District 9 [Blu-ray]

District 9

Studio: Sony/TriStar

Year: 2009

Rated: R

Program Length: 112 minutes

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 1080p

Languages: English, French 5.1 DTS-HD MA; English Audio Descriptive Track

Subtitles: English SDH, English, French, Hindi

The Program

District 9 is a rarity, a film about aliens from outer space which is thoughtful, intelligent and extremely well-made. Produced by Peter Jackson and briskly directed by Neill Blomkamp, District 9 tells the story of an alien spacecraft which visits Earth and inexplicably comes to a halt in the sky over Johannesburg, South Africa, where it hovers for two months. When the occupants of the spacecraft seemingly make no effort to come out, a team of humans is sent up to cut open the door and see what is inside. What they discover are a million weak and malnourished aliens who have lost the ability to control their ship.

The plight of the aliens brings out the best humanitarian instincts in the people of Johannesburg, who initially are happy to provide food and shelter for these visitors. A camp called District 9 is built to house them, but problems soon surface. The aliens turn out to be scavengers, and the humans consider them to be bottom feeders and dub them with the derogatory name “prawns.” District 9 is fenced in to keep the prawns separate from the humans, with unsatisfactory results. Prawns who manage to get out and mingle with the South Africans are accused of robbery, rape and murder. District 9 turns into a massive slum, where crime runs rampant. This general condition last for twenty years, and public outcries finally convince the authorities that the prawns must be moved away from the city. A decision is made to relocate the prawns to a remote area of South Africa, far from Johannesburg.

A private security company called Multi-National United (MNU) is given the task of implementing the relocation. Wikus van de Merwe (Swarlto Copley), a bureaucrat in the Alien Affairs Department of MNU, is put in charge of the operation. The assignment requires his department to visit each shack in District 9 and convince the residents to sign a document stating that they are willing to be relocated. Difficulties immediately crop up, as some of the prawns resist and turn violent. In the course of visiting the homes in the slum, Wikus comes across various forms of contraband, including weapons and prohibited electronics equipment. While searching the home of a prawn known as Christopher Johnson, Wikus discover a strange-looking canister which he assumes is a weapon of some kind. While examining the canister he inadvertently sprays an unknown substance on his face. It soon becomes apparent that this substance is having a profound physical effect upon Wikus. Within hours, parts of his body begin to take on the characteristics of a prawn.

One thing which has puzzled Multi-National United for two decades is the fact that humans have never been able to operate the alien weapons which were found on the spacecraft. When MNU discovers what is happening to Wikus, they take him to a research laboratory and confirm that he is now able to fire the weapons. When Wikus realizes that his employer is prepared to sacrifice him so that they can conduct experiment on his body, he manages to escape. However, he soon discovers that the only place he can hide is in District 9, where he has to co-exist with the despised prawns. In District 9 he turns to the prawn Christopher Johnson for help, and the two create a most unlikely alliance.

The decision of the South Africans to segregate and relocate the prawns is awash in irony, given that country’s long history of apartheid. However, it also conjures up images of Palestinians in Gaza, Japanese-Americans being forced into detention camps in the United States during World War II, and the Indian Removal Act of 1830 which led to the forced march of Cherokees that became known as the “Trail of Tears.” Director Blomkamp nevertheless wisely resisted any temptations he may have felt to become preachy about the political and social issues. In fact, many of the prawns are odious creatures, and it easy to see why the residents of Johannesburg wanted to have them sent away. On the other hand, there is little reason to believe that forcing intelligent creatures to live in a ghetto is going to have a happy ending.

Ultimately, though, District 9 is an exciting, high-octane sci-fi action film with many explosions and thrilling shootouts. It grabs the viewer’s attention immediately and never lets go. It is highly recommended for anyone who is a fan of the genre.

Two predictions: there will be a sequel to District 9, and if anyone in the West ever makes a film about 21^st century Iran, Swarlto Copley will play Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The Video

The 1.85:1 1080p transfer is superb, hardly a surprise given Sony’s outstanding track record with Blu-ray releases. The image is properly framed and satisfyingly film-like. The opening of the film is done in semi-documentary style, and the video during that portion is deliberately variable in order to convey that effect. The special effects are extremely well-done and are seamlessly integrated into the footage. The prawns in particular are very lifelike and believable. This is not a particularly colorful film, as much of the action takes place in the grimy confines of District 9, but the colors are solid and accurate. Inky blacks and excellent shadow detail are evident, particularly in the nighttime scenes. It is obvious that great attention was placed on creating a very detailed and repulsive slum, and it shows. The detailed images of Wikus’ metamorphosis from human to prawn may make the more squeamish viewer squirm a bit. I saw no evidence of digital artifacts, excessive DNR, edge enhancement or other anomalies. This is just another first class Blu-ray transfer.

The Audio

The lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack is superb. Whether it is explosions, automatic gunfire, or helicopters sweeping through the sky, the soundtrack places the viewer right in the middle of the action. Dialogue is mostly confined to the center channel and it is clear and understandable (there was an occasional word with which I had trouble because of the Afrikaans accents, so the English subtitles came in handy for me). The subwoofer gets a workout during the battle scenes. The prawns speak in their own language, so English subtitles automatically appear when they have dialogue. The musical score is very evocative and is given an expansive soundstage.

The Supplements

Extras are plentiful on this Blu-ray release. A commentary track by director Neill Blomkamp provides some insight into what he was trying to achieve and how his background of growing up in South Africa influenced his sensibilities. I would have liked the commentary better if he had provided more information about the mostly-unknown cast.

There are 22 deleted scenes, so it is obvious that most of them were cut in order the keep the running time of the film at a manageable length.

Also included is a three-part documentary called “The Alien Agenda: A Filmmaker’s Log.” The first part covers the pre-production of the film, including Peter Jackson’s involvement and the decision of set the action in South Africa. The second part provides insight into the actual filming, with emphasis on the Johannesburg locations and the challenges involved in shooting scenes for which special effects will be added later. The third part goes into some detail about the editing process.

There are also four featurettes which have self-explanatory titles, mostly about the technical aspects of the film:

“Metamorphosis: The Transformation of Wikus”

“Innovation: The Acting and Improvisation of District 9”

“Conception and Design: Creating the World of District 9”

“Alien Generation: The Visual Effects of District 9”

An interactive satellite view of Johannesburg and District 9 is called “Joburg from Above: Satellite and Schematics of the World of District 9.” Viewers can zoom in on such locations as Christopher Johnson’s shack and MNU headquarters (“Joburg” is slang for Johannesburg).

Owners of PlayStation 3 can try out a demo game called “God of Wars III.”

Other features include cinechat, movieIQ, and BD-Live features which were scheduled to be activated on the release date.

Finally, the BD release includes a digital copy in standard definition. All of the other BD extras are in high-definition.

The Packaging

The BD disc and digital copy come in a standard Blu-ray keep case.

The Final Analysis

District 9 is one of the most imaginative and original alien/sci-fi films which I have seen in recent years. It also is intelligent, violent, fast-paced and exciting, with exceedingly high production values. It deserves my highest recommendation.

Equipment used for this review:

Panasonic DMP-BD50 Blu-ray player

Panasonic Viera TC-P46G15 Plasma display, calibrated to THX specification by Gregg Loewen

Yamaha HTR-5890 THX Surround Receiver

BIC Acoustech speakers

Interconnects: Monster Cable

Release Date: December 22, 2009