District 9 Review

Every now and then, a film of a certain genre comes along that completely changes the game. The game is science-fiction, and that film is “District 9”. Unlike “The Dark Knight”, this amazing film came out of nowhere. The first glimpse of this film we got was a poster that read “You Are Not Welcome Here”, followed by the title. But the only familiar name we get from the film is Peter Jackson, who produced the film. “District 9” is a fantastic movie that is a shining star in a summer filled with mind-less crap (I’m looking at you “Transformers”), and it’s one of the most enjoyable sci-fi films I’ve seen in a long time. Filled with great suspense, originality, and mind-blowing action, “District 9” is one of the best films I’ve seen all year.

“District 9” begins with some alien refugees from a foreign planet arriving on Earth. They are taken to a section of South Africa called District 9, and put under the watchful (if uninterested) eye of a company called Multi-National United (MNU). The real story kicks off when a member of MNU contracts an alien virus that rapidly changes his DNA, and now must flee from the MNU and seek refuge inside District 9. The story breaks free from all the usual sci-fi film clichés and comes up with a brilliant and original story that fascinated me from beginning to end. I rarely mention the ending of a film, but the ending to “District 9” is awe-inspiring. I never would’ve guessed in a million years it would end that.

The real highlight of “District 9” is the visual effects. They are stunning, to say the least, and they always convinced me that I was looking at something real and genuine. From the spaceships to the aliens themselves, the effects have amazing depth and texture. I felt like I could reach out and touch the screen, and I would be able to feel the alien’s skin. The sound design in this film is brilliant as well. When those action scenes happened, that theater shook with the might of action. I felt my heart pounding with the music while the film was going on. I stood on the edge of my seat during one particular scene towards the end, and you’ll know which scene I mean when you see it.

For a directorial debut, Neill Blomkamp, with this movie, has established himself as one of the best directors of his generation. He directs this film with a mighty eye for detail and he makes (almost) every second of this film count. Plus, he edits this film in such a beautiful way that whatever great tension and suspense was there already, we get even more. They also did a fantastic job with the casting of the film. The new kid on the block, Sharlto Copley, gives an astounding performance as the lead character. He summons every powerful emotion from his body and uses them in some of the best scenes of the movie, and his acting makes those scenes even better.

Now, notice how I said “almost” in the previous paragraph? The only complaint I have about this film, is that I wish that they had made the film longer. If they had gone the full two hours, this film would’ve been a complete masterpiece, but like “The Hurt Locker” it’s not quite there.

Overall, “District 9” is a triumph of pure entertainment and a thrill-ride for those escaping some of the weaker releases this weekend. A