Neil Blomkamp takes us higher in ‘District 9’

An enormous alien spacecraft hovers over Johannesburg as “District 9” opens, signaling this is going to be the mother ship, so far, of 21st century sci-fi action drama thrillers.

And it is.

This movie takes off from the beginning and never loses speed. Even better, like the aliens living in the slums below the spaceship, “District 9” is startlingly intelligent. An instant cult classic, it is definitely worth a watch on the big screen.

The directorial debut of South African-born Neil Blomkamp, it employs a combination of mock TV news, faux interview footage, shaky, gritty, on-the-ground close-ups and out-of-this-world special effects to tell an original story of close encounters with another kind — with a message.

Sharlto Copley, primarily a South African producer, stars as Wikus, a dodgy, but mostly likable field operative for a weapons company. Uh huh.

It’s his job to evict the 1.8 million human-sized, insect-like aliens living in the sprawling government slum from which the movie takes its name. They’ve been there 20 years, abutting a highway and swamp, ever since their spaceship stalled above South Africa. The government’s plan is relocation, and yet the newer “camp” miles from the city looks laboratory-like and even less appealing.

District 9, the godforsaken place, swarms with distrust and secrets, and there’s even an alien black market run side-by-side with a clan of mean Nigerians.

Communication between human and space creature is limited, but it does exist — the aliens understand English, and some humans, including Wikus, know their language.

It’s easy to see the aliens are smart and have feelings, and yet in such forced squalor they resort to primal tactics. Plus, all the humans around hate them, considering them “prawns,” basically scum of the earth.

So, yeah, Wikus has his job cut out for him, and the aliens are onto to him — and, eventually, in him.

From shack to dirty shack he goes, attempting to get the aliens to sign off on the eviction/relocation. But when Wikus, being just a bit too intrusive, mistakenly cuts himself on a cylinder holding alien fluid, he starts to feel, well, different.

He also meets an exceptional prawn named Christopher (Jason Cope), who has a surefire plan to get his kind back home. This is one alien to love; his kid is pretty cute, too.

They start to grow on Wikus, and it turns out he is more like them than originally thought.

That’s right, the uptight executive is turning into a scaly alien and everyone — establishment and anti-establishment alike — wants a piece of him. Of course, that has to do with violence and power, namely, Wikus’ newfound ability to activate the aliens’ high-powered, DNA-activated weapons.

Can Wikus and Christopher put aside their obvious differences and varying intentions to help each other? And will Wikus’ single act of humanity be enough to save humankind?

Did somebody say sequel?

With its overt themes of forced displacement, torture, medical experimentation, genocide and overall discrimination, “District 9” has an in-your-face message that gets you thinking about mankind’s actual history. Imitation, in this case, does not flatter.

And did I mention Peter Jackson (my precious) produced and served as a mentor on “District 9”? He did, and it shows. Best (new) movie of the summer.

District 9
Director: Neil Blomkamp
Starring: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope and Vanessa Haywood
1 hour, 52 min.
Rated R
Five stars out of five