District 9 [DVD] [2009] (film on DVD)
from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Directed by: Neill Blomkamp
Starring: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, Nathalie Boltt
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Audience Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
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DVD Box Price: £3.99
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A provocative science fiction drama, District 9 boasts an original story that gets a little lost in blow-'em-up mayhem. Set in Johannesburg, South Africa, District 9 begins as a mock documentary about the imminent eviction of extraterrestrials from a pathetic shantytown (called District 9). The creatures, it turns out, have been on Earth for years, having arrived sickly and starving. Initially received by humans with compassion and care, the aliens are now mired in blighted conditions typical of long-term refugee camps unwanted by a hostile, host society. With the creatures' care contracted out to a for-profit corporation, the shantytown has become a violent slum. The aliens sift through massive piles of junk while their minders secretly research weapons technology that arrived on the visitors' spacecraft. Against this backdrop is a more personal story about a bureaucrat named Wikus (Sharlto Copley) who is accidentally exposed to a DNA-altering substance. As he begins metamorphosing into one of the creatures, Wikus goes on the run from scientists who want to harvest his evolving, new parts and aliens who see him as a threat. When he pairs up with an extraterrestrial secretly planning an escape from Earth, however, what should be a fascinating relationship story becomes a series of firefights and explosions. Nuance is lost to numbing violence, and the more interesting potential of the film is obscured. Yet, for a while District 9 is a powerful movie with a unique tale to tell. Seamless special effects alone are worth seeing: the (often brutal) exchanges between alien and human are breathtaking. --Tom Keogh
innovative science fiction from a talented director  Sent: 06 September 2010
fantastic film, delivered from the premise: what if aliens came to earth but they were only refugees and not conquerors? shot with gritty realism in the director's own country (South Africa) the comparisons to apartheid are quite blunt at times, but the seamless integration of cgi and pratical effects brings this tale of aliens and the price of one man's humanity into sharp focus. sharlto copley (1st time actor in a lead role) delivers a stand-out performance as a pretty unlikeable lead who suffers the most unfortunate fate since jeff goldblum in The Fly. the film successfully explores not only human-alien relations (more ruthlessly and more realistically than in most films), but what certain people will do to other people for power/technology. shot mainly in a pseudo-documentary style (which changes to a more conventional style later for no discernable reason), it imbues the film with gritty realism - even before you see any aliens in their filthy slum/refugee camp. the climax is satisfying and quite fitting, with some awesome action sequences, futuristic weaponry, a huge body count and some very bad people getting their come-uppance, before a quite surprising ending.
for a film shot on a relatively small budget, the sfx in this film are incredible, aided by a suitably gritty setting and powerful central performance means this is one of the best films of recent times.
if you dont understand apartheid.... Sent: 03 September 2010
then watch this... brilliant potrayal of apartheid removed to a situation we can all relate too... best kinda sci-fi you can get...
Interesting film which left me wanting more! Sent: 27 August 2010
Aliens, segregation, South Africa. Those three themes on their own make for a great film, the documentary style edge to it was fresh and new. I feel personally I would have enjoyed it more if it had played out as more of a standard story however the documentary style theme to it has it's merits and makes it feel a bit different which sets it apart from the bulk of films. The story played out well and a few twists and turns along the way made it very interesting with an excellent ending which makes me hope there will be a sequel. Brilliant film if you don't mind the Cloverfieldesque documentary style. Thoroughly recommend it 7.5/10.
Probably the best film in 2009 Sent: 27 August 2010
'District 9' is probably the best film in 2009, at least it is to me.
District 9 is not only good because it's quality, its also surprising because of its honesty. A refreshing slap in the face of comercial sci-fi movies, in the same quality path of Duncan Jone's 'Moon'. It's an amazing time for science fiction cinema and cinema in general. Maybe there's a hope after all.
I loved it.
Different Sent: 20 August 2010
An aliens/sci-fi film with a difference. Entertaining film in which aliens have landed in South Africa in D9. What follows is a bizarre change in thinking of certain peoples outlook on the 'invaders'. Its a decent watch thats not all gung ho and should have you entertained for a few hours - blu ray is high quality, as most recent films go.
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Associated dvd film / movie categories: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, Action & Adventure |
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