Project-Blu District 9, by M. Enois Duarte

District 9

By: M. Enois Duarte, 12.24.2009

The Movie Itself:
Sometimes the backstory of a movie is just as interesting as the film itself. And the sci-fi actioner 'District 9' is no exception. Story goes that after the success of the 'Lords of the Ring' trilogy, Peter Jackson was sitting on top of the world with plenty of freedom for his next project. When the possibility of adapting 'The Hobbit' looked like it might take a while, Jackson looked to making a live-action flick of the 'Halo' video game with an unheard-of director, Neill Blomkamp. As financial resources fell through, the two men pursued other projects, and they eventually decided on the young director's very unique short film entitled "Alive in Joburg". Shot entirely on location in South Africa, 'District 9' is without a doubt the sci-fi film of the year.

Blomkamp makes a strong and impressive feature-length debut with one of the most original scripts in quite some time. Anyone expecting a complete CGI extravaganza the likes of 'Transformers 2' should be pleasantly surprised to find an actual story accompanying the astonishing and lifelike visual effects. Weta Workshop oversaw this aspect of the film, and their work should hopefully not go unnoticed this award season. Numerous action sequences and the alien creatures seamlessly blend with Blomkamp's mockumentary approach. And best of all, none of those effects ever truly become the center of attention or detract from the genuine plot. As any good film of this sort should, the fantasy is there to support and move the narrative forward.

Also, as any good sci-fi flick should, 'District 9' uses an imaginative premise that actually says something about us and our world. The film's inspiration being taken from the apartheid era with particular reference to District Six is practically common knowledge by now. But the script shows other underlying issues which make for a very entertaining movie beside the explosive action. Blomkamp's first-run behind the camera on a project of this magnitude is expertly handled and well paced. He takes his time to allow for the story to develop and for the audience to gain some appreciation of the insect-like creatures. In fact, there are several moments within the film when the alien visitors appear more human than the actual people on the screen.

Seeing as where the filmmakers found inspiration and as the movie reaches its climax, this is obviously Blomkamp's intention. The film even opens not only to bring the audience up to speed but to also demystify our expectations or perceptions of what a visitation might actually be like. They are not sent out on a peace treaty to explore new planets or destroy Earth, and they don't land in a large metropolitan city. These highly-intelligent extraterrestrials are more like asylum seekers, arriving in a dilapidated mother ship and malnourished. Humans greet them with reasonable apprehension, but it soon becomes a humanitarian effort. Eventually, and over two decades later, their kindness turns into forced poverty conditions and derogatory name-calling.

Rather than having these intergalactic strangers act as violent aggressors, it is human greed along with our ethnocentric attitudes and xenophobia which are the real figures of fear and genocide. And to make all this more accessible to the audience, the filmmakers rightly use a very simple plot in Wikus van de Merwe (Sharlto Copley, also making his film debut), a poor working schlub who is called upon to be a hero at the last minute. While the ending falls prey to a somewhat unexpected surplus of action and loud eruptions of gunfire, Blomkamp's film keeps it together and makes it a necessary device to previous events. Ultimately, 'District 9' serves a very good balance of science fiction elements with typical summer blockbuster action. And it's a blast.
Rating: 9/10

The Presentation:
Not only is 'District 9' an original approach to what is in the end a generic plot, but it also makes good use of a popular visual technique that really should be wearing thin by now. The AVC-encoded transfer faithfully captures the intentional look and feel of the filmmakers. Presented in its native 1.85:1 aspect ratio, the highly-stylized picture arrives with a muted contrast level so as to create consistency between mixed media footage. Still, whites are bright and sharp with plenty of strong visible detail. Fine lines are resolute and unwavering while low-lit interiors are equally revealing with objects discernible in the darker portions. Blacks are lush and intense, giving the image some appreciable dimension. The color palette is also a little more low-key than we'd expect from HD video, but primaries are vibrant while secondary hues are nicely varied and accurate. This is exactly as the film should look, and the Blu-ray is excellent at preserving what the fans remember seeing in theaters.
Rating: 8.8/10

To complement the visuals, Sony has included a near-reference and excellent DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack that gains complexity as the story moves along. The mix is for the most part located within the front soundstage, but the design allows for a very nicely detailed presentation with terrific channel separation and a room-penetrating presence. Whether dialogue takes place between humans or aliens, character interaction is well prioritized and comprehensible amongst the action. The mid-range never flutters or falls flat during sudden explosions, and other dynamics are consistently sharp and expansive while low-frequency effects give the film a wonderful palpable depth. Atmospherics are not overwhelming, but they're put to great use in the early parts for pleasant ambiance. Things really start picking up in the latter half of the movie and immerse the viewer with thunderous gun battles and intense action. Pans and directionality are smooth and convincing as the sounds of bullets whizz by the listener and fill the room with choppers flying overhead. This is a great lossless track for an exciting film.
Rating: 9.0/10

Overall Presentation: 9/10

** 9 - 10 = Reference / 8 = Excellent / 7 = Good /
6 = Satisfactory / 5 = Average / 4 & under = Below Average **

The Extras:
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment unleashes 'District 9' with a wealth of extras and some interesting exclusives for Blu-ray owners. The two-disc package includes a Digital Copy for portable devices while the BD disc is BD-Live Enabled.

Audio Commentary with director/co-writer Neill Blomkamp
Cinechat
movieIQ
Joburg from Above: Satellite and Schematics of the World of 'District 9' - Interactive Map
The Alien Agenda: A Filmmaker's Log (HD, 34 min)
Metamorphosis: The Transformation of Wikus (HD, 10 min)
Innovation: The Acting and Improvisation of 'District 9' (HD, 12 min)
Conception and Design: Creating the World of 'District 9' (HD, 13 min)
Alien Generation: The Visual Effects of 'District 9' (HD, 10 min)
Deleted Scenes (HD, 23 min)
Trailers (HD)
God of War III Demo for Playstation 3 owners.

Rating: 8/10

Final Thoughts:
Neill Blomkamp makes his feature-length directorial debut with a smart action flick about social segregation and xenophobia. 'District 9' is both entertainingly exciting and full of depth, a perfect blend of intelligence and summer blockbuster fare. The high-definition package lands with an excellent A/V presentation and a wealth of bonus material. Sci-fi and action fans will not want to miss out on this Blu-ray while everyone else is recommended to at least give it a rent.
Rating: 9/10