Sunday 9 February 2014

District 9 Review: Surprisingly Good Science-Fiction

District 9 Movie Logo, Review, Trailer and Rating
 
Director: Neill Blomkamp
 
UK Release Date: 4th September 2009
 
Running Time: 112 minutes
 
Starring: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, Nathalie Boltt

What would you expect from a pretty much unheard of cast and a storyline that at first glance is quite 'out there?' Lets be honest, you would not expect much.  That's where "District 9" wins. You do not expect much when watching the film for the first time but it actually is a very good science-fiction film that can be enjoyed multiple times. It is quite different from others and filmed in an interesting yet entertaining way. 
 
Neill Blomkamp is the director responsible for "District 9". The film itself is shot in a way that it is almost like a documentary. It is a cross between a usual film and a documentary with the latter part talking about the life of Wikus van de Merwe (Sharlto Copley) in a way that makes the audience question what is going on.  Alongside this, the film part of "District 9" shows what is going on with Wikus and eventually the two meet at the end and the documentary part makes sense.  It really does work for this film and the storyline is spot on.
 
Sharlto Copley as Wikus van de Merwe in District 9
This shows the documentary side of the film
  
The film, albeit science-fiction, does show some sort of truth. The conditions that the alien race are left to live in are disgusting and are similar to the slums that can be found in Africa. It is a representation of how bad some people live and how they are viewed because of this.  It also has a link to what governments are doing that people do not know about. This is easily observed in the trailer below.
 
If you like alien films this really is for you.  Alien weaponry, genetic testing and plenty of action "District 9" really is a true science-fiction movie. Copley really does deliver a great performance and stands out.  Surprisingly the film delivers great emotion throughout.  It really is a shock as you will find yourself feeling sorry for Wikus and the situation that he has unfortunately found himself in come the end of the film. 
 
Photo from Neill Blomkamp's District 9

"District 9" is quite the surprise and is a great movie.  There have been rumours of a sequel which we would definitely watch but with the bar set so high it would be interesting to see how it would compare, especially considering the disappointment that "Elysium" (2013) brought which saw the repairing of Blomkamp and Copley.  However, that takes nothing away from this film which is intelligent, clever and exciting to watch with a fresh cast and exciting storyline.
 
M+F Rating: 8/10
 


 
Reviewed by M+F Reviews.

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