Movie Review: District 9 (2009)

Oh yes...I'm back blogging with a vengeance, this time inspired by the greatest movie of 2009 (as of yet). First off, gotta say, Peter Jackson never has been one to make "simple" or one-off movies. Every undertaking he makes as a producer is a sweeping, epic story. District 9 continues his trend of Lord of the Rings and the (misguided, but epic) 4 hour King King and creates perhaps the most deep and exciting sci-fi film since The Matrix.

A VERY brief plot summary: Aliens have accidentally landed on earth and are "rescued" by humans. Tensions with inter-species conflicts escalate and they are placed in the "ghettos" of District 9. The movie follows one man, Wikus van de Merwe, who is deeply involved in the concentration camp like system of District 9 and shows his... well... "metamorphosis" into the harsh reality of alien captivity.

District 9 is brilliant; oh yes it is. But I'm going to point out briefly WHY it's so brilliant, plus some stuff that critics have been missing. The movie ALREADY has universal acclaim for some of the "meat n' potatoes" of filmmaking : great cinematography, terrific special effects and very skilled direction, courtesy Neill Blomkamp, nerd idol. Neill IS quite the guy in the nerd community, having directed all 3 Halo short films, and done animation animation for Stargate SG1 and Smallville. He's a newcomer to the big screen (I mean, I hadn't even heard of him before), but he does a terrific job of bringing the story to life.

Now, let's talk about why else it's brilliant. Number one reason is Sharlto Copley. This previously unknown actor absolutely give the movie all of it's emotional shock value due to his completely authentic portrayal of Wikus van de Merwe. He is quite good and, I'm suspecting, Oscar-worthy. Number two reason is that District 9 is a "message movie" with punch. Uncharacteristic (perhaps) of Peter Jackson's movies, District 9 pulls NO punches in blood, gore, body-counts, deliriously uncomfortable scenes. Some of it can be intense...but I say, grimace and bear it. Every blow, every blood-splattered corpse, it's all worth it. All of with clear backdrops of discussions of "human rights," race/gender/species, human cruelty, betrayal, etc... It's much like the Matrix in that it pairs very probing questions about human society with kick-ass alien butt-kicking action. Well, chest-kicking in the case of the aliens. It's a sci-fi movie that's got action, suspense, and all that jazz...but terrific emotion in all of the conflict that draws the audience into every scene.

MY RATING: District 9 is a must-see. Easily one of the best sci-fi films in recent memory, possibly even the best sci-fi film of the 21st century (sorry, AI: Artificial Intelligence...). In short, you GOTTA SEE IT, folks.