"District 9" review: uniquely original, gritty, and just a great movie!

Strangely enough, "District 9" was born out of another major franchise in the making that ground to a halt.

Peter Jackson was putting together a live action feature film of the video game "Halo". Neill Blomkamp, a South African writer / director, had been contacted by Jackson to direct the high end project. But when that production folded unexpectedly, Jackson didn't want to leave the fledgling helmer out in the cold. Instead, he optioned to make Blomkamp's 2005 short film, "Alive In Joburg" into a full length feature film. After a summer full of movies that failed to deliver (with the exception of "Up"), now comes a sleeper hit that has all the markings of a classic.

This is a very different kind of science fiction story. Aliens from another world found themselves stranded here twenty eight years ago, their ship coming to a dead stop over the city of Johannesburg, South Africa. Now they must struggle to survive in a very dangerous slum area originally built for their welfare...District 9.

This is a place inhabited by creatures from another world who, in the film, seem very real and very dangerous, thanks in part to Jackson's favorite visual effects house, WETA. And what's even more impressive is the creation of effects that perfectly match the shifting and shaking of documentary style camera work. This is something which was done masterfully in J.J. Abrams "Cloverfield", yet only during certain sequences. Here, the illusion must stand up throughout the entire film....and it very much does, beautifully in fact.

Music by Clinton Shorter (who scored the original short film) is also very memorable, blending heartfelt South African stylings and vocals affectively throughout.

South African producer, director, and actor Sharlto Copley portrays the central character in "District 9", taking the audience through an unimaginable and sometimes graphic journey. From newly crowned head of the human's alien management team, to desperate fugitive struggling to survive amongst the aliens who are only looked upon as the means to wealth and power...with one catch; the weaponry they've brought along can only be operated by the aliens themselves through their own DNA. Sharlto Copley performance is powerful, realistic, and emotionally strained. We see the true desperation of these creatures existence through his eyes, and who really are the ones to fear....us.

This movie takes us to a place many may not even know exists, thrusting over a million stranded aliens into an already volatile and sometimes explosive mix. There's a humanity to this story. Producer Peter Jackson and Director Neill Blomkamp do a fantastic job of bringing this world to life, and are not shy in leaving the door open for a continuation of the story. "District 9" absolutely stands on it's own, but I'd be curious to see what these guys have up their sleeve for a follow up. If nothing else, this is definitely an outstanding movie, executed with passion and an unflinching perspective. I absolutely want to see this again soon!

Here is the original short film that inspired "District 9", entitled "Alive In Joburg", directed by Neill Blomkamp and produced by Sharlto Copley.