District 9 - 4K + Blu-ray + Digital

This is a film that's very easy to be taken for granted, against all odds. As conveniently simple as possible in its storytelling, yet still carrying more baggage that one would hope for, Blomkamp's directorial debut is slow to pick up steam. But when it does...oh, wow. District 9 is a freight train that somehow manages to creep up on you. Its complex premise is filled with incessant experimentation, with documentary-esque techniques used to set the gears in motion before resorting to more traditional cinema. It may be a testament to the director that the transition is subtle enough to fall to the wayside amidst both the exhilarating action and impeccable performance by newcomer Sharlto Copley. In fact, Copley's performance must be emphasized: The radical trials that his character undergoes throughout the movie would be a difficult balancing act in the hands of any experienced actor; somehow, Copley maintains authenticity and a commitment to character that is both astonishing and emotionally crippling. Even more impressive is Copley's acting debut when one is made aware of his most prominent co-star: Christopher, a keen and determined insectoid alien. Drawing from the film's graciously veiled root themes, Blomkamp's aliens are both repulsive and oddly intriguing. Their tribulations are made clear early on, but careful crafting is done to ensure that the audience feels deep sympathy for the prawn-like organisms by the time the credits roll. This is accomplished, in part, by Peter Jackson and his digital effects company, WETA. Adhering to a $30 million budget, one wouldn't suspect that District 9 would hold the crown for the best special effects of the summer. Alas, this proves to be the case as the film moves forward, using its stunning, yet conservative flair to complement the film, as opposed to overbear it. Jackson and his team are masters of the visual arts, and it definitely shows here. Let it be clear that District 9 is less of a retelling of a story, and more of a recording of an event; traditional plot features are often underdeveloped, or even wholly absent. However, the film's jerky pacing is offset by smart, white-knuckle action that leaves you breathless. There's definitely a giddy gross-out factor here that hasn't been seen since Jackson's early years, but Blomkamp ensures that it never overstays its welcome. District 9 is strikingly original and certainly audacious, but isn't a movie that's difficult to like. On the contrary, you'd be hard pressed to find a film all year that is as satisfying and complete as Blomkamp's science fiction thriller. And, In the wake of unrealized visions and bloated wastes of cinema, that's a staggering accomplishment. District 9 is an invigorating and intelligent climax to 2009's summer, and should not be missed.

After reading some of the reviews here I felt I needed to write my own. It is a well written movie. People saying there would be no way to evict 1.5 million aliens in one day forget it wasn't just the main protagonist, he had a team helping him, going around as he was doing the same thing. It was one of the first few scenes too, where he talked to the team. Also, the reactions from the aliens are legitimate, and 1.5 million aliens would not cause an uprising because there was air support not to mention the thousands of armed people. We did see in the movie that some aliens did have a violent reaction which resulted in their death. There is also the fact the main protagonist IS a simple bureaucrat, that's the point of the movie. It wouldn't work with an average civilian being dumb or the head of MNU, it had to be the guy who didn't know any better then to touch things he doesn't know about. Though I personally disliked the building of making it seem as a bio-weapon when it was not. Another point is that people say the UN would have stepped in- No, it wouldn't, because the UN doesn't have to exist in this universe. Movies events do NOT exist in our universe thus have different histories leading to different events. If that was the case, in 1981 when the aliens arrived, there would have been commentary on possible Soviet weaponry or something. Do NOT apply our history to a movie when the events are NOT in our universe. As a whole I enjoyed it especially because the movie made points on the statement of the refugee crisis that had been going on for the past two decades at the time of conception for the movie. The writers made it CLEAR they were making an example of the blatant racism, and xenophobia of refugee camps. Aliens in terms of people are just people that came from another place (xenophobic) and the entire movie just replaces human aliens for extraterrestrial aliens. I suspect people calling this bad writing are actually feeling called out for their blatant racism and degradation of refugees, especially because refugee camps are almost EXACTLY like the ones then and even now. They also then hint at animal testing and other forms of inhumane behavior done and how they are not treated ethically, or with respect. This is exemplified by all the bio lab scenes. This movie is just a giant call out post against racism, bigotry, xenophobia, animal testing, etc and I wholly suspect those that don't like it saw it and didn't like feeling called out like that. It is a good movie, the actors played their parts well. Even the head of MNU or whoever he is, the father in law to the protagonist, he was conflicted on helping his son in law, or helping the genetics testing and that was very evident. The one thing I did not like was near the end, how quickly the protaginist change his mind about things but given the circumstances it makes sense too. He recognized the transformation was inevitable once the ship crashed, so he might as well help his friend escape. An especially important thing to note is the fact the MNU didn't want the aliens to actually leave. They wanted to move them to degrade them more. Not escape, but to degrade a clearly very advanced civilization even more.

Fantastic movie. Very well done

Estoy satisfecho con el producto. Lástima que no hay secuela aún. Eso sí, deberían proteger más las películas cuando las mandan, me llegó con un disco suelto y se rayó un poco, pero pude reproducirlo sin problemas.

Very good! Interesting SF story and original!

« District 9 » est un OVNI (sic), un film inclassable qui touche à la science-fiction, à l'anticipation, à la satyre politique et au film d'action. Un vaisseau extra-terrestre s'échoue dans le ciel de Johannesbourg pour des raisons inconnu. Plus d'un million d'aliens obtiennent le statut de réfugiés sur Terre. Ils sont ainsi maintenus pendant vingt ans dans un township, dans un contexte qui rappelle celui de l'apartheid. Le gouvernement, devant le mécontentement de la population devant un nombre si important d' « immigrants » sous-traite à une société privée leur expulsion vers un District 10, situé à 200 km du centre-ville. Wilkus est chargé de conduire cette mission, dans le cadre des conventions international, en faisant respecter un semblant de droit. Même les choses ne se déroulent pas comme prévue, loin s'en faut ! Réalisé avec efficacité, sur un mode semi documentaire (à partir d'un reportage télévisé sur l'histoire de Wilkus), le film dévoile progressivement une réelle profondeur, un véritable suspense et des qualités a priori insoupçonné. Malgré quelques faiblesses dans le scénario, parfois trop prévisible, parfois trop improbables, le film se révèle convaincant, avec, ce qui ne gâche rien, un bonne dose de dérision et d'humour au second degré sur un sujet pourtant très sérieux.

Ce film m'a vraiment emballé. En fait, il y a 2 phases dans District 9. Une phase explicative, qui nous informe sur les conditions de "détention" des aliens, leurs rapports avec les humains (sentiments des humains à leur égard, exploitation, expériences, conditions de vie,...) à travers donc le perso principal du film qui est plutôt pas comme les autres(un peu débile sur les bords, naïf,...on s'intéresse pas vraiment à lui). Sur le coup, jme dis si ça continue comme ça, le film va être un peu mou du genou lol. Et puis on entre dans la 2ème phase (grâce à un élément clé du film dont je ne dévoilerai rien sinon ça gâche tout :o) où notre homme va fuir les autorités (comme un paria) et va trouver un coéquipier pour arriver à se sortir d'une situation plus que déconcertante. Et là on passe vraiment à l'action, ça gicle, sans trop en faire non plus, bref une phase action vraiment excellente et originale au vue des armes utilisées (situations parfois comiques tellement certaines armes sont atypiques dans la façon de tuer quelqu'un). Et puis la fin est grandiose (c'est là qu'on se dit que la phase un peu tranquilou du film a vraiment sa place). Bref j'en dis pas plus hormis que ce film est vraiment super et l'on prend conscience que l'Homme n'est pas tout beau tout gentil, qu'il peut être parfois du côté obscure de la force^^je vous le conseille. Merci Peter Jackson de nous avoir fait découvrir ce chef d'oeuvre et un réalisateur (Neill Blomkamp) qui a de l'avenir!!