Delightfully original

Rating: Null/10 (2 October 2009)

So many films are formulaic or derivative, if not plain remakes or sequels, that it's a real pleasure to find one with some originality as well as pace and verve. This is a science fiction work that is located entirely on Earth in the present day but the clever twist is that the scene is Johannesburg in post-apartheid South Africa where the ugly alien refugees - known for their lobster-like appearance as "prawns" - act as a metaphor for the blacks in the apartheid era or the Zimbabweans of present-day South Africa. There's plenty of tension and action, with a documentary style, excellent sound and atmospheric music, but this is also an intelligent allegory about how we treat 'the other'.
The success of the movie is down especially to three men. Neill Blomkamp is from Johannesburg but now lives in Canada and, as the co-writer and first-time feature director, he has scored a triumph; New Zealander and "Lord Of The Rings" maestro Peter Jackson was Blomkamp's mentor and producer and his special effects house was responsible for the extraordinary creatures; while Sharlto Copley - a first-time actor improvising most of his lines - is a revelation as corporation operative Wikus Van De Merwe charged with relocating the aliens who grows to be close to them in more than one respect.
The style of the film is somewhat inconsistent and the bad guys - the security company Multi-National United and the Nigerian bootleggers - are presented stereotypically, but this is still a fine premiere by Blomkamp which leaves itself open to a sequel.