The Phantom Tollbooth - Movies Reviews Index


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Home Subscribe About Us Features News Album Reviews Movie Reviews Past Movies Movie Resources Concert Reviews Book Reviews Top 10 Contact Us	District 9 I am not sure the fascination with aliens that make them such popular movie fodder. No one has every really seen one regardless of what your checkout lane gutter mags tell you. Each filmmaker has the opportunity to create his own brand of extra terrestrial and who are we to argue its authenticity? But the key is not the alien itself but the story around it. In the new film, District 9, director Neill Blomkamp and producer Peter Jackson bring to the screen what I would consider an amazing looking film though one that still has an end result geared for a niche audience. Honestly, District 9 comes closer than any film before it in the way it documents how life would exist if aliens invaded our planet. And it does so by removing the invasion factor all together. Most films start by the appearance of ginormous ships positioning themselves in chess like maneuvers or sitting silently as we attempt to make contact. Then we American’s do what we do best with cultures we don’t understand; we try to blow it up. But District 9 simply treats the space creatures as if they are here out of no desire of their own and we need to try and exist as best as possible. The film does its back-story and then proceeds to show the conditions now, 20 years later, when things just aren’t working out between the humans and the “Prawns”; a name given the aliens. We find the aliens living in large, guarded, refugee slum camps where they have created their own society and social structures. When a representative (Sharlto Copley) from Multi-National United (an organization trying to find the key to utilizing the alien weaponry they brought with them) goes into the camp on a fact finding mission he is exposed to a substance that begins to alter his human form. This transformation makes him an alien in both worlds and he has to fight for his life while trying to find a cure. Befriended by one of the smarter and more sophisticated Prawns he strikes a deal that may help save them both. A few things make this film unique. For one the aliens do not arrive in NY, LA or Washington DC. The film is set in Johannesburg South Africa. This allows for a more believable approach and a visual surrounding that is more conducive to the refugee notion of the film. It is not high tech glamour and special effects. It is a humanistic approach to the alien genre. The second is the guerilla style filmmaking that gives it a documentary feel. Though that has been overdone lately from Hollywood, District 9 makes it work brilliantly. It is dirty, grimy and full of questioning aspects. There is an underlying tension that is always there. It isn’t scary or thrilling just a creatively creepy. Granted this is still an alien film and the sci-fi aspect of it does exist. But if you allow yourself to watch it from the creative side you will enjoy it regardless of its storyline. I appreciated the film a lot more than I liked it. At times I think it tried too hard. The things I wanted to laugh at were intended to be serious and I had a hard time supporting anyone character. District 9 is rated R for bloody violence and pervasive language. It is not a kid friendly film in the least. And to be honest one that not everyone will enjoy. I give it 3.5 out of 5 fancy feasts. If you like your aliens eating Reece’s Pieces then you are in for a different breed of space traveler. So says Matt Mungle Matt Mungle (8/11/09) Review copyright 2009 Mungleshow Productions. Used by Permission.