District 9

District 9 is an "aliens in our midst" film that's really an allegory about race and refugees: with a little bit of David Cronenberg's The Fly added to the mix. The film takes place Johannesburg, South Africa, and yes that is quite an appropriate location for a film of this type. The aliens of this film have been living in district 9, a sort of reservation/ghetto, in slum-like conditions. They've been there since they mysteriously landed in Johannesburg some twenty years earlier. Officials of MNU, the corporation responsible for the aliens, are now attempting to move them to a new reservation further away from the city, and the aliens, or prawns as they're called by the humans are none too happy about it. Wikus is in charge of this operation, and when he's exposed to a mysterious black alien liquid, well all I can say is that he begins to have some body image issues. The film is quite original while at the same time borrowing aspects from some old Twilight Zone episodes, and the film Alien Nation. The special effects, and there are many, are seamless, and the fact that unknown (at least to U.S. audiences) actors are used makes the story itself the prime focus. The film is done part documentary style and part straight narrative and the whole package comes together quite well. This film works on every level, and allegory aside: it's just an excellent piece of sci-fi.

Rating - 3 1/2 Stars