Review: District 9

Just when you thought Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, a fun yet bland blockbuster, was destined to be the definitive sci-fi experience of the summer of 2009,  along came District 9, an impressive effort on behalf of South African director Neill Blomkamp.

First and foremost, there is the intriguing set-up: in the year 1982 an alien species has landed in Johannesburg (a pleasant change from regular hosts LA and NYC). The visitors can no longer operate their ship, and following tensions with the humans, they are secluded in the heavily-guarded slum known as District 9. Over two decades later Wikus Van Der Merwe, an alien relations officer, is in charge of evicting the creatures from the eponymous district and moving them to an internment camp. However, during the process he is infected by an alien fluid and begins to undergo a life-changing metamorphosis…

While the concept behind District 9 may appear derivative and unoriginal – a film buff will be able to spot similarities to other sci-fi movies, such as Alien, The Fly, The Quatermass Xperiment, even the obscure 80’s B-flick Enemy Mine – the film more than makes up for this minor shortcoming with its inventive visual style. Blomkamp presents his work as an amalgamation of news stories, hand-held documentary footage and traditional Hollywood narrative. One minute we are following interviews with experts on human/alien activities, the next we are treated to superbly staged action sequences featuring impressive samples of extra-terrestrial weaponry.

At the centre of all the commotion is Wikus, played to great effect by Sharlto Copley. Wikus is not your usual hero; quite the opposite. He starts off as nauseous, thick-accented bureaucrat who revels in outsmarting the aliens. It is only when he is affected by his transformation and befriends a cunning alien named Christopher that he slowly begins to unravel and gradually gains our sympathy.

What also marks District 9 as superior entertainment is its intent on addressing the real-life problems of Blomkamp’s native Johannesburg, a city profoundly affected by ethnic dissension. It is no coincidence that the aliens are derogatively referred to as “prawns” throughout the plot,  and the references to apartheid are clear in the film’s opening minutes.

It is in its final act that District 9 loses focus and becomes entangled in the conventions of the action blockbuster. Despite the excitement at seeing Wikus laying waste to government armed forces in a high tech battle suit, one can’t help but think that a scene like this belongs in a film starring Tony Stark or Optimus Prime.

Nevertheless, District 9 remains summer 2009’s underdog, a small scale epic which has brains to match the brawn, unlike some of that year’s bigger blockbusters.

4/5