District 9: Don't Expect The Ordinary

The problem I find with a lot of newer movies these days is that they tend to start out strong and then fade with each passing scene. Yes, moments here and there often try to dazzle or humour the viewer into watching the rest, and yes, we usually stay in order to see the result. Some might say that a movie needs to start off with a bang, but I believe that finishing with strength leaves a more lasting impression.

Welcome to District 9: A movie that starts off mediocre, but only gets better and better as it progresses. I should be honest, the beginning isn't that terrible, but it's a newscast with interviews that you would turn off if it was on your television set at home. It's an introduction to a district in Johannesburg, South Africa, where you have extraterrestrial refugees wishing to leave and just go home. Unfortunately, they can't do that. They are kept in District 9 as "workers" while the outside world loses patience with them and their rioting. Clearly malnourished and without any kind of leadership, the aliens have no real way of getting out of the slum that has developed in a span of 28 years. On the human side, a company called Multi-National United (MNU) was given contracted control over the alien situation and calls for an eviction of the aliens from District 9 into a concentration camp, known as District 10. MNU also hopes to gain profits from the alien weaponry if they can learn its technology. However, the only way to discover the technology is by figuring out how to make it work through human biology, instead of through the biological means of aliens.

The eviction, as you can guess, goes all wrong. The main character and head of the MNU eviction, Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), finds a suspicious canister of fluid and accidentally sprays it on his face. This becomes a problem for both sides as Wikus begins transformation into an alien, while the alien who developed the fluid, Christopher, needed it to be fuel to get back to the mothership.

From here, it becomes a rollercoaster ride. The MNU need Wikus' newly transformed alien arm to be the pawn for technological aims, while Christopher needs to regain the fuel that was transported to MNU headquarters. Without giving up the rest of what happens, I can say that it was a great experience to watch something fresh like this. A very cold, atmospheric film, District 9 shines as a movie that never relents and keeps the story interesting through sequences of both action and human-alien interplay.

Not too many sci-fi movies that I have seen in my lifetime actually allow you to feel sympathy for an alien race. That's not to say that this movie tries to drive home a message about African refugees, even after being based on a short-film about them called 'Alive in Joburg' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_9). The film keeps it strictly on the aliens without including an internal protest that would have been unnecessary.

In many modern science fiction movies, there is ultimately too much action involved and not enough to think about. This film allows you to think about both sides of the conflict and establish an opinion of your own. At times, you may feel sorry for Wikus because of his transformation and loss of relations with his wife. Other times, you will feel the pain that Christopher is going through to have to be far from home with his son living in a slum with him.

While the extraterrestrials don't resemble human beings, their emotions, expressions, and even their fight for survival are all just like human characteristics. Once again, the aliens are given a human side in order for the viewer to feel for their situation.

One more thing I must say is that the movie is visually stunning. Not only are the effects well crafted and used appropriately, but the aliens actually look unique. They don't look like some over-sized creatures that are going to take over the universe. They look simple and fit within the scope of the movie.

I won't spill the beans on the ending of the film, but it does leave an opening for a sequel. The story is engaging and has its twists, the visuals are stunning, and the characters develop perfectly as the movie continues from its lackluster beginning. A very well done film.

A-