District 9

District 9
Genre: Science Fiction

Starring: Sharlto Copley

Release Date: August 14th 2009







     Stranded on Earth, a tremendous alien ship is left in stasis over Johannesburg.  What starts as an attempt by aid workers to help the sickly and dying refugees from another world, degrades over time into a full scale imprisonment in the midst of growing anti-alien sentiment.  Their prison?  The fenced and guarded "District 9".  The aliens, or "Prawns" as they are called (due to the species having a startling resemblance to their namesake) have devolved over their 20 year imprisonment to the level of base survival instincts, managing as best they can in the squalor they are confined to.

     First, the things I liked about District 9.

     Let me start by saying that I feel this is a brilliant concept.  Though not a very subtle allegory, it is still an effective one, echoing the tone of most discussions about immigrants and illegal "aliens" in society today.  Rather than focus on conflict between races and make one group the villain, the filmmakers focus on conflict between species, making all mankind the villains while illuminating the capacity for prejudice and hatred in us all.

     In addition, it is refreshing to me that high-concept Science Fiction like District 9 is being well received.  I feel comfortable in that assumption, given that it is a nominee for this year's Academy Awards, and for Best Picture at that.  It means that a wider cross-section of filmgoers are starting to take the genre seriously.

     Sharlto Copley in the lead role of Wikus Van De Merwe was also a definite positive for me.  I have never heard of this actor prior to District 9, and didn't think that much of him at first.  Much of the movie, particularly the setup and conclusion, are done in an interview/documentary style, and from the first of these two sections, very little is done with the character, to the point where I didn't even realize he was the protagonist of the piece.

     His performance in the beginning was pretty weak, but as is evidenced by the progression of the plot and by the rapid and thorough development of his character, it is my feeling that this was a failing, not of Copley's, but of the script.  I liked him more and more as the film went on, and by the end, I genuinely felt attached to the character.

     On another positive note, the effects were very well executed.  The Prawns themselves were very well designed, and were animated with such thoroughness that they really interacted well with the practical (i.e. non CGI) aspects of the environment.  The technology, though far etched of course, worked well, especially when shown in it's ruined state in the slums of District 9.

     Now for the bad parts...

     This, for me, is a classic example of a brilliant concept exceeding its execution.  Was the film bad?  No.  I do not, however, feel that it lived up to its full potential.

     The rest of the cast, you will notice, has remained suspiciously anonymous through the proceeding paragraphs.  That is because no one besides Copley stood out enough in my experience to warrant specific discussion.  Most of them weren't bad, they just didn't really impress me.

     The pacing, also, was a persistent problem for me.  The crucial aspects of the plot took far too long to take the spotlight, and once they did, these crucial parts weren't allowed to keep the focus they deserved.  The backstory went quickly from thorough to excessive, and for a little while there, I got pretty bored.  Whether it was a break in the plot for a drawn out action scene or for relatively pointless exposition, the pacing was inconsistent, and that definitely colored my opinion of the whole.

     Overall, this was an enjoyable watch, though.  It had it's good points, and was worth seeing at least once.  I can promise you this, though.  District 9 will not be causing any upsets at the Oscars this year.

Concept: 4 out of 5
Execution: 2.5 out of 5
Effects: 4 out of 5
Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5