Group Review: District 9

This week, all three of us saw District 9, the science-fiction produced by Peter Jackson that is Neill Blomkamp's directorial debut. Jenn caught it at a special screening with Blomkamp and the film's star, Sharlto Copley, in attendance.

Keep reading to find out which one of us praised it as "old-school science fiction," who admired its unpredictability but wished the politics were less shallow, and who "spent almost two hours on the edge of my seat" and wants a sequel.

The Summary:

Twenty years after an alien vessel stops over Johannesburg, tthe worker-class aliens from the ship who resemble crustaceans are still not acclimated into Earth society. They are trapped in a slum known as District 9. The multi-national corporation tasked with alien affairs decides to relocate them outside the city, and milquetoast Wikus (Sharlto Copley) is promoted to head the project. A freak accident in one of the shanties has unexpected results, putting Wikus at odds with his employer and finding himself with more in common with the aliens than he would ever expect.

With a $30 million budget, director Neill Blomkamp combines CGI and location shooting to wrap a narrative in the cinema verité trappings of a documentary expose. San Diego Comic Con attendees responded very enthusiastically to the film, which was written by Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell.

Now let's hear from Jenn:

District 9 is chock-full of detail, yet isn't bogged down with distracting plot points, back-story, or distracting CGI. Everything is there for a reason, and if it doesn't drive the story, it's not there. Blomkamp trusts his audience; the concept of alien contact is so familiar it doesn't need to be explained.

What takes it from good to outstanding is that in several scenes, writers Blomkamp and Tatchell chose not go down the path less chosen, and in the third act nothing was certain, making the action even more tense. Wikus (Copley) is a refreshing kind of anti-hero, initially someone the audience does not want to relate to. The aliens have few humanoid characteristics, yet it is impossible not to relate to them on some level.

This is old-school science fiction, not like the toy-inspired schlock that too often passes for it. It's the kind of film that makes me wish I still had my old Analog and Asimov's magazines and anthologies and read through stories that make me look at the world in a different way. Science fiction is not about science, but about humanity in the context of unfamiliar worlds, technology, and species. In the case of District 9, the story mixes a familiar world with an unfamiliar event, and uses the spectrum of human experience to build a story that will stick with you long after the house lights go up.

Jette takes a turn:

What I liked about District 9 was that I had no idea what was going to happen next, and which direction the film would take. Now, I hadn't watched any trailers or followed the hype much, although I did see Blomkamp's short on which the feature is loosely based, Alive in Joburg, a couple of years ago. So I don't know if the trailers spoiled anything or gave hints that I didn't have.

Because I didn't quite know what to expect, the movie did seem to take a little while to really get going -- the first 15 minutes seem somewhat slow and unfocused. However, once the film starts to pay off, and the story starts unfolding, the first scenes make sense and it all fits together very well. By the end, I was riveted.

The film starts in a documentary-style format, but eventually switched back and forth out of that format in a way that is annoying and confusing at times. I would have preferred more of a transition from one style to another, but about halfway through the movie it stopped bothering me at all.

I didn't realize the aliens were entirely CGI. CGI characters and action sequences have often had an artificial look to them, as if they lacked the solidity of the scene around them, but here the aliens are believable as real people, as characters with depth and personality.

The politics in this movie are interesting, but not quite as deep as I wanted them to be. The movie is set in Johannesburg, so the parallels to apartheid are obvious -- there are also references that reminded me a lot of post-Katrina situations and politics. None of it was particularly subtle, but this is more of an action film than a political one.

District 9 is very entertaining -- I plan to see the film again with my husband. I'm hoping we'll go to Galaxy Highland because I've been told it looks especially good in digital, and this is a film where the visuals are incredible on any screen. I'm looking forward to finding out whether I will like it as much on a second viewing where I already know what will happen.

Debbie chimes in:

I placed a self-imposed embargo on reading any early reviews or spoilers and had only seen a teaser for District 9. With all the hype surrounding this movie, I did not want to set my expectations too high. After spending almost two hours on the edge of my seat, I don't think that would have been an issue.

As Jenn mentioned, this film is the science fiction of the pioneers, including H.G. Wells and Isaac Asimov. The portrayal of much of the film as a documentary contributes greatly to the authenticity of the District 9 locale itself. The fantastic technology of alien weapons made from scrap junk is well-blended with the real human world.

From an early opening shot that sweeps across the shack-covered landscape reminiscent of the slums of Mumbai, India, it is hard not to find real life parallels. I'll refrain from discussing more serious and immediate world events, but instead will say simply that this film is definitely a reminder of the paranoid and xenophobic nature of mankind. The tagline says it all: "You are not welcome here." Although the aliens are initially "rescued" by humans, they are unwanted and resented.

I noticed a few plot gaps here and there, but with a film as mesmerizing and action-packed as District 9 it is forgivable. I look forward to seeing this film again, and think that it is worthy of a sequel.