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BOTTOM LINE: "District 9" wins big points for originality, execution and its decidedly risky story and execution, given its pitch as a mainstream film. The film however overstays its welcome and descends into typical Hollywood convention, action and noise by the end.
THE GOOD: There is much to praise in this film by young upcoming director Neil Blomkamp. With oscar-winner Peter Jackson in his producing corner, Blomkamp has been able to turn a $30 million film in to one that rivals films with three times that budget. He has also been given free reign to execute the film in whatever manner he saw fit, which is again, quite rare in Hollywood filmmaking unless you are one of the top directors, least of all on one of your first features. "District 9" tells its story through a combination of documentary and hand-held action techniques, and coupled with the film's risky story which sees alien refugees trying to co-exist with humans in a very apartheid-like society in South Africa, you have in effect an arthouse film pitched for the mainstream market. The film is not afraid to use its science-fiction context to discuss racial issues, delving in to the darker aspects of human behaviour. The apartheid motif is about as subtle as a sledge-hammer, with the aliens taking the place of blacks (the aliens are referred to as "prawns" by the human characters), although it does allow many moments of social and political commentary that give food for thought. This is borne out in the character of Wikus (Sharlto Copley) who is in charge of moving the aliens out of District 9 and away from the human population who have grown fed up with their presence. When he is exposed to a piece of alien biotechnology, he suddenly finds himself transforming in to one of the aliens and is forced to seek refuge in District 9; he tries to find a way to transform himself back in to a human while the agency he used to be in charge of hunts him down in order to conduct their own experiments on him. The cast is filled with unknowns who do a particularly good job with their performances, particularly Sharlto Copley who not only sees his character transform from human to alien, but also from a coward to a reluctant hero. Although this is a film with aliens and is set within the realm of science-fiction, "District 9" is really a commentary about how ugly humans can be. The filmmakers deserve their kudos for making such a risky story within the realms of mainstream filmmaking. Neil Blomkamp in particular has shown a remarkable amount of skill as director in bringing to life this rather unusual story.
THE BAD: Despite its unique approach, "District 9" does manage to stumble in to typical conventions, particularly in its second hour. By this point, there is so much noise, explosions, bullets and people being blasted by alien weapons that it all becomes tedious and over the top. The conventions are a plenty, including the smart and cute alien kid, the object of pursuit (ie The MacGuffin) which is the alien biotechnology, the fish out of water story where an oppressor comes to sympathise with those he oppressed, and a flimsy fugitive-esque chase story. All of these elements are not new and stand out as a little disappointing in an otherwise unique genre film that manages to all but exceed its origins. The character of Wikus is difficult to follow; he is such a coward in the first hour that you do not feel that much sympathy for him. Even in the second hour when he has that moment where he does not think of himself but he puts the fate of his new alien friend ahead of his own, there is still not much to sympathise with, even when we get to the last shot of Wikus, now fully transformed in to alien, constructing a flower which he sends to his wife. In the end, "District 9" manages to overstay its welcome by about twenty minutes, and largely that is due to too many action sequences in the climax which make the whole endeavour tedious rather than engaging and thrilling.
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