Finally, we have some of the usual summer blockbusters showing at our local movie theaters. The first to appear is District 9

Posted By Fargo Reviews ~ 1st September 2009

Finally, we have some of the usual summer blockbusters showing at our local movie theaters.  The first to appear is District 9, showing at the West Acres Cinema.  I was lucky enough to see it on the extreme screen, a definite plus for this movie.

It won’t be giving much away to say the movie is about 1.8 million aliens that inexplicably appear over Johannesburg, South Africa, in a giant space ship.  Now, science fiction is not usually my bag, and to toss space aliens into the mix is to just about guarantee I won’t see the movie, or like it if I’m dragged to it be a grandson or somebody.  But some highly  respected reviewers think highly of this movie, so I thought I’d give it a try.

The film was co-produced by Peter Jackson(Lord of the Rings) and directed by Neill Blomkamp, known for his special effects.   More about the irony of this later.  The only acting part of note is an operative for Multi-National United, a private contractor hired by the South African government to deal with the aliens. The character is Mikus van der Merwe(a good South African name), played by Sharlto Copely.

Just a little about what the movie is about, at least on the surface.  The aliens are transported to the surface, where the South African government cares for them by confining them to “District 9,” a thinly disguised version of Soweto, a huge black township that is still there, but is famous for the apartheid abuses that occurred there.  In fact, I think many of the shots that were supposed to show District 9 were of Soweto, but have been unable to verify this.  The aliens are called “prawns,” and look like big shellfish with legs and they talk in clicks.  van der Merwe apparently speaks this language.   A prawn, incidentally, can refer to any number of shrimp like shellfish, and are a delicacy in Chinese and even some Mexican restaurants.

The prawns are too close to Johannesburg for the South Africans liking, and are to be re-located to District 10, a bit further away.  Enter van der Merwe to be the executive in charge of the move.

That’s all I’m going to say about the story, except that there are some Nigerians involved, up to their usual scams.  The action, and the movie is just about all action, is fast paced with plot twists and turns that give you no time to think about where this thing is going.  It is filmed in semi-documentary style, with part of the film being purported news broadcasts, part just action, mostly involving
Copely and a prawn named Christian, no doubt a comment on the Christian names most black South Africans carry.

I don’t think the movie is about the relocation of the prawns, however.  I think its meant to make us think about how governments, ours included, treat aliens, government cover-ups, how much faith we should have in the news and government proclamations, torture, foreign scam artists, contractors hired to do what governments can’t, and probably a lot more.

The special effects I thought were excellent, especially the prawns.

There’s enough action in this movie to satisfy those that like a lot of action.  Science fiction fans should like it as well.  There’s also a lot to think about in the movie, but there’s no time to do so.  But if Jackson just wanted to present some issues that many have not considered before, I think he succeeded.   If you want a comedic costume drama, this isn’t it.

Oh yes, the irony.  Peter Jackson is a New Zealander.  Many students of the fall of apartheid credit the refusal of the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team to play the South African Springboks due to apartheid with being the beginning of the end for apartheid.

Script:  B+
Action:  A
Special Effects: B+
Relevancy:  B+
Necessity to Suspend Disbelief: Absolute but easy.