An interesting new approach to the Sci-Fi Thriller

Rating: 8/10 (25 January 2010)

Watching District 9 was an odd experience.
I was taken back to a time when sci-fi/thrillers relied on the craft of set designers, make-up artists and clever directors to make an ambitious film possible despite a rather limited budget.
District 9 reminds me of sci-fi classics like Alien, in which a team of artists led by a young but apt director work in unison to bring a unique take on the genre to life.
The idea of filming District 9 as a quasi-documentary allows the audience to forgive the lack of fancy special effects and the lack-luster appearance of an alien breed that could have been designed two decades ago. The documentary feel also creates an air of intimacy and realism that is highly engaging.
Despite having a share of weak action scenes and some plot inconsistencies, the movie remains interesting throughout due to a very original script, artistic concept and creative artistic design.
The lead character embodied with great energy and ability by the unknown Sharlto Copley (South-African actor) gives the movie an added aura of realism, placing an average-looking man without the typical chiseled features of Hollywood action heroes.
For some, District 9 will be caricaturesque or even silly in its original approach to a Hollywood subject that has been widely explored: the man vs. Alien battle for supremacy. The truth is that District 9 brings a breath of fresh air to an exhausted genre by making humans the villains and aliens the victims, exploring some ethical and political questions but never being preachy.
District 9 is one of the best movies of 2009. A must-see.