District 9

Thirty years ago, aliens made first contact with Earth. Humans waited for the hostile attack, or the giant advances in technology. Neither came. Instead, the aliens were refugees, the last survivors of their home world. The creatures were set up in a makeshift home in South Africa’s District 9 as the world’s nations argued over what to do with them.

Now, patience over the alien situation has run out. Control over the aliens has been contracted out to Multi-National United (MNU), a private company uninterested in the aliens’ welfare - they will receive tremendous profits if they can make the aliens’ awesome weaponry work. So far, they have failed; activation of the weaponry requires alien DNA.

The tension between the aliens and the humans comes to a head when an MNU field operative, Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), contracts a mysterious virus that begins changing his DNA. Wikus quickly becomes the most hunted man in the world, as well as the most valuable - he is the key to unlocking the secrets of alien technology. Ostracized and friendless, there is only one place left for him to hide:
District 9.

Everything you have heard or read about this movie is true, it’s awesome!  As a Directorial debut (from Neil Blomkamp) it is astounding.  By drawing on the complicated, racial history of South Africa, he has expertly crafted a science fiction film which harks back to the country’s old days of segregation and makes the unbelievable story all the more believable.

The special effects are second to none, and the documentary style of the movie just helps to immerse you into the story even more.  At some point the focus changes from that of a documentary but you don’t even notice the change at that point.

A truly excellent movie, well worth a purchase.

DVD Extras:

• 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
• English DD5.1 Surround
• English Audio Description Track
• English HOH and Hindi subtitles
• Director’s Commentary
• The Alien Agenda: A Filmmaker’s Log Three-Part Documentary
• Deleted Scenes

Blu-ray Disc Extras:

• 1080P 1.85:1 Widescreen
• English and French 5.1 DTS-HD MA
• English Audio Description Track
• English*, English HOH, French and Hindi subtitles (*also on extras)
• Director’s Commentary
• The Alien Agenda: A Filmmaker’s Log Three-Part Documentary
• Deleted Scenes
• BD Exclusives:
  • BD-Live: movieIQ & cinechat
  • Featurette: “Metamorphosis: The Transformation of Wikus”
  • Featurette: “Innovation: The Acting and Improvisation of District 9”
  • Featurette: “Conception and Design: Creating the World of District 9”
  • Featurette: “Alien Generation: The Visual Effects of District 9”
  • Joburg from Above: Satellite and Schematics of the World of District 9” – Interactive Map