Encounters with aliens have been a popular subject with movie-makers since the invention of film. Often these visitors from outer space have been bent on mankind’s destruction. But what if these creatures were simply lost, starving and marooned above our atmosphere with no clear intention but to fix their ship and go home?

That is the premise of District 9, an absorbing sci-fi drama that turns the notion of evil aliens on its head, and manages to say something about the nature of man in the process. Director Neill Blomkamp, filming in his native South Africa, explores the political ramifications of segregation and apartheid without skimping on the thrills and adventure we’ve come to expect with the best science fiction movies.

The aliens in District 9—called “prawns” by humans because they resemble over-sized shrimp—have been corralled into a shantytown, where they feast on cat food, trade weapons with local warlords, and search through garbage heaps for remnants of their own technology. A nerdy, mid-level bureaucrat named Wikus (the excellent Sharlto Copley, in his first starring role) is put in charge of relocating the aliens. But when he is accidentally infected with an alien substance, Wikus begins to mutate. His spiraling transformation is the film’s main focus. Wikus becomes a pawn of the government, while his sympathies for the stranded creatures begins to grow.

Employing cutting edge special effects with raw, documentary-like footage District 9 breaks new ground in the sci-fi genre, and is a treat for anyone who likes a good story.

BY ROBERT ROSSIELLO

By Robert Rossiello

The Art Director for Casino Connection Magazine, Robert Rossiello is an artist, a photographer, and a free-lance writer. His work has been published in several literary magazines and his visual art has been exhibited throughout the Jersey shore. In addition to his designing Casino Connection, he also contributes articles for The Tides, Monthly Mixologist and Multimedia sections.