My brother and I managed to snag two of the few remaining tickets to tonight’s preview of District 9 at The Embassy Cinema in Wellington. And lo and behold, Mr Peter Jackson himself showed up to introduce the screening!
He discussed the history of the film and explained how it rose out of the ashes of the failed attempt by Jackson and director, Neill Blomkamp, to adapt the video game Halo for the big-screen. Unfortunately, the studios pulled the plug a few months into pre-production. I say unfortunately as, based on what I saw tonight, I am sure it would have been magnificent! However, before I get ahead of myself, perhaps it was for the best; as had Halo gone ahead we may never have witnessed the might of District 9!
District 9 tells the tale of aliens, stranded in refugee camps in Johannesburg for the past 20 years, as their mothership lays dormant above the city. Mysteriously, it has shown no signs of movement since their arrival. As the refugees are evacuated to a new camp far outside the city, dramatic events unfold changing the lives of all of the individuals involved.
To tell much more would ruin the film. Suffice to say that it is engaging and very entertaining. The film offers a nice mix of sci-fi and action, with a little horror thrown in for good measure.
The style of the film is effective. Shot using hand held cameras the bulk of the first half is a faux-documentary that economically sets up the back story and introduces us to the characters. However, once it has served its usefulness it is discarded in favour of a more traditional cinematic experience.
The lead actor, Sharlto Copley, is director Neill Blomkamp’s best friend. Generally, this does not bode well, but Copley carries the movie effortlessly. He excels just as well with the lighter comedy moments as he does with the major dramatic lifting required. The part isn’t King Lear but he puts most professional actors to shame; expect to see him popping up in many more projects in the years ahead.
While the film is “low-budget” it is packed with effects, supplied mainly by Imagine Engine with additional shots by NZ’s own [business:Weta Digital]. Most prevalent among the effects are the aliens themselves. The story was so engrossing that I did not take much time to deliberate on how they did it, which is what you want out of a movie, but it must have been CGI heavy. However, such is the quality of the effects, not to mention the character and scene work that immerse you in their world, that after awhile you forget that they are effects and just accept them as another character.
Jackson also mentioned that Blomkamp is geeky about sci-fi and robots. And, it certainly shows with the gadgets on display. Two words: prawn gun!
As much as I hate marketing I have to send a little praise the marketing teams way. They have managed to drum up interest in the film while not giving away too many details. So often today trailers give so much of the plot away that it is almost not worth going to see the flick itself. For those that have seen the trailer for District 9, trust me when I say that the film goes places you would not expect. It was a pleasure to be surprised by a film for once!
So, if you are an action or sci-fi fan you owe to yourself to see this film! Jackson has backed a winner in Blomkamp and I expect big things to come from him in the future. District 9 rocks!
