District 9 Directed by: Neill Blomkamp Cast: Sharlto Copley Running Time: 1 hr 50 mins Rating: R Release Date: August 14, 2009
Plot: This science-fiction film is about aliens that are forced to live in a quarantined shantytown in Johannesburg, South Africa, because they can’t return to their planet. They find an ally in a government agent (Copley) who starts to identify with them. District 9 documents the events before and after a fiasco that would change the world.
Who’s It For? This is thriller fare aimed at both sci-fi fans and the general public. But who knows what either of them will find with District 9.
Expectations: From some odd posters splattered on buses across the city, I was hoping this would be as unique as it appeared. But would it be more intellectual or action packed? Or maybe a mix of the two?
SCORECARD (0-10)
Actors: Sharlto Copley as Wikus Van De Merwe: The amiable tour guide of District 9 and ambassador to its reluctant inhabitants, Wikus is a gentle character whose tragic course of events cause him to be even more endearing. The best element of District 9, he is sent on a hero's journey of emotions, all of which are covered with great honesty by Copley, an unfamiliar face who hopefully will stick around for more character-driven science fiction adventures. Score: 8
Talking: It is not explained how the aliens and humans learned each other's languages (despite being from different parts of the universe), which one would consider an important moment in their supposed alliance. That being said, the aliens speak in clicks and grunts, which are always subtitled, especially when their dialogue is strictly amongst themselves. Score: 6
Sights: Even when District 9 reaches past the engrossing opening, which is full of interviews and "candid" footage, much of the film is shot with the eye of a documentary. For the most part the camerawork is handheld, with director Blomkamp taking a few moments in the third act to show off some camera angles better suited for the "Halo" movie he didn't make. Score: 7
Sounds: Not one to slouch on the realism, District 9 makes music the least most important factor to its experience, keeping any sensational use of a score at bay. As for volume, similar to other moments of action experienced this summer, when this film gets a rockin' and a rollin', it gets LOUD. Score: 6
PLOT SPOILERS
Best Scene: All of the introduction, which is the closest the film comes to resembling a fake documentary.
Ending: A more dramatic (and possibly more exciting) continuation of the story is hinted at by a cliffhanger that arrives at just the right moment.
Questions: Was the relationship between aliens and human beings really so strained that they couldn't ask them for motor oil?
Rewatchability: A second viewing might help make something as odd as this film a tighter fit.
OVERALL
After everything is laid out by its unique intro, District 9 never reaches its excitement potential, always banking on its unique reversal premise to keep us interested. Copley’s great performance carries the film, but the action in the story doesn’t seem to keep up. In the third act, the humanity preached by the film crumbles to a simpleton escape mission that would be more fun in a video game. Here, it's a tad ridiculous, as the intelligence of District 9 drops a few IQ points to aim solely for those in the audience who came to see something that has both violence and aliens. The action becomes as forced and redundant and as the blood that constantly splatters on the screen.
Blomkamp loves the unusual. With District 9, he tries to share his compassion for extra terrestrials with an original scenario that makes them out to be the oppressed ones, bullied by humans. But an emotional connection to these (non-photogenic) creatures is difficult, even if they're are presented to us with relatable emotions and routines. In the end, the idea of having compassion for beings from outer space still feels a bit alien.
Final Score: 6/10