Why So Much Hate In A World Of Prawns?

Rating: 8/10 (16 November 2013)

If you watch cinema today, you know originality has been down the crapper, there's been an almost severe lack of great science fiction (Say "2001" or "Blade Runner"). However, out of all the films to come out in 2009, I feel "District 9" surpasses the likes of "Avatar" or "Transformers 2". Proving that even when working on an incredibly low budget, CGI is maturing rapidly beyond "expenses" and "limitations".
The answer to a failed "Halo" movie. A lot of people have already condemned this movie for having no originality, due to the fact that there are so many prior movies sharing similarities such as "The Fugitive", "The Fly", "Alien Nation", "Independence Day" etc. Even though this movie contains many elements of those certain films (Few I think fall flat), this still stands strong as something completely different from what we've seen in a long time. Managing to include a lot of heavy themes such as racism, poverty and corruption. As for the actual film WOW! America doesn't get invaded this time. No it actually lands in Africa, where the director and most of this cast originated.
Aliens land not with gifts of wisdom or shiny utopias, but sickness, famine and are sent away to live in the slums outside the city of Johannesburg. "District 9" becomes a breeding ground for gangs, shantytowns and clearly the beginning of something much worse. Among them a simple employee from the government anti-alien company "MNU", will soon become the answer to either the company prayers or the aliens salvation.
Sharlto Copley did a superb job as our main character. For a first time role I'm very pleased his career has got off to such a good start, as well as the supporting cast who do terrific jobs building a real sense of dirt, tension and prejudice that bring out the "realism". Again it's clearly Sci-Fi, but why do I feel I could switch on the news now and see a country pull itself apart as depicted in this movie?
Final Verdict: Neil Blomkamp & Peter Jackson have made something truly special. I feel Blomkamp is trying to reproduce and show a little bit more than what regulations would usually allow, but by including aliens in the mix as a substitute it could very much threaten any underlying message they were going for. Either way "District 9" was entertaining, and to me began a tradition that I feel we will have at least one exceptionally great Sci-Fi movie each year since. 8/10.