DISTRICT 9

MPAA Rating: R for bloody violence and pervasive language.


This film was made, perhaps, by the budget of Optimus Prime's foot but manage to be much better than two Transformers movie. District 9 is a fine example on how budget limitations doesn't limit your creativity.

Peter Jackson and first time South African writer-director Neill Blomkamp, have made a sci-fi thriller that is original and mesmerizing. It is a new breed of sci-fi with racism and xenophobia themes.

Using mockumentary style, with hand-held cameras, the horror and reality seem real. A spaceship out of nowhere hovers over Johannesburg, South Africa. There are no clues why the aliens chose Johannesburg instead of other cities. The prawn/grasshopper like alien arrived on earth as refugees. First they were feared and incite violence in the city, thus the government, with the aid of MNU, a private interest organization, localize the aliens in a slum like place called District 9. In that lawless slum the aliens live poorly and gangs rule the streets. Humans doesn't seem to care about them, there seem to be a silent hatred upon those alien refugees since their appearance is quite scary.

The MNU which had secret plans to acquire aliens weaponry technology will relocate the aliens who had lived in District 9 for 20 years to District 10, a new place which looks like a concentration camp.

Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copely) is the MNU agent in charge of the relocation to District 10. At first he doesn't look like capable of handling such a big project. Things changes as Wikus is infected with some alien liquid, his hands started to change into prawn like (Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis anyone?) thus his body undergo a slow but sure process from human into alien.

The second act deals about how Wikus is escaping MNU's facility (they wanted to make him a guinea pig since he is the first successfull human-prawn combination) and his 'partnership' with Christopher Johnson, an alien who had a plan to escape from earth.

Sadly the last third felt like Hollywood type of ending where the main antagonist was kept alive until the end where he is 'butchered' viciously after some fascinating shootout (you just can't believe that such scene can be made with such low budget by Hollywood standard). However the whole film is fascinating, the acting was great and you got the sense that sci-fi genre in the future will not be ended in G.I. Joe's way of visual effect and sugary cinematography. Forget special effects, this movie is about human fear and discrimination.

South African settings brings back old memories of Apartheid, one can draw parallel between District 9 and South African Apartheid policies in the past.

I do wish that Michael Bay could learn something from Neill Blomkamp, that having mega budget doesn't necessarily makes your movie good.