District 9 [DVD] [2009]
District 9 [DVD] [2009]
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Product Description
A provocative science fiction drama, District 9 boasts an original story that gets a little lost in blow-'em-up mayhem. Set in Johannesburg, South Africa, District 9 begins as a mock documentary about the imminent eviction of extraterrestrials from a pathetic shantytown (called District 9). The creatures, it turns out, have been on Earth for years, having arrived sickly and starving. Initially received by humans with compassion and care, the aliens are now mired in blighted conditions typical of long-term refugee camps unwanted by a hostile, host society. With the creatures' care contracted out to a for-profit corporation, the shantytown has become a violent slum. The aliens sift through massive piles of junk while their minders secretly research weapons technology that arrived on the visitors' spacecraft. Against this backdrop is a more personal story about a bureaucrat named Wikus (Sharlto Copley) who is accidentally exposed to a DNA-altering substance. As he begins metamorphosing into one of the creatures, Wikus goes on the run from scientists who want to harvest his evolving, new parts and aliens who see him as a threat. When he pairs up with an extraterrestrial secretly planning an escape from Earth, however, what should be a fascinating relationship story becomes a series of firefights and explosions. Nuance is lost to numbing violence, and the more interesting potential of the film is obscured. Yet, for a while District 9 is a powerful movie with a unique tale to tell. Seamless special effects alone are worth seeing: the (often brutal) exchanges between alien and human are breathtaking. --Tom Keogh
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Rating
It’s rare at the moment to see a science fiction movie that isn’t a remake, a cash-in, an adaptation, or a spinoff of another big success.
But “District 9″ is not that kind of movie. Instead, the rarest kind of film — a unique and original idea, handled in an intelligent manner, with no big name actors or flashy special effects. Director Neill Blomkamp instead creates a truly captivating sci-fi movie — and by inverting the whole alien-invasion trope, Blomkamp also forces his audience to think. Hard.
Almost thirty years ago, an alien ship appeared over South Africa — but it brought neither global destruction or salvation. When soldiers cut their way in, they found starving refugees who are now nicknamed “prawns.”
Currently the aliens live as outcasts in District 9 while nations argue over them, and the company Multi-National United is selected to make their weapons work… which is not possible, because only alien DNA can activate them. Then during forced evictions of District 9, a typically callous MNU field operative named Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley) accidently sprays himself with a black alien fluid in a little lab. Unfortunately, it starts turning him into one of the aliens.
Unsurprisingly, the MNU wants the secrets of Wikus’ changing body, and the corporation is not terribly picky about how they get it. He manages to escape into the only place where he has a chance of surviving — the very alien slum that he was trying to empty, District 9. And his only chance of surviving and becoming human again lies with an alien scientist who is trying to reactive the hovering “prawn” mothership.
Segregation. Blatant discrimination (including a racist nickname). Poverty. Shanty towns. Large companies and countries who care nothing for the despised minority population. It’s painfully clear what would probably happen if spooky insectile aliens were to land on humanity’s doorstep — and Neill Blomkamp pulls no punches in his allegorical examination of apartheid, alien-style — with the poor “prawns” as the universal victims. It’s a hard, gruesome story with painfully graphic violence (Wikus gleefully bombs alien eggs) but it really needs to be that way.
Blomkamp also presents his story in a unique way — much of it is filmed like a documentary, though thankfully it has none of the sickmaking shakiness of movies like “Cloverfield” or “The Blair Witch Project.” There are plenty of spliced interviews, documentaries and news footage, which are cloaked in a feeling of gritty, dusty realism — the dark industrial mothership with its slimy interior, the dusty slum, and the poor aliens who basically scavenge through garbage to survive.
But the last quarter of the movie also evolves it into a slam-bang explosion-riddled action flick, without losing its focus — there are some brilliantly gruesome scenes where the aliens turn against some human attackers, and Wikus even gets to kick butt anime-style in an alien battle-suit. If there’s a flaw with this movie, it’s the whole idea that humans wouldn’t be at all afraid of aliens who are clearly technologically superior to us — they have a freaking SPACESHIP that’s been sitting over Johannesburg for thirty years!
It also has the virtue of the most alien aliens seen in ages — they move, look, speak (click click!) and think nothing like humans, and they’re slimy and kinda creepy looking. They have no grandiose plans or pretty sparkly technology. Yet Blomkamp infuses them with a sense of nobility and strength, and despite their insectile faces he makes you feel what they do after awhile.
It’s hard to believe that this is Sharlto Copley’s first acting role, because his performance is so strong: Wikus is a pretty despicable human being, who has fun killing aliens and ejecting them from their homes. It takes a physical transformation into an “other” to change his spirit as well. And Blomkamp lets us see the pain of his transition even when we don’t like him (including a heartrending phone call to his wife). The supporting actors also provide excellent lesser performances, but Copley rules this one.
“District 9″ is a brilliantly original, hard-hitting movie that wraps a timeless human failing in an alien skin. It’s one of the best movies of the year thus far, and certainly a classic in the making.
Rating
Neill Blomkamps stunning directorial vision tells the story of a stranded race of aliens nicknamed prawns due to their appearance living in a shanty town named District 9. Attempting to relocate them to district 10 is MNU agent Wikus van de merwe brilliantly played by Sharlto Copley.
Abandoning the usual settings of Hollywood sc-fi and placing the film in the harsh slums of South Africa is a masterstroke. Also no celebrity names here, all unfamiliar actors but who still give solid performances. It’s dark and moving with a story that is well told and that grips right from the beginning. A story which is almost saying that all humans are selfish driven by greed and vanity. Which is why this movie pulls no punches, hardly anyone comes out of it smelling of roses.
Blomkamp has managed to create aliens that are grotesque in appearance but yet display just enough feeling that made me care for their predicament something that the other humans in the Movie lack. The effects are genuinely good and don’t look cheap with imaginative weaponry. No cheesy laser zappers here, just explosive firepower wait until you see what one alien gun does to a human Body.
The last third of the movie involves firefights and brilliant battle scenes with alien weaponry. Rarely in the sci-fi genre has a movie been so deep dealing with so many issues through prejudice, mans inhumanity and cruelness and large corrupt companies. Central to it is the superb performance of Copley and his bond with the alien Christopher. Blomkamp has fused a great story together and created a classic sci-fi flick that I enjoyed immensely.
Rating
Although adverts seem to everywhere only know a handful of people who have seen it! Great film thats really in 2 parts – first the documentary that sets the background and introduces the main character, followed by a mix of horror/action.
A far grittier alternative to the equally good Star Trek
Rating
First of all – full marks to Sharlto Copley who plays a civil servant/immigration officer so realistically that I thought he must really have been one. I had never heard of this actor before, but he played it his role excellently.
The film starts in fly-on-the-wall documentary mode with Copley hamming it to the cameras just like a hundred real officials we have seen in police-stop-camera-border force. The nervous smile, the desire to please the crew by over explaining. At one point during the eviction notice raid on the alien township, he has a hut with alien eggs flamed. Aborted he calls it and goes on to elaborate, in the same over eager voice, that the popping noises are the alien young exploding.
Gradually the story unfolds of an alien plot to return home and Copley’s enforced cooperation with an alien. The CGI graphics were not overdone. The second lead actors were convincing. The action scenes felt like they were real and not slo-moed kung-fu. People who got hit, were hurt. I really enjoyed this film.
There have been some posts that there is a social commentary reflecting on South Africa. I did not think so. Or at least no more than in an episode of Star Trek. So don’t be put off by this view. The film is worth watching.
Rating
This movie was recommended to me by a friend, so knowing nothing about it I watched it, and was very surprised.
It was a very good story, superb cgi which didn’t ruin the movie, but made it believable, and had me so engrossed in the movie I wanted the aliens to be victorious as they showed the most compassionate humane side.
A thoroughly enjoyable movie. Yes, be aware there is bad anguage in this movie, but it is not swearing for the sake of it. A surprise must see movie.
Rating
I have seen two movies about the mistreatment of aliens in the last year. One was filmed in 3-D and made more money than any movie ever made. The other was District 9. I saw the first at the cinema complete with 3-D glasses. I watched District 9 last night on my computer plugged into my stereo.
Twenty years ago alien refugees arrived in a giant domed spacecraft above Johannesburg. Nicknamed Prawns they were largely peaceful and possessed far greater technology but as it was tied to their DNA it could not be used by humans, although this has not stopped humans from trying. Wikus Van De Merwe is a government official tasked with moving the aliens from a slum known as District 9 to a knew reservation. When he comes into contact with a rare alien fluid he finds himself slowly transforming into an alien. He then finds himself hunted by the government for his ability to operate alien machinery. Faced with a harsh new reality and only a desire to return to normal and his wife, he embraces a cause he could never have imagined a few days ago.
Filmed in a mix of documentary and live action the film starts apace with two story threads. The first is the history of why the aliens are on earth and the second of Wikus Van De Marwe. Yes we are presented with a huge amount of symbolism, analogies and allegories, so much you imagine whole books will be written about these themes alone. It only ever adds to riveting entertainment and resonates all the more for it. The experience is thrilling and full of frenetic action, underpinned by the mesmerising central performance of Sharlto Copley. It is an excellent story.
Quite brilliant and easily for me the best movie about the mistreatment of aliens released last year. Unmissable.
Rating
This is one of the best movies i have seen in a very very long time. Very realistic and amazing storyline. Everyone should watch this film for a good bit of culture. The plot is much better than a typical American alien invasion movie and shows how the human race would probably react to such events happening. The attention to detail is great, and there are some humerous moments. Just a stunning movie.
Rating
This is an excellent film, for anybody who likes slightly off the wall science fiction or just a darn good action flick. It starts out in pseudo-documentary format, with an alien ship appearing above Johannesborg. In a country full of racial tension, this is just all they need! Aliens set up their own ghetto (District 9) but eventually get forced into a new area away from their neighbours. What follows is an interesting exploration on man’s inhumanity towards man, and alien. And alien guns that are really cool. If this ever gets turned into a PC shooter, then it will be a blast.
There is a decent story told here as well. I don’t want to give anything away, but it involves shifts in perspective, and you are forever kept on the edge of your seat. The mocumentary approach, coupled with the lack of recognisable actors (to me at least) leant an air of realism to the film, so that you could suspend disbelief just enough to be swept up in the story. The last part of the film is a real blast, yet not in an OTT fashion. I saw one review here saying that you would appreciate this film most if you lived in or knew Jborg. This may be the case, but I have never been to SA yet I thoroughly enjoyed the film, so don’t let that comment put you off.
One would of warning, I watched the DVD a player which for some reason wasn’t showing widescreen properly. Consequently I missed most of the subtitles at the start of the film and it seemed very disjointed. I swapped players and all of a sudden it made a lot more sense.
This really is a first class action flick and deserves your attention. I hope they do a sequel.
Rating
I don’t want to provide a plot synopsis or to criticize the actors, director and script writing. This has already been done well by other reviewers. Instead, I’d like to concentrate on the factors that make District 9 a truly outstanding film.
I am not alone in liking the substitution of aliens for black people to make valid observations about apartheid, but what I like more is the way in which the film explores what the reality of alien contact might actually be like. The ‘prawn’ aliens are strangely fascinating, not least because they are entirely believable. The real cleverness in their creation is that they are appealing and repulsive in equal measure. The fact that they are ‘like us, but different’ is what makes the human characters’ interactions with them so problematic and sets up the fundamental clash of cultures, biological form and communication that leads to prejudice, conflict and violence. The news review or documentary style made me forget I was watching a film. It sucked me into the story and its social commentary. The way in which surprise and wonder give way to resentment and hostility is brilliantly observed.
Given recent comments by the world’s most renowned cosmologists, Stephen Hawking and Paul Davies: it is almost certain we are not alone, this may be a timely film. If there are other planets in the universe like the earth, it may only be a matter of time before we discover other intelligent life forms or are discovered ourselves. How we respond, both collectively and as individuals, is going to be very interesting to see. The film makes you wonder if we’ll see visitors from another planet as a problem or an opportunity. Will they be so advanced that they will regard us as little more than farm livestock suitable for harvesting for our commodity value? Will they be benign or evil? Like humans, could they be both bad or good or be simply insect-like with no discernible personality or emotions? If this subject floats your boat, then you will find a lot to like in District 9. Even if you don’t, or simply like films that make you think, then you’ll also find it worthwhile.
Rating
As many reviews state, District 9 is an excellent film. I purchased the blu-ray version at the beginning of April on the strength of many of the reviews I had read on Amazon and also on imdb.com. I was not disappointed and found District 9 to be a unique and refreshing piece of film making.
Having the film set in Johannesburg instead of the usual New York or other big American cities was a stroke of brilliance, but I bet it was met with concerned looks from the studio. It clearly paid off and in my view and allowed for a more intimate production of the film. There is plenty of special effects but this never over shadows the surrounding environment of Johannesburg.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story of District 9 and the way in which it was filmed. A mixture of documentary style camera shots, interview tapes and regular movie camera work helped keep my attention. Although the story is not original, it has been given a refreshing twist with the involvement of Alien refugees adjusting to life on Earth and the abuses of them they encounter. The effects of alien weaponry on humans is something extraordinary and quite gruesome
The best part District 9 is the special features and this is why I have rated it 5 stars. This is the best production of a blu ray I think I have seen so far. I was very disappointed with The Hurt Lockers extras for such a newly release film. District 9 however has quite a few hours of extra content that is not only enjoyable to watch, but interesting to navigate and explore. I only wish other titles would follow this example. It ranges from the makeup and rendering of the alien race (commonly called “Prawns” which touches on the films racial tensions between Prawns and the Johannesburg population) to a data hub that gives you detailed information on the alien race and the corporation MNU. I recently found out the special effects budget was around $30 million! For the level of detail shown I was very impressed and glad to see that the story did not suffer due to it.