District 9 - Review

Rating: 10/10 (21 August 2013)

In recent years, the majority of films from the science-fiction genre have showcased advancements in visual technology. Fuelled with massive budgets, many of these blockbuster films display stunning imagery, however they can often suffer from a lack of substance. Over bloated style, with a Hollywood star cast into the mix makes for a passable summer screening, but hardly one that will last the test of time.
District 9, on the other hand, completely breaches this predictable trend and offers a fantastic revival to the genre. Neil Blomkamp's feature debut has an array of qualities that had gone missing in science-fiction films, whilst also maintaining a terrific caliber of CGI and visual effects. Here we have a film that has a cutting dramatic edge with an embedded sense of reality at its core. An extremely clever version of an extra-terrestrial encounter, that's layered with subtext which appears familiar to the human history.
The story engages from the beginning with documentary style footage, which effectively creates this raw sense of reality surrounding the alien invasion. Through this we are brought up to pace with the developments between the humans and aliens. The outcome being that the humans enclose the aliens into an area labelled District 9, to bide time to learn about them. However developments evolve poorly resulting in the brutal and derogatory treatment to the aliens.
What's truly captivating is the layers of subtext that ensue from this action. The aliens are the misunderstood minority on earth, and are brutally treated by the humans. This terrifying depiction of the human behaviour displays man in his cruellest form. What's especially unnerving about this is how it reflects the treatment humankind has inflicted on one another throughout time. The aliens are not fearsome entity's but instead victims, who are dwarfed under the powerful human regime.
The unique script, adapted by Neil Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, is a fantastic triumph. The story takes an original, ingenious approach to alien-human relations. Rather than the aliens dominating their new environment, they are instead imprisoned by its inhabitants. Sharlto Copley does a terrific job as the lead man, whose transition is both tormenting and frightening, whilst always remaining endearing.
District 9 is a terrific film by Blomkamp – an incredible debut feature. It is most certainly one of the best science-fiction films in recent years and without doubt will remain a genre gem as the years pass by.