High expectations always scare the living bejebus out of me, but District 9 is compelling cinema and one of the front runners for best film of the year.
Based on director Neill Blomkamp's short film "Alive in Joberg" (all six and a half minutes of which you can see here) District 9 is sci-fi at it's best. When an alien space ship appears and breaks down over Johannesburg, its 1m+ crew are transported from the stalled craft and housed in medical camps in the city. These camps quickly become slums and the inhabitants are fenced in. A private security firm is contracted to move the "prawns" to a new camp established 200km from the city but something goes wrong.
Essentially the story of apartheid South Africa (but with aliens), District 9 has an unknown writer, an unknown director and an unknown star. What it does have however, is Peter Jackson, who found Blomkamp's short film, thought the young chap had talent and put him to work on the now-defunct Halo project. When that fell over, plan B came into effect. Thank god it did!
The film is utterly unindulgent in any way. Made on a shoe-string budget but matching the scale and scope of a Hollywood epic. It manages to build momentum and intensity throughout and you really begin to feel for the themes, if not the characters.
Possibly the most impressive aspect of the film is how it employs amazing graphics and animation in the most off-hand, non-showy way, integrating them into the film as real life characters would appear and not making show pieces of them.
Quick summary: Great concept, great story, great graphics, great fun!
District 9 ends set up for a sequel. Fans may demand it, but integrity would dictate it shouldn't happen.
Blomkamp is clearly a man of talent and a good find. Personally I'm still hanging out for PJ's next project.
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4 1/2 Stars
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