamp
Starring: Sharlto Copley

Every so often, even seasoned movie geeks get blindsided. We can be so focused on what the big guns like Jim Cameron and Martin Scorsese are doing that we miss an absolute blinder sneaking in under the radar. Well for me, District 9 was nearly one of these. Due for release in North America in August, I didn’t even know of the film’s existence until July. Odd considering that it’s right up my street. A modern sci-fi story with plenty of aliens, gore and giant robots. What makes this even more shocking is that it’s produced by cinema uber-giant Peter Jackson. Well, after a delayed UK release (Seriously, guys. It’s 2009. Worldwide release dates please.) I finally saw what all the fuss was about.

I’d heard two major things about District 9, and that’s without mentioning the near perfect review from the brutally honest illustrator and animator Pasquale D’Silva. These had lead me to kind of avoid reading too much about the movie. Firstly, I’d heard that the film would totally blow my socks off and secondly that it was a totally original and totally spectacular bit of Sci-Fi. Well I can safely say that both of these things are 100% true.

We are brought up to speed with events right at the start. Aliens arrived in 1982 (same year ET was released. Cool huh?) and their mother ship stopped, hovering over Johannesburg. There it stayed, motionless for months. Impatient, the government flew up to the craft and broke in. What they discovered were roughly a million aliens suffering from terrible malnutrition, apparently stranded. Watched by the whole world the South African government had no choice but to help the suffering refugees and set up a makeshift home for them below the craft. This became known as District 9 and almost immediately became a slum. Snap forward to the present day. The aliens (Known by the derogatory term “Prawns”) are still here and their population has almost doubled. The public has had enough. The Prawns have become a burden to an already troubled country. They want them gone.

The movie follows Wikus Van De Merwe (Copley), an employee of MNU, a company drafted in to re-locate and manage the alien population. Well, at least that’s what the public are lead to believe. Though very outspoken in his prejudice of the Prawns, Wikus is promoted to head up the relocation program and ensure District 9 is free of violence and contraband. During a sweep of the district Wikus comes into contact with a strange alien fluid and begins to change. Over night Wikus becomes South Africa’s most wanted man, both inside and outside of District 9 and is forced to face up to his prejudice and make some very hard decisions.

I really can’t stress how utterly refreshing this movie is. After what seems like a tidal wave of recycled Hollywood crap over the years District 9 is like a shot of pure lime juice to your film palette. This movie is a true display of what good sci fi is all about. Engaging, thought provoking story with plenty of action and great special effects that doesn’t just serve as an ornate picture frame for a head shot of the A-List star of the moment. Copley absolutely steals the show and I’ll be damned if an Oscar nomination doesn’t come his way for this. That’s not to say the other performances were anything short of knock-out. Supporting performances, though often fleeting were executed perfectly and never stole focus.

I think it was a great decision on the part of the filmmakers to set the movie in South Africa. It’s very clear that Director Neill Blomkamp grew up during the roughest period of apartheid and, as a South African was very much influenced by it. With the budget and the pressure of big production companies it could have been easy for the film to have been set in LA./New York/Washington. This, of course would have destroyed such a vast part of the film’s originality and poignancy. Let’s not forget this is a movie about segregation and prejudice. Something that was more than rife in early 80’s South Africa. These sub-plots, though not very subtle, are subtle enough to enhance the movie and add another dimension to the overall tension in the story.

Like I mentioned above, the special effects are pure excellence, thanks mainly to Peter Jackson’s visual effects powerhouse, Weta. The fully CG aliens are beautifully rendered and animated and interact perfectly with the set and actors and the puppets/animatronic aliens fit in just as well. The camera work is mainly hand-held but is still plenty steady enough to keep the moaning plankton that complained about Cloverfield happy. In fact, if the story alone doesn’t distract you from the odd shaky camera then you need to check your pulse. It’s that good.

District 9 is just the tip of the iceberg. The story, intentionally or not has paved the way for the new breed of Sci-Fi, and indeed the new breed of cinema. The story turns the usual malevolent alien invaders cliche truly on its head and prepares the audience for the approaching Goliath that is James Cameron’s Avatar. I say again; Go and see this movie. It will open your eyes to what is possible and show you that not everything has been done before.

Verdict: