Rob Calvert posted on August 14, 2009
Starring: Sharlto Copely and a bunch of other people you have never heard of.
30 years ago aliens made contact with and landed on the Earth – in South Africa to be exact. In the ultimate wisdom of mankind, a corporation is placed in charge of rounding the creatures up, forcing them to live in a quarantined slum, and attempt to gradually extort their biotechnology and weapons. Sadly, Wikes Van De Merwe (Copely) earns the job of going door-to-door in order to evict them and place them into a new camp with nicer tents, but inadvertently comes in contact with a substance that will alter his life, his appearance, and his genetics forever.
Going in – just from seeing the trailers – I knew DISTRICT 9 was going to be an interesting time at the movies. I was not disappointed at all. Sci-fi fans will enjoy the look at alien technology, the species themselves, and the special effects/graphics look really great. Action fans will have plenty of what they crave to keep them salivating throughout. Most importantly, those who like a little bit of thought behind their film experience will enjoy the sociological undertones that carry on throughout the film. It is a nice and, at times, brutal look at the nature of man when he is in control, and when he is out of control.
My only complaint with DISTRICT 9 would be that I wanted more of that social perspective to continue and be more deeply explored. I found it extremely interesting. There is a distinct moment where the film becomes a shoot-em-up thriller, and feels like it loses touch with what is connecting the audience with it (at least me, anyway). That is a minor complaint though. Overall, DISTRICT 9 is a smart, great-looking, action-packed time at the movies.
4 guitars on this one!(Out of 5 guitars)