So I went out and finally saw District 9 earlier tonight. An interesting film, to say the least. Good action, good story, and great execution. By the end, I was left wanting more.

The film opens up in a documentary like format, which depicts the events twenty years prior to first contact with an alien species. A ship settles above Johannesburg, South Africa; where it stays for several months. After much speculation as for the reason of the ship's presence; humans infiltrate the ship and find malnourished extraterrestrials.

The gist of the movie is as follows: Millions of Aliens (derogatorily called Prawns) find themselves stranded on Earth for over two decades. Upon first contact they are moved into an area near Johannesburg, South Africa; known as District 9. Here, they are forced into segregation from the human population, and go on to live their lives like exploited refugees. A planned eviction (put in effect due to the district falling into slum standards, as well as the establishment of a black market between aliens and a group of Nigerians), put together by MNU (Multi-National United, an organization popular for security contracting and weapons R&D; has donated it's time, money, and other various resources to accommodate the aliens), goes awry when Wickus Van de Merwe (the man put in charge of the task) comes across a strange substance. As the operation continues to move forward, Wickus begins to fall ail to symptoms related to his prior contact with the alien substance (Wickus begins to manifest an alien appendage for his arm). MNU takes notice of this, and begins to conduct experiments and research of Wickus. This allows MNU to understand how to control alien technology (confiscated weapons that can only be used by those with alien DNA; that which Wickus now has within himself), which in turn allows them to increase their revenue and status as an arms manufacturer. Wickus then decides to fight for his life. He overpowers his captors and sets out on a mission to restore his humanity before it is too late. While on this mission, he befriends an alien (the one responsible for the substance) and his son who are eager to leave Earth and find their way home. The movie continues on with the pair struggling for a way to co-exist with one another while trying to help each other reach their desired goal. All the while, MNU operatives hunt down Wickus so they can proceed with their research.

So here is my review, as follows: I found it interesting that the title of the film is a reference to District 6. District 6 was a former inner-city area of Cape Town; a district in the 60's where it was declared to be a "White's only" area. Thus, the population of roughly 60,000 were forced into relocation to Cape Flats; an area roughly 25 kilometers (15 miles) away.

The acting and cast weren't bad. It was nice to see an original cast as opposed to Hollywood big names. It was also nice to see an original concept. Lately summer movies have just been remakes and adaptations of popular children's cartoons from the 80's and 90's, as well as comic books. I wasn't expecting the film, in this regard, to be the greatest; or to compete so well against other well known blockbusters. I know the film itself was made on a 30 million dollar budget.

However, back to the acting: the acting of the humans did feel bland at times. I suppose it was a way to allow the audience to relate to the aliens more, for they were in the worst of predicaments. I suppose it was a way to pay tribute to the people who survived similar events throughout the course of human history, and to serve as a warning. I felt that this was a major message the film itself was trying to convey to its audience.

The action was intense in some instances. It was entertaining to watch. A good amount of gore and violence, nothing too over-the-top.

The political commentary offered was an awesome inclusion to the film. The way South Africa has been portrayed in the popular media due to its apartheid governments and current socio-political situations, was well referenced here. To this regard, the aliens portrayal was something one could feel empathetic towards; mostly because we can relate due to the current events we are witnessing happening around our own world. I felt this was a very prominent point being pushed across throughout the film (like I said in the previous paragraph about the message being conveyed). One can't help but wonder how the human race would react to contact with extraterrestrials. Would we do something along the same lines?

Which makes me go into the next point. Some things were unexplained, and left open for our own interpretations. Plot holes I felt that were there to make the audience want more. It could detract from the movie, yet it wasn't serious enough to upset one (I wasn't). I could see some of these things being filled in down the line if a sequel(s) is ever to be made, which I sure do hope is the case.

The film itself was shot in an odd manner. The first half felt like a documentary, displayed through a camera being held by someone who was there to record the events prior and leading to eviction. The film then switched to a more traditional manner once Wikus made his escape. The CGI itself felt more real than most movies that implement the use of CGI these days.

In conclusion, I felt that this was a great attempt at a more original idea. It goes to show that it doesn't take a ton of money to produce a quality film. I found it interesting that this movie comes from the ashes of a failed Halo script. All in all, much is being offered here to the general consumer. A decent plot, good action, and a great commentary on the socio-political climate of modern times and times past.