District 9

Just about everything in this movie felt like a refreshing change. This alien invasion gone wrong film from newcomer Neil Blomkamp sets us in Johannesburg, South Africa instead of the typical disaster areas like New York. The actual invasion isn't really an invasion and instead ends up with a dead mothership hovering above the city while its 1 million alien inhabitants remain below. Instead of desperately fighting for their independence, the aliens actually make do and integrate many aspects of human culture into their slum. Most of the beginning and end of the film are from a documentary perspective, which while it has been done before works quite well for this scenario. It's what happens when you take a Hollywood like movie and take it out of Hollywood's hands, instead giving it to someone with a fresh perspective.

Without giving too much away, the humans can no longer abide having the aliens living so close to them and decide they need to be relocated farther out of the city. A new project manager, Wikus van de Merwe, portrayed brilliantly by Sharlto Copley, is assigned to the task. In a series of interviews and test shots we see Wikus as a kind of silly, awkward guy who just can't believe his luck. He and his replacement in training set out with the military to confront the aliens and give them notice that they have to leave. While many houses they raid contain alien weapons, one house in particular holds something that changes Wikus' life forever.

Many complained that Blomkamp took a great premise and then turned it into a mindless action flick for the second half. I disagree. Instead I thought the action fit quite well into the story and the message of the film, and they built up to it a lot better than most action movies out there. The action and special effects were especially great for being built on a low budget yet looking top of the line.

It certainly had its problems along the way, but I easily overlooked them.

District 9 gets an 8/10.