I would describe District 9 as The Office meets Reno: 911 meets Alien Nation meets The Fly meets Watermelon Man (look it up).  In fact, that’s pretty much the progression of the movie as well.

Wikus Van De Merwe is a semi-competent beaurocrat tasked with overseeing the transfer of aliens from their shacks in District 9 to spanking new tents in a new tent city camp.  It is here that action plays out very much like Reno: 911.  I was very surprised at how funny much of the first third of the movie was.  That was until Wikus becomes infected with mysterious alien liquid that begins to turn him into one of the aliens – aka a Prawn.

He eventually befriends a Prawn, Christopher, whom he had earlier tried to evict.  Christopher claims to be able to help Wikus and much explosions and flying body parts ensue.

I have to admit something here that I’ve admitted before.  It’s a lot more fun to slam something terrible than it is to praise something wonderful.  And this is one of those times where I’m coming up with clever and humorous things to say about a movie I liked.  So, I’m just going to have to rely on some banal and unimaginative phraseology.

District 9 was really really good.

That’s two “really”s so I must have liked it a bunch.  Good Christ, I’m a fuckin’ wordsmith.

I guess I should give you some reasons it’s such an awesome movie.  It is a satirical science fiction movie with a great sense of humor and acerbic social commentary about xenophobia.  The special effects are amazing — specifically the rendering of the Prawns — but used only when and where the story requires them.  Are you reading this George Lucas?

• 0 breasts
• thousands of beasts
• prawn-fu
• Nigerian gangster-fu
• Academy Award nomination for Peter Jackson for all the weight he’s lost since Lord of the Rings. Seriously, have you seen this guy recently.  It doesn’t look like the same dude.  Did he get a thumb stomach??

A
King Wally says check it out.