I really wish we could have gotten Peter Jackson and Neill Blomkamp’s version of “Halo” in addition to the “Aliens” sequel that Blomkamp was working on before Fox also killed that project. Oh, well. At least we still have this amazing piece of sci-fi.
THE ORIGINAL REVIEW
When aliens arrive on Earth, they are not here to destroy us or attempt to declare peace or even to save the planet. They are just stuck here with no way of getting home. “District 9” is a feature-length adaptation of a short film that director Neill Blomkamp made which caught the eye of filmmaker and producer Peter Jackson. The famed “Lord of the Rings” filmmaker hired Blomkamp to work on a video game adaptation of “Halo” as a result of Blomkamp’s film. Unfortunately, 20th Century Fox put “Halo” on hold. As a result, Jackson convinced Blomkamp to make the feature-length film.
The movie opens by explaining that the Prawns (which is a derogatory name chosen by humans to refer to the aliens) arrived on Earth twenty years ago and that their ship started hovering over Johannesburg. Soon after discovering that the aliens were inexplicably stuck there, it was decided to build a community to house the new alien species and the community became known as District 9.
Oversight of District 9 has been given to Multi-National United (MNU), a private company who is more interested in finding out how the aliens’ weapons work than the welfare of Earth’s new inhabitants. The only thing that can make the weapons work is alien DNA. On top of that, the people of Johannesburg want the aliens gone and a new relocation effort begins headed by MNU field operative, Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley). After he is infected with a mysterious virus that begins transforming his DNA, MNU discovers that he can now use the aliens’ weaponry. This effectively makes him the most hunted man in the world.
Wikus is having a bit of a day in "District 9".
The first thing that is noteworthy about this movie is the originality behind the story. It provides a look into our darker nature and the fear we have at the unknown. It shows that the humans (except for MNU) want the aliens to leave simply because they do understand them and are afraid of them. The aliens only show hostility when they are being forced into action. They have no desire to harm us and, after we abuse them, they simply want to get off of our planet just as much as we want them to.
There is a strong parallel between the aliens and illegal immigrants as well as slavery. They are in Johannesburg and the people want them to be completely removed from the country. They have built a wall around District 9 but it isn’t enough. They want the aliens gone for good. The aliens are also forced to stay in District 9 and, because we don’t know their real names, they are given names by the humans such as Christopher, an alien that Merwe begins to interact with.
What is good about the messages contained in the movie is that the filmmakers do not make the audience feel like they are being preached to and the message is only integrated into the exciting narrative.
Another great aspect of the film is the main character. Wikus is an average guy. He is not a macho badass who is going to save the world. To put it simply, he’s a loser. Merwe is only put in charge of the relocation effort because he is married to the boss’ daughter and no one really looks up to him except his wife and maybe his mother.
What is also great about the character is that he does not go through an immediate change when he finally sees what MNU’s intentions are after his DNA begins to change. Through most of the film, all he really wants is for his mutation to be reversed so he can get back to living his life. Unfortunately, he needs to accept his shortcomings and try to do something about them.
With all of the good things to say about the movie, there are a few things that hinder it from being a greater film. The first thirty minutes of the film, in particular, are the film’s weakest. This is because it feels like the filmmakers did not know whether they wanted to make a “Cloverfield” like mocumentary or simply tell the story from a more straightforward point of view. This also makes the film a little slow to star up but once it does, the film definitely stands above the other films that have been released this Summer.
The only other thing that stalled the story is something that is also contained within that first thirty minutes. When the film is acting more like a found footage film, the aliens can come off as unintentionally being funny. I am not talking about a couple of scenes that are meant to be funny such as seeing one of the aliens pee on a wall but there are other scenes that contain the aliens and make the want to laugh for no real reason.
One other little note, the film is very gory. While this did not bother me, it may detract other viewers who have weaker stomachs. The alien weaponry, for example, doesn’t simply kill, they make everything including humans explode and send blood flying in every direction. So, you’ve been warned.
All problems aside, “District 9” proves to be a winner this Summer with a movie that has a great story to tell with a genuine protagonist. If audiences can get past the first thirty minutes, they are going to be in for one hell of a movie.
