District 9 is a 2009 South African science fiction movie. It stars Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope and Robert Hobbs. The film was directed by Neill Blomkamp, written by Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell and produced by Peter Jackson. The movie is about an extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth suddenly finds a kindred spirit in a government agent who is exposed to their biotechnology.
 

District 9 Movie Poster District 9 release date: Dvd and Blu-ray Disc on December, 2009.

District 9 Movie Cast: Starring: Directed by: Neill Blomkamp Produced by: Peter Jackson Genres:  Science Fiction/Fantasy Running Time:  112 minutes Release Date: August 13, 2009 (New Zealand and Australia), August 14, 2009 (United States and Canada), August 28, 2009 (South Africa), September 4, 2009 (United Kingdom) MPAA Rating: Original Music: Clinton Shorter Filming Locations: South Africa Screen Writer:  Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell Studio: WingNut Films Distributors: TriStar Pictures

The story, adapted from Alive in Joburg, a 2005 short film directed by Blomkamp and produced by Copley, deals with the issues of xenophobia and social segregation. The title and premise of District 9 were inspired by historical events that took place in South Africa during the apartheid in a residential area of Cape Town named District Six. The film was produced for $30 million and shot on location in Chiawelo, Soweto, presenting fictional interviews, news footage, and video from surveillance cameras in a part mock documentary style. A viral marketing campaign began in 2008 at the San Diego Comic-Con and the theatrical trailer appeared in July 2009. Released on August 14, 2009 in North America by TriStar Pictures, the film received positive reviews and earned $37 million on its opening weekend.

An extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth suddenly find a kindred spirit in a government agent that is exposed to their biotechnology.

“District 9″ is based on Alive in Joburg, a short film directed by Neill Blomkamp, Sharlto Copley, Simon Hansen and Shanon Worley, which was a faux-documentary film about a South African slum that was housing for an alien race living on Earth, and the various policies enacted against them, along with interviews with various “civilians” and “government officials” and how they feel on the situation.

Plot

The film opens with a documentary style series of interviews that introduce the situation. The story is told from the perspective of one MNU employee, Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), whose life is permanently altered by close contact with the aliens.

The aliens, derogatorily referred to as 'prawns' as a nickname as they resemble to the sea creatures which are housed in a government camp. The alien race's true name is never learned; they are primarily referred to as "prawns" or, more rarely, "non-humans". Overcrowding and militarization eventually turn the area into a slum known as District 9.

In 1982, a massive alien spaceship appeared and stopped above Johannesburg, South Africa. Reports suggest that the spaceship became stranded after a command module separated from the ship and dropped to Earth, nowhere to be found. An exploratory team discovers a group of one million unhealthy and leaderless members of an arthropod-like Extraterrestrial species who are given asylum on Earth. Due to the differing alien culture many engage in criminal and destructive activities and the human population demands they be controlled. The aliens, derogatorily referred to as 'prawns', are confined to a government camp inside Johannesburg, called District 9. The camp is secured and, even with a massive police presence, soon turns into a slum. In the first decade of the 21st century, Multinational United (MNU), a private military corporation, is placed in charge of policing and relocating the now 1.8 million aliens to District 10, a new camp 240 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg.

 A massive black market is set up between the aliens and a group of Nigerians primarily led by Mumbo, a paralyzed warlord. In addition to inter-species prostitution, the Nigerians exchange canned cat food for alien weapons, of which the cat food has a similar effect to catnip on the aliens.

The refugee camp where the aliens were located had deteriorated into a militarized ghetto called District 9, where they were confined and exploited in squalor.

In 2010, the munitions corporation, Multi-National United (MNU), is contracted to forcibly evict the population with operative Wikus van der Merwe in charge. In this operation, Wikus is exposed to a strange alien chemical and must rely on the help of his only two new 'Prawn' friends.

An MNU field operative named Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), is set with a task to move 1.8 million aliens to a new District 10 camp located 240 km from Johannesburg, with help from private security forces working for MNU. While inspecting a suspicious alien residence, Wikus handles an alien device which squirts a dark liquid into his face. He becomes very sick and collects the device as evidence.

A rapid transformation begins to occur, and shortly after exposure to the liquid, Wikus's left arm mutates into a claw exactly like that of a prawn. After collapsing at a surprise party in his house and a doctor at a local hospital discovers his alien left arm, Wikus is taken into custody and a series of tests and experiments are performed on him; these reveal that his alien DNA allows him to operate alien weapons. The scientists discover that his DNA is currently "in balance" with the alien DNA, which is gradually taking over. They decide to harvest his body for biological material at this critical point, to have the greatest chance of replicating his ability to use alien technology in other humans later. To reduce any side-effects, no anesthetic was used. However, during the attempted vivisection Wikus escapes after overpowering his captors, and flees from MNU.

The movie takes place in 2010. Patience over the alien situation has run out and control over them has been contracted to Multi-National United (MNU), a private company that shows little regard for the aliens' welfare. MNU is interested in using the aliens' advanced weaponry, but its integration with alien biology makes it useless for humans.

Wikus seeks refuge in the run-down shack of an alien called Christopher Johnson, who has a small son, the same alien who Wikus attempted to evict earlier, who created the alien device that infected Wikus. The device contains fuel that Christopher scavenged from various alien parts scattered around District 9.

Although initially hostile towards Wikus, Christopher eventually agrees to help him reverse the transformation if Wikus will retrieve the fuel from MNU labs. Christopher promises to undo the mutation by getting Wikus aboard the mother ship hovering over Johannesburg and shows Wikus the ship's command module, which has been hidden under his shack.

Wikus steals some alien weaponry from Mumbo and his gang, with Mumbo vowing to capture Wikus and eat his mutated arm (his witch doctor believes this will give him the power to operate the alien weaponry). With Christopher's help they launch an assault on MNU and successfully retrieve the fuel sample. While there, Christopher discovers that MNU has been experimenting on his people. Wikus and Christopher fight their way back to District 9 and Christopher begins preparations to leave. He tells Wikus that he must first return to his home world to seek help for his people before he can cure Wikus. Furious, Wikus knocks Christopher unconscious and powers up the ship himself. The MNU mercenaries target Wikus and destroy one of the command module's engines, causing it to crash land inside District 9.

After Wikus is captured by MNU, a battle between the MNU mercenaries and Mumbo's gang breaks out. After a protracted firefight, the Nigerians capture Wikus. Just before Wikus' arm is chopped off, Christopher's son activates several systems in the mothership, including the autopilot routine of a mechanized battle suit; it slaughters Mumbo and his men after they fire on it. Wikus enters the alien walker battle suit, and after initially attempting to flee, returns and rescues Christopher. Armed with a lightning cannon, tracking missiles, and a high-powered machine gun, Wikus begins to fight the MNU men. After being knocked over by a anti-tank sniper round, he convinces Christopher to return to the shuttle without him, over Christopher's objections. Christopher promises Wikus that he will return in three years to repair his body. Christopher then boards the shuttle and activates a tractor beam which returns the command module to the mother ship.

MNU forces enter District 9 taking Wikus and Christopher prisoner, but Obesandjo's gang ambushes them. During an intense fire fight the Nigerian gang captures Wikus. From the downed command module Christopher's son activates the mothership and an alien mechanized battle suit frees Wikus. Wikus pilots the suit and rescues Christopher. Promising Wikus that he will return to reverse his transformation, Christopher activates the mothership, which lifts the stricken command module inside it. Heavily wounded and in a much more advanced state of his mutation, Wikus crawls out of the wrecked battle suit.

The movie ends with another series of interviews and news broadcasts, providing human opinions on the events that unfolded. The aliens are successfully moved to District 10, which now has a population of 2.5 million and is growing. One of Wikus' coworkers hacks MNU's database and publicly exposes their illegal genetic experiments. There are many differing theories on Wikus' fate. Some people believe that he either left on the mother ship, is in hiding, was captured by MNU or a government agency. Some interviewees hypothesize that the aliens are planning to return with a full army and declare war on humanity. An interview with Wikus' wife reveals a small metal rose was left on her doorstep (Wikus has earlier demonstrated his affection with handmade gifts). Her friends have told her that it could not have possibly been Wikus, but she appears unsure. In the final scene, an alien with a bandaged left arm is shown in a junk yard fashioning a rose out of scrap metal.

The mothership begins to leave and Johannesburg's residents celebrate its departure. A series of interviews and news broadcasts are shown. The aliens are successfully moved to District 10, said to have a population of 2.5 million and growing. MNU's illegal experiments on aliens are exposed. Those interviewed theorize about Wikus' fate and hypothesize that Christopher Johnson might return for the refugees or declare war on humanity. Wikus' wife reveals that, having found a small metal flower on her doorstep, she has hope that her husband is still alive. In a scrapyard, an alien with a bandaged left arm crafts a flower out of metal.

Wikus van der Merwe, a MNU field operative, leads the relocation with the serving of eviction notices on August 9, 2010. During the eviction Wikus confiscates alien weaponry and "aborts" their eggs with the use of flamethrowers. As this continues, some nearby aliens are shown distilling a mysterious liquid into a small canister. One of the aliens (designated "Christopher Johnson") resists. While raiding Christopher's shack, Wikus discovers and removes the container, accidentally spraying some of the liquid onto his face. That night Wikus falls ill and is taken to a hospital, where his left forearm is revealed to have mutated into an alien appendage. He is immediately taken into MNU custody. After discovering that Wikus can now operate alien weaponry due to his mutating DNA (the weapons being unresponsive to humans), they force him to test various energy weapons, including against live targets. The scientists intend to vivisect him before he fully transforms. Panicked, Wikus overpowers his captors and escapes.

Now a fugitive, Wikus takes refuge in District 9 and returns to Christopher's shack. Noticing Wikus' arm, Christopher reveals that the canister contains a fluid that would allow him to reactivate the dormant mothership and take his people off the planet. After revealing the lost command module hidden under his shack, Christopher agrees to help reverse Wikus' genetic transformation if Wikus retrieves the canister from MNU. Wikus agrees and tries to buy weapons from the local Nigerian gang. Their leader, the paralyzed warlord Obesandjo, seizes Wikus, seeking to gain his ability to operate alien weapons. Wikus finds an alien firearm and kills some of Obesandjo's men before stealing a cache of weapons and escaping.

Wikus and Christopher break into the MNU offices and retrieve the canister fleeing back to District 9. Christopher, having just seen that MNU is performing medical experiments on his people, informs Wikus that he will seek help for his people before curing Wikus, which would take three years. Wikus knocks Christopher unconscious and powers up the command module. Soon after takeoff, one of the craft's engines is shot off by an MNU missile battery and it quickly crashes nearby.

Cast

Sharlto Copley - Wikus Van De Merwe

Copley plays the role of Wikus van de Merwe, a bureaucrat assigned to relocate a race of extraterrestrial aliens, derogatorily referred to as 'prawns', from a refugee camp in Johannesburg to a new one outside the city called District 10.

Jason Cope - Grey Bradnam, the UKNR Chief Correspondent. Cope also performed the role of Christopher Johnson

Eugene Khumbanyiwa - Obesandjo, a Nigerian warlord

David James -  Colonel Koobus Venter, a sadistic soldier sent to capture Wikus - the film's main antagonist.
William Allen Young as Dirk Michaels, MNU CEO

Louis Minnaar -  Piet Smit, a director at MNU (as well as Wikus' father-in-law)

Mandla Gaduka -  Fundiswa Mhlanga, Wikus' assistant during the eviction

Vanessa Haywood - Tania van de Merwe, Wikus' wife

Johan van Schoor - Nicolaas van de Merwe, Wikus' father

Marian Hooman - Sandra van de Merwe, Wikus' mother

History

Director Neill Blomkamp teams with producer Peter Jackson for this tale of extraterrestrial refugees stuck in contemporary South Africa. It's been 28 years since the aliens made first contact, but there was never any attack from the skies, nor any profound technological revelation capable of advancing our society. Instead, the aliens were treated as refugees. They were the last of their kind, and in order to accommodate them, the government of South Africa set up a makeshift home in District 9 as politicians and world leaders debated how to handle the situation. As the humans begin to grow wary of the unwelcome intruders, a private company called Multi-National United (MNU) is assigned the task of controlling the aliens. But MNU is less interested in the aliens' welfare than attempting to understand how their weaponry works. Should they manage to make that breakthrough, they will receive tremendous profits to fund their research. Unfortunately, the highly advanced weaponry requires alien DNA in order to be activated. When MNU field operative Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley) is exposed to biotechnology that causes his DNA to mutate, the tensions between the aliens and the humans intensifies. Wikus is the key to unlocking the alien's technology, and he quickly becomes the most wanted man on the planet. Ostracized and isolated, Wikus retreats to District 9 in a desperate bid to shake his dogged pursuers.

District 9 Movie Review: 8.5/10

One of the themes of the movie explores is the relationship between human beings and aliens from outer space.

Pros

Great visuals. Transition between documentary style and Hollywood style filming was brilliant.

Cons

Its refreshing to see something different. The movie does echo some ideas from movies from the Alien, Terminator, Predator, and RoboCop.

The transition between documentary style and Hollywood style filming was brilliant.

* Copley is a filmmaker as well as an actor, he has an extensive background in South African television and co-produced and directed (with Simon Hansen).

* Peter Jackson is a New Zealand film maker, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for the Lord of the Rings trilogy adapted from the novel by J. R. R. Tolkien and his 2005 remake of King Kong. Peter Robert Jackson was born 31 October 1961.

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