District 9

Wow where do you start on a movie like this. Does a movie like this
even exist? Kudos to director Neill Blomkamp, and producer Peter
Jackson for their uniqueness. This movie takes place in Johannesburg
South Africa, a refreshing change from the New York, or San Francisco
invasions we're all accustomed to. This sci-fi film starts as a
documentary and later turns into an action/thriller. Aliens (called pawns
because they look like insect versions of.. well prawns) arrive at
earth and no one knows why, apparently not even the aliens. They are
segregated for logical reasons, but quickly those reasons become ugly,
and the prawn's environment is converted into to slums and concentration
camps. Our star Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), who works for
MNU, is sent to serve eviction notices to prawns, moving them to a
less desirable more remote "safer" location. Wikus has a great
attitude about his job, and is incredibly insensitive and destructive
to the prawns. It's comical at first but then it quickly turns deranged as
it becomes apparent that he and his team enjoy the suffering of the
prawns.

As the story unfolds there are obvious disturbing parallels showing
that man hasn't learned from his selfish past, and it seems that
history will repeat itself once again. Humans want nothing more than the
military advantage provided by the alien technology, and MNU will go to any
length to get it. The scariest part is that I could see
humans handling an invasion exactly this way.

Wikus starts seeing from the prawn's vantage point after a freak
accident, and the film becomes a thrill ride of technology and action.
Wikus, for selfish reasons at first, becomes the salvation of one
prawn family, while trying to get his own family, life and soul back.
This movie is funny, disturbing, action packed and most of the other
adjectives. The CGI is the best that I've seen, and the uniqueness
made this movie a must see. There are several unanswered questions
which usually would deteriorate my enthusiasm, but with this film I didn't
feel the need to over analyze. I had zero expectations and found
myself pleasantly surprised! I even liked this movie enough that I
think I'll pay to see it again while it's in the theaters.

Rating: 8