Think Max Headroom, The Fly, Independance Day and Escape from New York . And, oh yes, the humans are the bad guys.

   The film uses the cinematic style of Max Headroom with its camera, time stamps and overlay of comentary.

   Aliens arrived 28 years before and their space ship hangs untenanted in the skies above Johannesburg while the aliens live in the District 9 ghetto below the ship. Earth men find they cannot use the ship's technology or weapons as it is keyed to the alien DNA. Secretly the govenment and corporations are performing terrible experiments on alien specimens to develop a method of controling the technology.

  Now the government wants to move them to a new ghetto dubbed District 10. During a sweep to move some of the aliens one of their supervisors is contaminated by alien DNA from a cylinder of black liquid he confiscates. His body begins to change. At last the government has what they want. They verify that the human-alien DNA link allows him to fire the alien weapons and prepare to part him out. Their man has other ideas and seizes an alien weapon, blasts his way out and flees into District 9 where he figures no one will look.

   There he meets the alien he confiscated the cylinder from and learns of the alien escape plan how there may be hope to restore his DNA and reverse his gradual transformation into an alien. They make a deal and the action packed race is on.

   The film has lots of action, several truly evil characters, a vacilating but ultimately faithful wife, a true hero and a lovable child. What more can you ask? I recommended it highly.  --Gary L. Swaty

Reviewed by: Len Berger (ConNotations Film Editor)

District 9 is a story about an alien space ship that arrived at Johannesburg , South Africa some 30 years ago.  At that time nobody on earth was quite sure why they had come – were the aliens going to launch an all out attack on earth or were the aliens peaceful and willing to share their superior technology for the betterment of mankind.  Nothing of the sort, the aliens arrived due to what appeared to be some problem with their space ship which just hovered a few hundred feet above the ground.  After a few weeks humans went up to the ship, cut into its hull to reveal a huge horde of alien beings which were malnourished and extremely weak.  The aliens were removed from the ship and placed in a compound known as District 9. 

Control of District 9 was placed in the hands of MNU (Multi-National United) whose motives were not always in the best interest of the aliens.  MNU was interested in the technology and superior weapons that the aliens possessed

.  The aliens (called by the derogatory term “prawns” by many humans) are pretty darn ugly (judging by human standards).  Wikus van der Merwe (played by Sharlto Copley) is an MNU employee who was promoted by his father in law to a position of power.  Wikus oversees much of the interaction between the humans and the aliens but he too calls them “prawns” and shows them very little respect.  Many humans regard the “prawns” as bottom feeders (of course they were placed in the slums by us).  Overhead shots of District 9 show a dilapidated shanty town which is most likely a real life South African shanty town.

District 9 is rampant with crime some of which is masterminded by a Nigerian gang who purchases alien weapons for cat food – the aliens favorite gourmet food (there is no accounting for taste).  The crime is spilling over into the city so MNU decides to relocate the aliens and by law each resident of District 9 to be relocated must sign an I-7 form and Wikus sets forth with a large contingent of MNU employees to accomplish just that.  Wikus knocks on door after door and tries to explain to the aliens that they must relocate.  Have you ever heard of humans ASKING the aliens to move AND signing a form to boot?  The audience witnesses Wikus’s huge ego as MNU films this historic event in documentary style staring none other than Wikus himself.  Wikus and the aliens communicate but there are subtitles (sorry these aliens do not speak English).

As Wikus goes from shack to shack he stumbles on some contraband (actually a hoard of junky old computers being reused by Christopher and his son for some unknown purpose).  Wikus also finds a cylinder with some alien “fluid” and ends up with a face full.  Thus begins his DNA physical transformation. 

Wikus becomes a hunted human after his transformation is seen by other humans and Koobus Venter (played by David James) is assigned to hunt Wikus down and take him into custody.  Koobus is a typical mercenary General who believes that you must ‘do it my way or you die’.

Out of necessity Wikus enters District 9 to hide and seeks out the hut where Christopher and his son live.  There Wikus witnesses the love Christopher and his son share revealing a human side to the “prawns”. 

Director Neill Blomkamp has a very short resume but he did an outstanding job in District 9.  The actors also had short resumes and other than a bit of overacting here and there did a great job.  Producer Peter Jackson’s (Lord of the Rings) influence is also seen in the film. The films CG aliens integrate well with the human actors in the many scenes where they are communicating with each other. 

District 9 is new and fresh and is more than worth the price of admission.

District 9 is rated R for some bloody violence and language (even the aliens swear – what a hoot).  Just what the viewer wants.

District 9 is rated “A-” and is highly recommended.