Film - District 9 - Sony Pictures

Reviews, By steviec10, 13th August, 2009

Sci-fi is back! District 9 is a return to classic science-fiction, but with a new and refreshingly original storyline.

Twenty years ago, a spaceship broke down over Johannesburg (thankfully, for once, not New York). After three months of hovering there and with no obvious signs of invasion, the military ‘break into’ the craft and discover over a million malnourished and close to death aliens.

In such typical human style, they decide to imprison the aliens in a camp known as District 9. In fact, ‘camp’ is too kind. It’s a slum. For 20 years the aliens live in this slum, but occasionally some get out and run amok in Johannesburg. This causes hatred and bigotry amongst the humans. So a decision is made to move them all to another slum 240 kms further inland away from any human contact, District 10.

The company contracted to relocate the aliens is the Multi-National United (MNU), who not-coincidentally is the largest weapons manufacturer in South Africa. It’s apparent immediately that MNU have ulterior motives, they want to get their hands on alien technology. But it turns out alien weapons can only be operated by alien biology.

In the process of relocating the aliens the head field operative, Wikus van der Merwe, is accidentally infected with alien DNA and suddenly becomes very valuable to the human race. As he transforms into a mutant half human/half alien, however, he takes off and goes into hiding in the only place he feels is safe, District 9.

The movie is very clever as it is presented in the form of a documentary, with interviews with many of the MNU operatives involved, news broadcasts from major news networks all around the world and even the use of archival footage of riots in Johannesburg.

Another smart move is the casting of relative unknowns in the main roles, so the documentary feel remains believable and the movie feels less like a sci-fi blockbuster.

There are plenty of action scenes, some impressive special effects, and the aliens are brilliant and a refreshing take on non-human lifeforms.

For sci-fi fans this is a new take on the genre and you almost feel sorry for the aliens as they are, for once, the weaker race and you almost want them to escape from this torture. On a deeper level this movie is about hatred, racism, bigotry and really portrays humans as the violent race that we are.

Sci-fi is back, and it’s very welcome!

District 9 is screening nationally through Sony Pictures.

Watch District 9 trailer here: