MovieMantz Review: ‘District 9’

“When Worlds Collide”

“District 9”
Sharlto Copley
Directed by Neill Blomkamp

Talk about saving the best for last, “District 9” isn’t just the best action movie of the summer (by a mile); it’s the most gripping, intriguing and compelling sci-fi allegory to grace the big screen since 1968’s “Planet of the Apes” – and that makes it an instant sci-fi classic in its own right.

That’s because sci-fi is at its best when it holds a mirror up to society while still retaining the elements of a fantastic adventure, which “District 9” does amazingly well. Although its messages about racism and apartheid eventually get swept aside in favor of an action-packed and hyper-violent shoot ‘em up, the results are undeniably mind-blowing, disturbing, provocative and exciting.

District 9 refers to a poverty-stricken refugee camp in Johannesburg, South Africa, which houses unwanted alien beings (referred to as “prawns”) after their huge spaceship mysteriously shuts down. Twenty years later, alien control has been placed in the hands of Multi-National United (MNU) – a private company that’s more interested in mastering the aliens’ powerful weaponry.

But when an idealistic MNU field operative named Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley) leads the charge to move the aliens to another location, he contracts a virus that transforms his DNA. That makes him the first human capable of operating their weaponry, but it also turns him into the most valuable – and the most hunted – man in the world. Alone and on the run, Wikus finds help from an unlikely ally in the only place he can: District 9.

Part documentary, part straightforward narrative and part hyper-kinetic action movie, “District 9” can best be described as a cross between “Independence Day,” “Alien Nation” and “Cloverfield.” But in terms of its troubling depiction of poverty, it also recalls the likes of “City of God” and “Slumdog Millionaire.” And then there’s Wikus’ gruesome metamorphosis, which brings to mind David Cronenberg’s remake of “The Fly.”

Yet for all these comparisons, “District 9” still manages to be in a class all by itself. It’s refreshing to see the dynamic set against the troubled backdrop of South Africa, rather than an overused American city like New York. The action scenes and computer-generated aliens (which look more like giant insects) are so state-of-the-art, it’s hard to believe the film cost a mere $30 million – that’s a fraction of “Transformers 2,” yet the movie itself is a million times better.

And then there are its two biggest standouts: writer-director Neill Blomkamp and lead actor Sharlto Copley. Twenty-nine-year-old Blomkamp – who scrambled with producer Peter Jackson (“The Lord of the Rings”) to make “District 9” after another project (“Halo”) fell apart – makes his feature directorial debut with the confidence and skill of a seasoned pro. And 35-year-old Copley – who previously directed music videos and commercials – makes his acting debut with a grueling tour-de-force performance that’s one for the books.

“District 9” is jam-packed with so much information and visceral action in 1 hour and 53 minutes that it needs to be seen many times before it can be fully digested and appreciated. That’s the hallmark of any great sci-fi classic – and so is the inevitable sequel, which means Blomkamp, Jackson and Copley should start working on “District 10” as soon as possible.

Verdict: SEE IT!