SuperSunday: District 9

Kicking off African November here on Audenshaw Reviews...

District 9 (2009)

From the man who brought us The Lord of the Rings, District 9 is an action-packed sci-fi social commentary on miliarisation and the evils of apartheid. It rarely lets up on its breath-takingly powerful and sometimes tragic journey of discovery, and provides not only a scathing satire but entertainment in its own right.
    The plot follows an alien ship that has landed over Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1990. Its occupants are thousands of ill and starving "prawns" that are apprehended and then segregated by the weapons company MultiNational United into an area known only as District 9. As MNU attempts to move the prawns out of Johannesburg, company head Smit elects low-rank employee Wikus Van de Merwe (Shalto Coply) to head the operation. Wikus is elated, until unfortunate circumstances force him onto the side of the Prawns in an attempt to save both his life and the lives of the aliens.
     The majority of the film is composed of faux security and archive footage, and is presented like a documentary on the events of the film. This is a flexible and insightful method of filmmaking, and director Neil Blomkamp's expert skill only reinforces it. The CGI necessary to create the film is incredibly immersive and realistic, and Coply's skill in interacting with his imaginary environment is astounding.
     The plot is a little Anvilicious in places, but not without reason as anvils need to be dropped. The character development in both Wikus and his main Prawn ally Christopher heps the flow of the film immensly, as we watch a deliberately ignorant and obnoxious bureaucrat transform into a tragic and sympathetic everyman. We also see vicious villians Smit and army general Koobus get their rightful just deserts, which is made so much greater by their strong characterisation and how their actions echo with reality.
    The film's mixture of strong satire and awe inspiring action means that there is something for everyone - if you're not watching for the politics, then there's still the massive alien weaponry on show. This is a great film, of unusually high quality for a Summer blockbuster, and a must-watch.


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