112 Minutes
Directed By: Neil Blomkamp
Written By: Terri Tatchell and Neil Blomkamp
Staring: Sharlto Copley, Nathalie Boltto Jason Cope, Sylvaine Strike, Elizabeth Mkandawie, William Allen Young, and Louis Minnaar
Here, you can take that, you want to keep that, as a souvenir of your first abortion, ay. You can feel like you’ve done one of these too.-Wikus
Review
When thinking intense and original, District 9 is a bit of each, one of the most creative movies of the decade and executed with exceptional precision. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen and told in an unorthodox manner that made the subject matter seem ever the more fresh. With a clear political commentary, it doesn’t overwhelm and allows itself to be an entertaining Sci-Fi action flick with a confounding sense of violence and ferocity. Some of the films elements have been explored before but never quite like this. Intelligent and gripping this is a movie that will continue to expand the possibilities for the science fiction genre.
While you don’t feel like you are being preached to by Blomkamp, you do connect with the topics of oppression, ravenous greed, brainwashing, and dominant sovereignty. We are encouraged to look beyond the action and suspense and let the subjugation of racism tug at our conscience. The character’s and shock of the brutality of the world make this possible for us. By it’s end, you weren’t just entertained. You feel more than anything, and are expired, exhausted, and disturbed.
The action and special effects may be secondary to the depth of the story, but they aren’t to be dismissed. Crisp, intense, and authentic looking aliens fill District 9 and cohesively blend into the humanoid scenery. I found myself really focusing on them and looking their faces and expressions, because at a certain point their personalities and emotions become very important, and never once did I feel like I was staring a a CGI character. The action scenes complemented the incredible CGI giving the “Prawns” a sense that they were truly from a different universe with their powerful weapons.
The characterizations is what really makes it all worth your time. There is more humanity in the aliens than the humans, and there are points in the relationships, the realizations about what’s happening to their species, and it unveiling before Wikus’s eyes that are truly sentimental. There is a moment I felt myself swallow a lump, and it took me by surprise seeing this film had a huge action, chase scene base. I give Blomkamp a lot of credit for being able to mask so many different tactics and emotions and goals underneath a dark sci-fi action flick.
The conflict of culture and race is ever prevalent in our times and D9’s contemporary point of view has more to say than just the value of entertainment, but that is certainly there as well. It’s been a long time since a science fiction/action film had so much to say while giving us the gift of being entertained as well. There is a reason this flick has gotten such wide acclaim. It is a brilliant and innovative movie that hopefully will inspire others in the film world to take some chances.
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I really liked this one despite how annoying I found Sharlto Copley’s character. Great twist on an alien on Earth story, great effects, great acting (mostly) and an all around great film.
I actually like that Wikus was such an asshole. It made the protagonist an unlikable and selfish bastard, and that made us focus even more on the mistreatment of the Prawns. It made helped prove that humans were the monsters. It worked better for the story and made it more honest that he reacted to everything the way he did. There was a subtle transformation for his character internally as well as externally and even by the end he hadn’t fully turned into a “good guy”. That was realism for me.
Good review. Loved the movie myself. As you said, the big victory from District 9 is showing Hollywood that you can make TONS of money on a Sci-Fi movie with depth. Actual interaction with aliens, not just battle scenes with cliched dialog when the two species meet.
Nice review. I was a bit underwhelmed by District 9, probably because of all the effusive praise it received. The first half or so of the movie was very solid but then it left place to a blow ‘em up second half which was entertaining but a bit empty when compared to the first half.
I actually agree with your point there, but two other films that are slightly off balance because of that but I love anyway are From Dusk Till Dawn and Pitch Black. It feels like they are two films fused into one, and while it does throw things off balance I think it makes it work. I don’t think D9 was as successful in that cohesion as FDTD or PB, which is why it was 3.5 stars instead of 4, otherwise it was nearly a perfect film for me. I heart SyFy though. It’s my bread and butter.
This movie was nothing like I expected it to be. I can say that it had my attention from beginning to end. I’m just not sure I liked it or didn’t. But I was definitely entertained.
What I liked about it was that it wasn’t like anything I’d ever seen before. I’m glad you at the very least appreciated it for what it accomplished.