District 9

When I first saw the trailer for District 9, I did what everyone else did. I looked up what all I thought the movie was about. And of course I only found out that it was directed by Neill Blomkamp and that it was based on his short film Alive in Joburg. I then set out to see the short film which blew me away. I thought it was fantastic and that if the short film was any indication, I was going to be in for a treat. And so, I went to see the movie, and I’ve got to say I really did enjoy it.

The plot concerns a man who is working for a privatized military research center who is in charge of relocating (more appropriately, evicting) aliens in the city of Johannesburg, aliens that have been there for twenty years, looking for a way to go home. They live in deplorable conditions and are impoverished and looked down on. The man is soon exposed to an experiment of theirs that is turning him into one of them. He is now desperately looking for a cure and must team up with one of the aliens to find a way to make things right.

I will say that the film can be VERY brutal at times. There are some parts that will anyone who is squeamish cringe. It pulls no punches in trying to realistically depict conditions in Johannesburg. Blomkamp is known to have lived many years of his life in a similar area, which gives him a better insight of how to direct such a film. There is a genuine feeling of despiration and the audience can’t help but sympathise with the main character. The film ends with a strong opening for a potential sequel.

My only real complaint is that the film is incoherrent in moments of action. Blomkamp uses too many shots in some scenes, and this can confuse the audience. Aside from that I found it to be one of the more powerful science fiction films of the last ten years and I strongly recommend it.

The movie reminded me a lot of Enemy Mine, with Dennis Quaid. You can pick that up here if you want to watch that.

Enemy Mine