District 9

Sci-fi thriller reminds us of the darkest aspects of human nature.

Rating: 14A
Stars: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, Nathalie Boltt, Sylvaine Strike

What’s the story?
An alien race, derogatorily referred to as “prawns,” and confined to a large South African slum called District 9, finds an unlikely ally in Wikus van der Merwe (Copley) – the man sent to evict and relocate them to the newly constructed District 10. Wikus, a field agent for the weapons development and private contracting company Multi-National United (MNU), suddenly finds himself running for his life after he is mutated by a mysterious alien fuel source. While avoiding other MNU agents, who are trying to capture and harvest his DNA for weapons research, Wikus finds himself aiding one of the aliens to escape District 9 and create hope for the alien race.

Why see it?
Besides being an action-packed adventure, full of intense chases and violent confrontations, District 9 is an allegory of the Apartheid that took place in South Africa for nearly 50 years. It also reveals the truly dark side of human nature and our tendency to reject and direct hostility towards those who are different. Never before has a science-fiction film treaded such uncharted waters, and District 9 does so with gusto.

Problems?
District 9 could have undoubtedly benefited from a better-known, more likable lead than Sharlto Copley, who was hard to relate to and diminishes the film’s significance. Also, the deep symbolism and insights that the film possesses are partly lost in the climax when they are overshadowed by excessive gunfire and violence.

All in all:
A wildly entertaining, but sometimes confusing analysis of the human condition.

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