A sci-fi movie with great visual effects AND a brain: did someone in Hollywood miss a meeting…?
Yeah, its safe to sayDistrict 9s director, Neill Blomkamp, was given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
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So it was clear from the start that Jacksons protegee was something of a prodigy.
The King of Kiwis loved it and greenlit the project.
This sense of anticipation is vital toDistrict 9s aura of the unknown.
However, unlike many of these ultra-real mock-ups, Blomkamp also fuses traditional filming into the mix.
So whereas similar movies likeCloverfieldand[REC]have always suffered from the why are they still recording?
question,District 9doesnt have to shoehorn in some contrived explanation for this.
In a nutshell: if the camera being there isnt plausible, just film it normally.
And what a film it is.
No wonder Blomkamp was regarded as a CGI genius were talkingDark Knightlevels of sexiness here.
And yet, the action remains crisp and clear throughout.
You actually know whats going on, all the time.
Character development and world building isnt sidelined in favour of spectacle ether.
It is, in fact, a hugely likely reaction, sadly enough.
Could this have been done within the strict confines of the Hollywood studio system?
If only someone is brave enough to give them a chance.
Yes, it really isthatgood.
District 9 goes on general UK release on the 4th of September.
Rating:
5 out of 5
