Weekend Movie Forecast: District 9 Vs. Cloud Nine

Wow, this movie's weird. Well, the first two-thirds anyway, after which District 9 turns into a formulaic shoot-'em-up, albeit an entertaining one. The premise involves illegal aliens who raid Earth's border from outer space; when their mothership breaks down over Johannesburg, they're forced into the titular squalid refugee camp, where Nigerian warlords ruthlessly exploit their lust for cat food. District 9 begins some two decades after their arrival, when a shady multinational corporation is contracted to clear the aliens' ghetto and relocate them to a tent city out of town, to be called District 10âlike the probable sequel.The protagonist here is a weaselly chap named Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley) who's put in charge of the eviction mission because he's the CEO's daughter's wife. To say more would be to spoil, but Neill Blomkamp's smart film, which begins as a fake documentary before dropping that artifice, reveals Wikus to be a cowardly jerk, and though he suffers immensely, his flawed character keeps any treacly empathy and melodrama from clogging up works. Which is appreciated; unlike most self-serious sci-fi films, District 9 is often very funny. It's also disgusting, surprising and suspensefulâsometimes all within the same scene. The third act hews to traditional action flick parameters, but overall it's a weird, wild ride worth takingâas long as you don't mind seeing the occasional head ripped off or graphic self-mutilation. — Gothamist

John Del Signore

Published Aug 14, 2009

Modified Aug 14, 2009

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Click on the film stills above for more on this week's new releases and repertory screenings, which also include Cloud Nine, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard, Bandslam, Ponyo, The Time Traveler's Wife, Grace, Earth Days, Spread, My Fuhrer: The Truly Truest Truth About Adolf Hitler , Taxidermia, It Might Get Loud, The Man Who Wasn't There, and Jaws.