One of the most original and inspired sci-fi films in ages

Rating: 10/10 (18 April 2010)

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning
The eyes of the world fall on South Africa when a giant alien spacecraft descends over it. Some of the aliens come down to earth and end up living in the shanty huts, but face prejudice and oppression from some of the earth dwellers. Finally, a giant government agency comes in and tries to forcefully relocate the aliens and in the process gentle, compassionate Agent Van De Mere (Sharlito Copley) swallows some fluid from the alien camp and finds himself morphing into one of them. It is then that he finds out just how corrupt the government are and is forced to go on the run from them...and to try and forge an allegiance with the very beings he had previously been trying to help get rid of.
With it's sorry history of apartheid and segregation, South Africa is a clever backdrop to set this off beat sci-fi tale against, and with aliens and humans in place of blacks and whites. Told in a post modernist, mock documentary style, which seems to be the style these days, District 9 is an inspired and original science fiction story in a day and age where the genre is dying on it's lozzells. The camera lens and style of filming create the perfect sense of atmosphere and tension.
Neill Blomkamp and Peter Robert Garber are the directors at the helm, but this is a Peter Jackson production and the special effects genius is in his element on a doubtlessly smaller budget than most of the other projects he's involved in, delivering some impressive 'prawn' prosphetics and make up. The aliens are given really sweet, gentle, puppy dog faces which makes you end up feeling for them even more. In the most important role, Copley similarly delivers an earnest, rootable hero, speaking in South African, that most weird of dialects that is a mix of cockney and Australian, but sounds more Irish coming from his mouth!
Destined to become a cult classic, this is a unanimously pleasing effort for Jackson Productions (the same can't be said for the Lord of the Rings films!) *****