Film Review: District 9

We’ve all seen sci-fi films and stories before, where aliens come to Earth and lay down their dominance through superior technology and intellect. But in the case of District 9, we have something else entirely; it’s a rough and brutal film, where aliens are not as the sleek, powerful, awe-inspiring beings from heaven. Instead, these aliens are wretched, and humans treat them like dirt. Therein lies the strength and power of the film; it serves to showcase modern issues concerning refugee camps, shanty-towns, and social corruption, while simultaneously demonizing humanity. With themes like these, District 9 proves to be a truly unique, sobering, and thought-provoking experience.

The film's first half is purely rough documentary-style, with interviews and news footage cut in throughout. Then the second half resembles an actual film with lots of action (and some very gnarly violence).  The movie runs at an even pace, and it is consistently entertaining throughout.  It does a great job of using the mock interviews and footage to introduce the concepts and all the background information, before progressing into an intense and explosive climax.  In spite of this, the plot is well-structured.

Within this framework, the story is quite decent.  It starts off a little random, but the film sharpens its focus as it goes on, building a solid narrative from its characters.  The characters aren't particularly likable, but they serve to reinforce the stark themes concerning corruption.  It gets very interesting to see the main character mutate into one of the "Prawns," practically forcing him to feel the aliens' plight.  In this manner, the audience also comes to feel the plight of District 9.  These themes and allegories aren't particularly subtle, but they are noble.

Photography is solid half of the time and pretty shaky at other times; it’s good all around, and there are plenty of invoking images.  Acting and writing are not bad.  Production design features some great sets, props, costumes, creature effects, vehicles, and weapons. Music is decent too.

District 9 is one of the most uncompromising sci-fi pictures to date; it's an ugly film that forces us to behold the ugliness of the slums, and the inhumanity of just sweeping it all under the rug for a profit.  The gnarly settings, bloody violence, and rough footage may not sit well with many viewers, but if you can handle it, it's a must-see.

Recommended!

5/5 (Experience:  Perfect | Story:  Very Good | Film:  Very Good)