Aliens Make History Cool!

First and foremost I will say that District 9 is the best summer blockbuster of 2009 thus far. Keep in mind that it's August and there really isn't anything coming up to dethrone it. That being said, I believe this movie's popularity will live well passed this year and be thought of as one of the great science fiction films of all time. We saw it at the midnight showing last night and unanimously loved it.


District 9 takes place in South Africa in the near future of 2010. That doesn't mean you have to worry that we'll be under attack next year. According to the film these aliens arrived in 1982; their ship hovering menacingly over Johannesburg, South Africa. After a few months of debate the government cut their way into the ship to find over a million alien invaders huddled and malnourished upon their vessel. Against the wishes of the general public, the aliens are moved into a controlled area named District 9. An agency known as Multi-National United (MNU) is responsible for controlling tension between humans and aliens whom we have named prawns for their lobster-bug like appearance. The MNU prefer to accomplish their goals with their powerful military who we are told is the second largest in the world. Director Neill Blomkamp and crew do a good job of painting a picture of the conditions the prawns are forced to live in. The addition of poor Africans who sell food and buy weapons from the prawns adds a realistic element to the plot and it's something that wouldn't have been explored properly had this movie taken place in the US. The setting in South Africa also helps in that the film reflects the historic apartheid the country has experienced. Unlike the short film, Alive in Joburg, District 9 transitions from a documentary style attempt at migration for the aliens to an exhilarating action flick with more thought than the majority of recent films.


Wikus van der Merwe is an MNU worker who is chosen to bring eviction notices to the prawns in District 9 to force them to move into a new facility of tents known as District 10. This new area isn't discussed in great lengths but it consists of many small tents. Such an area would ideally be more easy for the MNU to control. Wikus also makes it his business to address illegal weapons and devices he finds. His snooping leads to him getting into quite a bit of trouble and spurs the events of the plot. As you may know from trailers, the aliens insist that they did not mean to come to Earth and that they want to get home. Wikus makes the mistake of hindering one ambitious prawn named Christopher's plan to escape Earth and save his people. We watch Wikus' life fall apart along with his sanity and body. If ever there was a dynamic character in a movie it is Wikus as he completely transforms from a simple man with a decent life to the number one fugitive of his former company. Because of his simple beginnings, he never proves to be a particularly intelligent character. He manages to stay a step ahead by making more good decisions than bad ones. They wish to acquire him for his unique ability to use prawn weaponry; weaponry far more advanced than anything Earth has been capable of creating. We get to see their technology at work several times and it never gets boring. Trust me on this one. No matter how many times you see someone's body burst into tiny pieces and splatter on the screen, it's always awesome. The ending is perfect for what we were set up to see. I don't see many being disappointed with how things unfold. If you find yourself disappointed then you should stop watching so many happy ending Disney movies.


District 9 excels in just about every aspect. The special effects are top shelf as you'd expect from a Peter Jackson production. If you want to see his influence then watch Alive in Joburg. There you'll see what happens with the same ideas and no Hollywood budget. Music isn't a huge part of the movie but when you are supposed to hear it, it does it's job. The tone it sets adds to the reality of the atmosphere in the film. The sound the prawns make when they talk is actually kind of creepy. It's a combination of deep croaking tones and clicks. It's all subtitled, of course, but it still sounds structured for some odd reason. I suppose that explains how we've been able to translate and understand it after twenty-eight years. The alien weapons all sounded the way you'd imagine and Earth guns sound the way you've always heard them. I personally noticed the pacing of the movie is quick but not frantic. A lot happens in the less than 2 hour run time but nothing seems too confusing or unexplained. The story telling in District 9 is done very successfully. Movie patrons should be satisfied with their understanding of the events in a movie that could have easily been overcomplicated.


District 9 does so many things right that I can't remember anything that I actually didn't like. Some might complain about some of the alien's story not being told but this can be contributed to the time the film takes place. The prawns landed so long ago that it wouldn't make sense for MNU officials to still be asking where they came from or why they came. At this point their only concerns are weapons and the well being of humans. At this point in time, these motives are inevitable. It's possible that a sequel would further explain the back story of the aliens. I know I'll be keeping an eye out for a District 10 but I certainly won't be mad if it never comes. District 9 stands alone as a strong picture. I'm expecting great things from Neill Blomkamp from here on out. if he decides to make Halo, I might actually have to see it against everything I believe in.

District 9 is being rated 1 tasty McGangbang. Chyeah!