DISTRICT 9Starring: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, David James
Directed By Neil Blomkamp
Rated R
Running Time: 111 minutes
Believe the hype. This movie is pretty fantastic. I love when movies like this comes along when all summer we have been let down by movies we have been anticipating all year and then out of nowhere a film comes to knock us on our ass. District 9 is that type of film. A film that was made for almost 150 million dollars less than Transformers 2 but is 10 times more exciting, moving and captivating than any summer blockbuster to come out this year (besides Star Trek).
This film was made as a try-out for first time director Neill Bloomkamp (who was suppose to make his debut with the film adaptation of the hit video game "Halo" but studios didn't want a rookie director to handle a big blockbuster film like that so they handed him 30 million to see what he's got and believe me, we will see a sequel to this and a Halo film.)
A City of God Meets Alien Nation,District 9 takes place in present-day South Africa where humans and aliens are forced into an uneasy co-existence and like most Alien films bring out the violent worst in each other. However, what makes this film unlike any other, is that it takes it's time to tell it's story but at the same time throws you into this world as soon as the film begins. The film starts as a kind of faux-documentary about what is going on with the aliens and we are introduce to our "hero", an amazing performance from newcomer Sharlto Copley, who is trying to evict the aliens out of Johannesburg, where they have been living for almost 20 years. Twenty years ago, an spaceship came to into Johannesburg( Not New York or Los Angeles like in most alien films), which now is a urban slum. Since then, the ship's inhabitants, referred to as "prawns", have been moved into the slums and placed under the control of MNU, a private corporation, who tries to find out what the aliens want and how to use there weapons.
I was loving every part of the beginning because instead of jumping into the chaos and gore (which this film has plenty of), the film opens on a note of edge of your seat uncertainty and humor as it shows the hostility of the humans and the prawns. Though compelling throughout, "District 9" never becomes outright terrifying and really lets the story get set before he blows shit up! I had no idea that the first 30 minutes was just a small set up to what was coming. There is an event that happens in this film, where at first seems small but later turns out to completely change the course of the movie. The documentary style effortlessly is dropped and the film becomes a short of "fugitive-type" film and from there on in, the movie is incredible. The action in this film is awesome (hard to believe it was only made for 30 million. Gory yet not to much, it really has some of the best action sequences of the year.
This film is one of the best of the year. A film that is entertaining as hell but also a film that works on many levels. While the end might set up a sequel that is defiantly unnecessary and some of the dialogue can go over the top. This film is one hell of a fun strange, thrill ride and a movie i want to see again.
GRADE: A-
When and Where should i see it: RIGHT NOW IN THEATRES!
Similar Movies:
Alien Nation
Starship Troopers
Close Encounters of the Third Kind