District 9

Directed by: Neill Blomkamp
Written by: Neill Blomkamp &Terri Tatchell
Starring: Sharlto Copley
Rated: Rated R for bloody violence and pervasive language.

About 28 years ago an alien ship stopped above Johannesburg, South Africa. No threats were made. No action was taken against humans. The ship was just there. Hovering. The South African government arranged for helicopters and the military to make their way into the ship instead of waiting on the aliens to come out. What they found was that the aliens were sick and malnutritioned. Thousands of them. The military extracted the aliens, and set up camp for them in a secured area of town they called District 9.

In present day Johannesburg, the military has hired MNU, a private military company, to move all of the aliens, or ?prawns? from District 9, to a ?new and improved? District 10. Wikus van de Merwe (Copely) is promoted to run the operation, by his boss/father-in-law. Trying to be diplomatic about the situation, he goes into the slums and passes out formal eviction notices to every prawn. The prawns are irate about being moved and most refuse to even acknowledge the form that Wikus shows them. Along the way Wikus and his heavily guarded backup manage to serve notices to scores of aliens, confiscate illegal weaponry, and even kill a few prawns along the way.

When they get to the house of an alien named Christopher Johnson, Wilkus makes a discovery of a lot of illegal computer parts. Christopher protests the search and refuses to sign the eviction notice because he knows it?s illegal. Wilkus threatens to take Christopher?s son if he doesn?t cooperate. Continuing his search of Christopher makes his way into a secret room filled with a homemade chemistry set. While examining the tube, some sort of chemical gets onto Wilkus. Seemingly ok at first, the rest of the movie focuses on the change that Wilkus makes.

I went into this movie knowing full well that the writer/director was South African and grew up in Johannesburg during apartheid. So yes I picked up on the blatant tie-ins right away. Even those that I have talked to that didn?t know were like ?damn that?s pretty racist?.

I loved, loved, loved that there weren?t any big name actors tied into this movie. Really makes you feel like they are just people. Especially since most of the movie is filmed ?mockumentary? style. Interviews are taken from different agencies about Wilkus? disappearance. The film crew goes and talks to his wife and she shows them around to say how Wilkus really was just a normal guy trying to do his job. Wilkus has problems with his mic when the film crew is setting him up to film the beginning of the evictions. And when he gets sprayed in the face he tries blocks the camera guys from filming his reaction. You don?t have that shaky camera feel though like on Cloverfield or Blair Witch. Brilliant!

The graphics are utterly ridiculous. I read that Nick Blonkomp was supposed to do a Halo (the video game) movie, but the studios passed on it. Peter Jackson really wanted to work with Blonkomp and gave him $30 mil to do another movie. This was the product. I?m still blown away it only took $30 mil to do it and I can?t remember the budget for Wolverine but those graphics were piss poor.

I don?t want to give too much away but it?s really a great movie. There?s some action. Lots of tension. Even a few laughs. What I can tell from others I?ve talked to is that you either loved it or didn?t like it at all. I give it an A. Definitely something to go see. Now.