District 9: Reviewed

Alright, so I know I pooh pooh'd District 9 in the past, but after all the critics championed this film I had to see it.  Despite what you may have heard, D9 is about illegal aliens from space that are leeching the tax payers for health care stuck here on Earth.

There is a pretty major plot point to that is unveiled in the first 20 minutes of the film.   I wouldn't call it a "twist" but it something that is best discovered while watching the film not by my, or any, review.  Yes the film has some political overtones (apartheid), but they aren't so bad that they detract for the film.

The movie starts with a mini non funny version of an office style documentary catching up the viewers on what is happening.  A large alien space ship coasted to a halt above Johannesburg (thankfully not LA or NY; we have enough aliens in the states) 20 years ago.  The aliens are stranded here and housed in a fenced off area.  The aliens live in slum like conditions and are seen savaging through garbage and eating cat food (no relation to Alf). 

The locals affectionately refer to the aliens as "prawns" because of their lobster like bodies.  No one really wants them in Africa, and they become kind of an eyesore that needs to be dealt with.  A man is sent in on behalf of the MNU (think UN, but with the addition of private military contractors) to move the prawns to a different part of town with a new FEMA-esce camp setup.

The aliens have some pretty bad ass energy weapons that cause people to explode.  The film has some fairly graphic moments with guts and innards flying through the air.  The action is quite good and to quote a friend of mine:

The explosions in D9 aren't necessary to the advancement of the storyline.

That being said the action is great, but unlike a Michael Bay film it really is necessary to make the film watchable.

My only complaint is regards to the amount of prawns.  In the beginning of the film you see tons of them running around.  The CG is great, and you can completely buy their "real-ness".  Near the end of the film when a BUNCH of crap is going down in the District (sorry, keeping this spoiler free), the prawns are gone.  You know they are around, but they aren't on screen at all.  My only thought is that because of budget constraints they weren't able to add as many prawns because they are expensive to animate.

I recommend that you go see D9 because it is refreshingly different.  The story and action are fantastic, and the film is quite entertaining.  I'm somewhat handicapped in giving the full scoop without giving away a massive spoiler, but I'm telling you this film is worth your time.  If you want a little taste before you go you can see the short film "Alive in Joburg" that the film is based on.

District 9: The Aliens Are Here

I watched the trailer for District 9 today, and I was quite surprised.  While intially viewing the trailer I saw the makings of a political docu-drama and almost quit watching; one twist near the end of the trailer revealed this is a sci-fi film.

The concept looks for this film looks quite fascinating with an alien force hanging around Earth.  Very little is revealed, and seeing the Peter Jackson credit definitely sparked my interest.  The blurred out face of the creature at the end of the trailer added a unique sense of mystery, as did the questions they asked "it" about weapons and purpose.

My biggest concern are the HUGE Iraq overtones dropped all over the trailer.  An occupying force lingering around... Regardless of your stance on the war, I speak for many when I say we go to the cinema to get away from the crap in the news.  I have a feeling this may be a soapbox film with message everyone is tired of hearing about, but if done creatively may prove entertaining.

There is a host of viral marketing set up for the film.  On the official site are links to four different sites.  I played around on them a bit, but for the most part weren't too exciting.  Lots of alien writing and maps mixed with some faux news clips.  Give the District 9 trailer and viral sites a gander and let me know what you think.