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District 9 is the best sci fi film I’ve seen in years.  I’m tempted to leave  my review at that, but not discussing how awesome and how much fun the experience of watching this film is, would be a disservice to my reader.  I know that science fiction can be pretty hit or miss with some audiences, but I promise you that if you give District 9 a chance, it will completely blow you away.

First off District 9 has two very distinct styles within the film that are prevalent from the two different trailers I posted on here earlier.  The first covers the documentary aspects of the film and gathers perspectives from outside observes and experts to weigh in their opinions on the situation at hand.  The second trailer weaves in the main story line following Wikus the MNU agent, as he goes about his job in dealing with the aliens living in District 9, and ends up as literally the most wanted man on the planet.

The film does an incredible job of blending documentary style filmmaking with intense action sequences, while grounding the notions of science fiction in the film as an entirely plausible and likely scenario of how our current societies would likely deal with alien relations.  On the other hand, Wikus provides the film with a sense of comedic relief as a kind of bumbling anti hero that is thrust completely into a world he barely understands.  Despite his remarkable journey throughout the film, he still remains an enjoyable geek to watch as he tries to manage a situation that is completely beyond his comprehension and limitations.

One thing that I greatly enjoyed from the film is how it really lets the audience see everything that is going on, which is such a treat.  Some directors (read M. Night Shyamalan and Michael Bay) would provide either an obscured or completely rushed look at the aliens and technology involved, so that you don’t truly get a sense of what’s going on, or what exactly it is that you’re seeing.  Neill Blomkamp sets the stage and lets all of his actors and visuals really settle into the scene so that they feel like a natural part of this world.  You actually get several opportunities to stare at everything and really take it all in and figure it out, instead of only stealing peeks at the aliens, or the cool new weapons, or shying away from showing the violence onscreen.

While the film is very violent, it’s done in almost a video-game-violence kind of way, where it actually seems to have the audience cheering with each new kill.  The violence is spectacular but it’s detached enough to not feel too gruesome or grotesque, instead you’re just surprised and amazed at what you’re seeing.

Overall, the film is fantastically made and the effects fit seamlessly into this alternate version of our world that has been crafted on film.  It takes notions of science fiction and makes them plausible while also providing social commentary (however obvious) on how humans treat one another.  I highly recommend going to see this film and letting yourself get completely carried away by how intriguing, fun, intense, and crazy District 9 can be.

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