12 September,2009 07:58 AM IST | | Tushar Joshi
District 9
A; Drama
Dir: Neill Blomkamp
Cast: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, Nathalie Boltt
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What's it about: Words of caution before you step in to watch District 9 DO NOT miss the start. Opening with a bang, we see the office of Multi-National United (MNU), a setup that deals with aliens who have made the town of Johannesburg their home for two decades. Called 'prawns', these creatures descended from a mother ship hovering in the middle of the city's towering skyline. Field operative Wikus Van Der Merwe (Copley) who works for the agency is given the task of re-establishing the aliens from their refugee camp to a settlement outside the city limits. In the process of doing a good job and staying true to his duty, Wikus gets caught in between the warzone of human versus the aliens. Not knowing what awaits him, he soon sees the fight and situation through the eyes of an alien father-son duo who change his life forever.u00a0
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What's hot: Be prepared to be shocked, challenged and provoked. Shot in a documentary style with realism and investigative bits sown in, the film demands your attention from the opening frame. Without wasting much time, we are thrown into the middle of the action, with scenes of humans demanding the aliens to vacate their town and go back to their planet. We follow Wikus as he takes us through the refugee camps, fumbling and joking around with his peers even in the tense situations. Copley as Wikus is outstanding. His transformation in the second half from being an average Joe to something else is exemplary. The CGI and special effects are remarkable and work superb-ly on a script that camouflages them well with its storyline. Michael Bay should perhaps take note you need not have OTT effects to drive home a point! Blomkamp's touch has subtle references to social issues like apartheid and racism. The make-up team does a brilliant job with the aliens, especially in the second half.
What's not: It would be an understatement to say that the film has ample blood and gore. Scenes of cows being chopped off, human bodies blown up, fingernails falling off are common visuals throughout the film.
However, the violence is not a means to titillate but a strong driving force to take the story forward. You may have a deja vu of ET when the climax ends, but am sure Speilberg wouldn't be thrilled with such a reference. Be prepared to be restless and uneasy as the climax wears off.u00a0
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What to do: Thought provoking, intelligent, gruesome, yet extremely entertaining, D 9 is an experience to have.
