District 9 Blu-ray Review
Tech-at-a-Glance
- 1080p with a 1.85:1 ratio.
- DTS-HD Master Audio.
- Single, All Region disc reviewed.
- HMV Exclusive Steelbook packaging.
The Movie:
2009 was quite a year for science fiction in the cinema, with Moon providing a return to traditional sci-fi, Star Trek modernising a tired format and Avatar seemingly taking more money than all other films put together. District 9 was another sci-fi movie with a big name attached - Peter Jackson - and has been lavished with plenty of critical praise. But does it deserve the Oscar it has been nominated for?
District 9 follows Wikus Van De Merwe, appointed head of an operation to evict and rehouse a race of alien beings who have been living in slums outside Johannesberg since their accidental arrival on Earth nearly 30 years ago. An accident sees Wikus come into contact with alien technology and as his body changes, he becomes both a valuable commodity to his superiors and an unease friend of the aliens, but who will he side with?
Firstly, Sharlto Copley, who plays Wikus, is excellent. Disliking his sniveling, slimy coward of a character is easy, but his subtle performance does allow his insecurities show as his life takes an unexpected turn and although you don't ever really like him, you do become sympathetic to his plight. The effects work is also superb, helped by the newsreel-style cinematography, with a pleasing mix of CGI and animatronics for the aliens themselves. Director Neil Blomkamp directs a fast-paced and exciting movie, but special mention must go to his handling of the action sequences, as they truly feel directed rather than being built in the editing suite later on. You get to see what is happening, with sensible cuts used to amplify tension - something lacking in many modern action films.
Instead of going into the political themes or the obvious comparisons with films like Cronenberg's The Fly, I want to look at District 9's similarity with another Best Picture nominee, Avatar. The themes addressed in District 9, those of how we treat outsiders, loyalty and the problems of large corporations are also addressed in Avatar, but when watching James Cameron's epic, these and its other themes were obvious and didn't require much thought from the audience, and I never related to the Na'Vi's plight due to the childish nature of the script. But this was not the case with District 9. Its messages are there for you to discover as you move through the story, gaining real empathy for the Prawns (the human nickname for the aliens) and a surprising level of hatred for not only Wikus, but for his company too. This is a movie which really has something to say, but if you just want the action then you'll be happy too. While it may not win the Best Picture Oscar this year, it most certainly shouldn't be beaten by Avatar, as District 9 does almost everything Avatar does in terms of spectacle - without the need for 3D - but trumps it in terms of scripting, story and depth.
5/5
Follow the link to read our thoughts on the Blu-ray audio, visual and bonus features, plus pictures of the HMV Exclusive Steelbook.
In the documentaries, it's explained that for the most part, District 9 was shot on the Red HD digital camera, therefore priming it for a great Blu-ray transfer. Well, it has not just been primed, it has been delivered, for this is reference quality throughout! If examined closely enough, the odd flaw may appear, but they will be very few and far between, as even on repeated viewings, District 9's picture quality looks flawless. It's not an overly colorful movie, with the African slums consisting of mainly dull earth tones, but even they are so beautifully crisp and clear, it doesn't matter.
The audio is also first-rate, and not just on account of volume or bass presence either. No, it was the amount of thought that had gone into the surround mix which impresses most, especially when wandering through District 9 with Wikus. The rear channels are alive with ambient sounds one would expect, from overhead helicopters to the clatter of metal and the chatter from his colleagues radios - it's as immersive as you could want. When the action starts and all manner of human and alien weapons are unleashed, there is always a healthy, pounding bassline to accompany them too.
District 9 is faultless in terms of both sound and vision, rivaling Star Trek and The Dark Knight for quality.
5/5
The Extras.
Here is where the District 9 Blu-ray misses out on a perfect score in all categories. It's not through lack of content, just lack of interesting content. The Blu-ray exclusive is the best part; a satellite map of District 9 with key points of interest notated by text, pictures and video. It's along the lines of the ship guide found on the Star Trek Blu-ray and is packed with information on the world created in the movie, the weapons, the vehicles and the people. It's easy to while away quite a time looking at this.
There are three featurettes which make up a comprehensive making-of, plus features on Wikus's transformation, the improvisational style of acting and the design of District 9. Although they all contain plenty of information, they do feel rather dry and lacking emotion, ultimately making them a little hard going. There is also a little too much admiration for each other - we get the point, they were good, just stop going on about it.
Neil Blomkamp also provides a commentary, which suffers a similar fate, and was recorded before the general release of the movie. It's also a shame that during both the commentary and the documentary, Neil often mentions his short film Alive in Joburg and how it was instrumental in District 9 being made. Fine, we're sure it was, but without it on the disc to compare, we only need to hear about it once.
3/5
Overall.
The extras let down what is otherwise a near-perfect Blu-ray package. Awesome visuals, an immersive audio track and an intelligent science fiction movie with plenty of spattery action to keep Peter Jackson fans happy. Consider District 9 on Blu-ray a must-buy.
5/5
Additional:
The version reviewed was encased in HMV's limited edition Steelbook packaging, of which some images can be seen below.
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