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Astute story, clever thrills in 'District 9' adventure |
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Written by Tim Riley
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Sunday, 16 August 2009 |
 “District 9” focuses on the personal nightmare of Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley) as he deals with an alien race. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.
DISTRICT 9 (Rated R)
Science-fiction films run the gamut from brainless non-stop action heroics to preachy parables about humanity and compassion. Neither extreme on this futuristic spectrum results in particularly satisfying entertainment.
Thus, it is welcome relief to come across something more intelligent, with an interesting story and just enough action to maintain the attention of the widest possible audience.
South African-born director Neill Blomkamp, in his major film debut, breaks new ground with his deft original vision in “District 9,” which is sure to generate discussion about its unconventional style and its unique twist on classic science fiction.
Peter Jackson, who directed the trilogy of “The Lord of the Rings” films, has attached his name to this project as its producer. My guess is that Jackson may have had a hand in providing some of the talent behind the special effects, even if Blomkamp brought his own vision of extraterrestrial life to the screen.
The aliens in “District 9” are not cuddly or cute. On the contrary, the creatures are scary, disgusting and unappealing. Their bodies are skeletal figures with hard shell areas similar to crabs or crawfish. Indeed, the crustacean-like appearance of the “District 9” aliens is so repulsive that they are derisively called “prawns” by the humans.
“District 9” opens in the present time where a gigantic alien spacecraft hovers above the city of Johannesburg, South Africa. Twenty years ago the spaceship ran out of fuel and is unable to return to its home planet. Why the aliens decided to come to South Africa is unexplained. Apparently, they did not study history books and were unaware that the nation had only recently unshackled itself from apartheid.
Nevertheless, the South Africans, acting in a humanitarian fashion, rescued the hundreds of thousands of malnourished aliens from their stranded vessel. The government brought them to earth, providing food and shelter.
In the intervening years, following crime waves and other societal problems, the aliens have worn out their welcome with the local citizenry. As a result, the aliens were herded into a slum-like township called District 9, where they continue to scavenge through piles of garbage and debris.
Meanwhile, the government has decided to relocate the million or so aliens to a new camp far outside the city, and has outsourced the job to a private company called Multi-National United (MNU). MNU stands to reap huge profits if they can figure out how to make the aliens’ advanced weaponry work. So far, they have not succeeded because activation of the weaponry requires alien DNA.
Tension between the aliens and the humans comes to a head when armed MNU forces begin evicting the non-humans from District 9. As a result of nepotism, a clueless MNU bureaucrat named Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley) is put in charge of the massive relocation program. That he has little idea of how to organize and implement the eviction plan is abundantly clear.
At the first sign of resistance from aliens, Wikus looks positively stumped. One of the more intelligent aliens, given the name of Christopher Johnson (Jason Cope) by the humans, is working on a project in his dingy shack to come up with the fluid that will power the spaceship once again.
During a scuffle in Johnson’s workshop, Wikus is exposed to some alien fluid, causing him to contract a virus that begins changing his DNA. Not long after the exposure, Wikus is vomiting black fluid and his fingernails fall off. Worst of all, his left hand transforms into alien tentacles, resembling something like a lobster claw.
Naturally, the MNU mercenaries take great interest in Wikus, thinking his degraded state may unlock the secrets of alien technology. Ostracized by a fearful public, Wikus is quickly on the run, and the only place he can hide is in District 9. Even within the alien world, trouble awaits in the form of the Nigerian gang that conducts a profitable contraband operation.
To be sure, there’s some great action in “District 9” as Wikus hides among the aliens and battles rage with the MNU forces, particularly when MNU chief enforcer Koobus (David James) becomes a bounty hunter of sorts on orders to retrieve Wikus dead or alive.
The film’s focus is on Wikus’ personal nightmare, which anchors the story with the necessary human emotion.
“District 9” also gets a big lift from its unique filmmaking style, mixing dramatic scenes, mockumentary footage, and real news video obtained from the South African Broadcasting Corporation.
More important than the fancy camera work, this gem of a film delivers the goods for a compelling story and some terrific action.
DVD RELEASE UPDATE
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and nowhere is that more evident in the cinema world than in the career of director David Lynch’s daughter, Jennifer, a director in her own right.
Her skewed vision of the human condition takes center stage in the sinister thriller “Surveillance,” which may have been easily overlooked in its theatrical release. But now you can find it on DVD.
As you would expect from a Lynch film, “Surveillance” is filled with weird characters. When FBI agents Elizabeth Anderson (Julia Ormond) and Sam Hallaway (Bill Pullman) arrive at a local police station in a backwater area to investigate a series of gruesome murders, they find three different stories of the roadside massacre.
However as the Feds begin to expose the fragile little details each witness conceals, they discover that uncovering 'the truth' comes at a very big cost. “Surveillance” is full of nasty surprises.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
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