Overall Rating: A−
Filmmaking/Artistic: A+
Storytelling: B
MPAA Rating: R
The pitch
Imagine that The Fly had an alien friend to guide his transformation (like the alien in Enemy Mine), and could turn into a Transformer to protect his buddies from an evil corporation, and that it was all set in South Africa for that “socially conscious” thing. And imagine Peter Jackson lent us his name.
Overview
Although Peter Jackson’s name is attached, it’s really an unknown director shooting a very interesting mix of mockumentary and sci/fi action with moral undertones that hit close to home, especially since the film is set in Johannesberg. Brilliantly acted, at times moving, the film occasionally seems like bits and pieces of other movies (so not quite as groundbreaking as reviews would have you belive), but overall it’s well worth seeing. Way too violent for those who are squeamish, and definitely not appropriate for those under 14.
Review notes
A departure from typical summer fare, District 9 is an interesting take on familiar themes. A giant spaceship began to hover over Johannesburg 20 years ago, and after a period of inaction, officials cut into it and found these aliens who were malnourished. The aliens, who are called “prawns” due to their crustacean appearnce, were herded off into a ghetto called District 9. But over the course of time (as would be expected with a million aliens in a ghetto) tensions rose, and the movie really begins, in mockumentary style, with the resettling of the prawns to a new (and far worse) area called District 10.
The resettlment is under the control of MNU, the archetypical evil corporation. The main character, Wikus Van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), is selected by his company to be in charge of the resettlement. The prawns have “rights” (in name only), and must agree to the resettlement, but it’s a farce, because MNU can kill them if they refuse to give their permission.
During the resettling procedure, which is broadcast round the world on through CNN-esque organizations, Wikus is “infected” with an alien substance, and begins to transform into a prawn. At which point, MNU’s nefarious schemes become quite clear, and poor Wikus becomes the target of lies as he tries to escape from MNU.
Along the way, Wikus is befriended by a fairly smart prawn named “Christopher”, who has goals of his own.
The action part of the movie unfolds along fairly standard, but still interesting lines. But the theme of the movie that makes it so interesting is that Wikus’s evolution in thinking about the prawns. In the beginning, as he finds an “unauthorized” prawn eggs, he laughs as they are set on fire, describing with amusement to the camera how these little ones “pop like popcorn” while being destroyed. But he becomes more sympathetic when he himself becomes victim to the same treatment he was dishing out.
The movie is more complicated than the review indicates, but it’s well worth watching. The obvious Apartheid metaphor is well done, always in the background but never so overpowering as to seem stilted. The theme of the movie is universal: the inhumanity and depravity humans have inflicted on each other, once one group decides that another group is somehow “less than human”. True, in the movie, the prawns are non-human. But they are sentient, intelligent, and clearly have come from a place with better technology than on earth.
It’s also interesting how the space ship hovers above the city constantly throughout the movie. It’s like the problem of racisim… it’s always there, even if you try to shove it in a corner.
Copley, who apparently is new to acting, does a brilliant job as Wikus. He carries the entire movie, and is incredibly believable.
Your Movie Monkey did have a few quibbles. First, in Hollywood Code, there is no greater evil than the corporation. In this film, the corporation was willing to remove a man’s heart (live) for their own profit motive. It seems universally true. About half the crimes on Law and Order, at least when The Monkey was watching it, were driven by coroporate greed. (And drug companies… their CEOs are always ridiculously portrayed as being willing to sacrifice innocent lives to make money. Ridiculous!) Even the ridiculous movie Bulworth, which has Warren Beatty pantsing around to run for political office, even doing things like rap, has an evil corporation kill him because his ideas were becoming too popular. District 9 is no exception to the “corporations are evil” bandwagon. It’s just, at this point, a very hackneyed theme.
Second, Wikus’s transformation into a prawn was very, very reminiscent of The Fly. Losing fingernails, losing teeth, etc., it all felt a little familiar.
But overall, despite a somewhat slow first half, the movie is fantastic. It is violent, and the treatment of the prawns is very disturbing, but the theme is universal, and the action is well worth the monkey’s few complaints.
