District 9 (2009) - Film directed by Neill Blomkamp

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An amazing sci-fi film that offers a much ore interesting look at alien invasion and how humans would interact with them. The story is rife with metaphors and symbolism about how humans treat/have treated each other and this becomes more poignant because it is set in South Africa home of apartheid. The plot follows a bumbling Wikus Van De Merwe (played by the exceptional Sharlto Copley) during a time when the government is trying to relocate the aliens.

This is a fairly unique film because it doesn't focus on invading aliens but rather how they would be treated in earth, and it assumes that they wouldn't be treated very well. Along with the ridiculously good CGI aliens and the documentary style of filming the entire movie is incredibly believable. It is a bleak look at humanity and how we treat those who we consider an 'other'.

I've mentioned the CGI aliens and they are a triumph. They look incredibly realistic and are very detailed creatures. There are a couple of aliens who we see more closely and who interact with Wikus and these are given personality, enough personality to make the audience feel for the aliens and even like them. The minor problem is that the aliens are given their own language, which is subtitled, but they supposedly understand English and the people understand the alien language but neither speak the other's language at any time.

The film is not a happy one, it starts as if it were possibly going to be a comedy because Wikus foolish, however as the film progresses it darkens significantly. There is a fair amount of gruesome moments which can make you squirm and action moments that are quite brilliant, especially because the aliens have their own technology which means there are interesting guns and machines.It has everything you could really want from a sci-fi film.

District 9 combines brilliant CGI and acting with an innovative and thought-provoking narrative to produce an wonderful film. You care about the characters and because of this the ending is quite bitter sweet. I haven't seen Elysium, which has one of the District 9 writers and the same director, but I have high hopes for what this man can achieve.