District 9

Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson produced this edgy, provocative sci-fi thriller featuring aliens brought to Earth after their enormous spaceship (which still looms ominously over the city) stalled over Johannesburg more than 20 years earlier. The tall, malnourished, insect-like inhabitants were transported from their craft to live in squalor in a filthy shantytown called District 9, where government bureaucrats dismissively refer to them as “prawns” because of their resemblance to giant crustaceans. Segregated from humans, they've multiplied and now pose a threat to South Africa's largest city. Enter Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), a blithering Afrikaner bureaucrat put in charge of evicting the refugees—by force, if necessary—to a distant location known as District 10. Complications arise when Wikus discovers a canister of fluid and accidentally sprays it on himself, only to discover to his horror that he's gradually turning into a prawn. He takes refuge in District 9 and is befriended by Christopher (Jason Cope), a prawn on a secret mission, and Christopher's son, the computer-generated Little C.J. But Wikus' employer, Multi-National United, is determined to hunt him down because he now has a claw-like arm that can operate a mysterious intergalactic weapon, and evil villain Koobus Venter (David James) is assigned to the chase. While first-time director Neill Blomkamp crafts a grim, compelling pop allegory for the racial tension of apartheid in this satirical mockumentary, he also creates genuine compassion for the CGI creatures designed by New Zealand's WETA Workshop. Eventually, the cat-and-mouse game takes over, culminating in a Transformers-like robot battle, with familiar touches from E.T., Alien, Iron Man, and Starship Troopers. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Neill Blomkamp, “The Alien Agenda: A Filmmaker's Log” three-part documentary (35 min.), deleted scenes (24 min.), and the production featurettes “Conception and Design: Creating the World of District 9” (13 min.), “Innovation: The Acting and Improvisation of District 9” (12 min.), “Metamorphosis: The Transformation of Wikus” on makeup (10 min.), and “Alien Generation: The Visual Effects of District 9” (10 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is an interactive map of the world of District 9, a God of War III playable game demo for the PS3, the movieIQ BD-Live trivia feature, and a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a fine extras package for one of the 2009's better films.] (S. Granger)