District 9 (2009) | REVIEW

Director : Neil Blomkamp.
Writers : Neil Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell.
Cast : Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope.
Rating : Rated R for bloody violence and pervasive language.
Runtime : 112 minutes
Tagline : You Are Not Welcome Here.




REVIEW

Gritty, violent, and disturbingly realistic. These are probably the best ways to describe District 9, the Peter Jackson-produced sci-fi 'steadycam' thriller that has been avoiding the major spotlight until now. Helmed by relative unknown Neil Blomkamp, District 9 is the story of an alien community that has been suppressed and exploited over the last 20years in a philty quarantine "suburb" known as District 9. Things go horribly wrong when Wikus Van De Merwe, officer in charge of the relocation of the aliens to District 10, finds himself a capsule that acts as the key in the struggle of rights between the humans of Johannesburg and the aliens.

I'll go out on a limb here and state that District 9 is to date the best film of 2009. Movies that were given the advantage of over-the-top fanfare and hype failed to deliver the goods. While some flicks like Star Trek, Harry Potter, and Watchmen (to a certain extent) managed to gain overall positive reviews, others like Wolverine, Transformers, and Terminator Salvation failed to deliver the expected goods in full. District 9 manages to do the impossible; to squeeze fresh juice out of a plot that has been extensively used time after time over the last 50years or so.

The best part about D9 is that it isn't set in Washington or Manhattan or Chicago. And this time the aliens are at the mercy of the humans instead of vice versa. While it is shown throughout the film that the aliens (or "prawns" as they are called) are more technologically advanced than us, they are forced to succumb to degrading conditions and painfully biased rules that they are forced to follow... which brings us to the 'message beneath the movie's surface'.

District 9 is a disturbing reflection of racial violence and suppression that takes place all over the world. Instead of using a race that we're familiar with, Peter Jackson and Neil Blomkamp metaphorically use aliens as a community that is forced to adhere to unreasonable laws and succumb to exploitation by a governing power. The message is so tactfully delivered that it doesn't seem evident at all until dug into. This just proves that the storytelling and character development in D9 is fantastic stuff. You genuinely care for each character and the film skillfully takes the viewer and immerses him / her in the flow of it all. It's a beautiful tale, really, which has its fair share of emotion, action, suspense, and adventure.

My only issue with the movie is that it can get a bit too sci-fi during certain scenes. I'm aware that this is afterall an alien movie but it's grounded with such realism that when you're suddenly introduced to elements that may be a little over-the-top, it seems weird. But it's a minor issue and only nagged me for a couple of seconds, which is a very, very good thing.

All in all, D9 is a must-watch for anyone who enjoys a good movie with good acting, great soundtrack, and a fresh story. Almost all these actors are 'unknowns' which makes the flick all the more believable. And if you think that the effects in this are going to be bad because of it's low budget (30mil, I think) then you should think again because Peter Jackson knows his way around these things (and apparently so does Neil). Lord Of The Rings was considered somewhat low-budget when compared to its scale, and look how that turned out! The movie isn't a kid's movie, it won't appeal to young children so keep them away until they turn 18 or something.

Trust me, you won't regret watching District9.
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Wrap : I give District9 a 4.9 out of 5.0. It's amazing, what's left to say.

Wachowski Bros + James McTiegue = Superman?

I've never been a major Superman fan for a number of reasons but that doesn't mean I didn't have my fun with Superman Returns. I thought it worked the first time around but then on DVD it just sucked because it got boring faster than a speeding bullet. And with the poor reception it received, there's no wonder why there hasn't been a follow-up to Superman Returns...until now.

Here's the condition of things: If they guys at Warner Bros. fail to churn out another Superman flick by the end of 2011, they no longer have the rights to the big boy in blue. That's right. The original creators (or their heirs) will then own Superman again and can damn well do anything they please with the character. Jerry Siegel and the Siegels can then sue Warner for damages and profits that they did not get from franchises like Smallville and all those animated Superman flicks. That's a court order. So what's the best way to make sure Superman doesn't zip away from the hands of Warner? Make another movie, of course! So now that the title is sizzling hot again, directors are being hunted down and Brandon Routh is biting his fingernails in pure anticipation.

Here's the interesting bit. IESB reports that Warner and the gang are in "serious talks" with the Wachowski Bros and their buddy of buddies, James McTiegue! That's right. The guys who brought us the awesomeness of the Matrix and made bullet-time cool before it was even considered a standard procedure in all action flicks may be the ones to helm the sequel to Superman Returns, currently titled The Man of Steel. The bigger possibility is that the bros will produce the flick while James directs it. James McTiegue has some pretty cool credentials himself considering directed V For Vendetta and the upcoming Ninja Assassin.

Fans and studios alike want Superman to follow in the steps of The Dark Knight and probably stand in that league, which is all good except for one major fact that's staring everyone right in the face; Superman doesn't do grit! Here's what Superman (the character) needs : Flaws. People want their heroes to have vices, flaws, and human pain. Superman needs more than just Kryptonite as a weakness. And a movie like Superman doesn't have to be dark and serious and gritty. It needs to be balls-out super CGI all over the place, colorful and epic fight scenes, large over-the-top scenarios and scenic landscapes; all done with so much tact that it skillfully avoids being cheesy. This is wishful thinking but he also needs to wear something a bit more contemporary...like black instead of blue and those ridiculous red trunks just have to go!

Anyway, if the Wachowskis are confirmed as the directors of the next Superman then I'm all in! These major comic fans know exactly what they're doing and we all know that they know how to blend story with extremely good visuals. It won't be long before we hear more news since I'm sure Warner Bros. doesn't want to let an asset as huge as Superman just drop out of their grip.