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It's also a video game movie.
Not literally, of course. There is no District 9 game on which this movie was based. But at times, it really felt like it had drawn inspiration from games (producer Peter Jackson and director Neil Blomkamp famously worked on an aborted Halo movie), and could easily be translated into a game. After the jump, I'll break down the particulars. As you may have guessed, this is a spoilery post filled with spoilers. Do not read on if you don't want to see spoilers for District 9.
Still with me? Good. Spoilers begin immediately.
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Half human/half alien hybrids shouldn't sound too outlandish to gamers, who've seen that particular storytelling technique used time and time again. For example, in the Resistance games, your character's ability to regenerate health is attributed to an alien virus that alters your DNA. In Quake 4, your character is captured and partially transformed into a Strogg. While not alien, you also find yourself transforming into the monsters you're fighting in Dark Sector. More examples are out there; feel free to send them my way.
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| Both District 9 and Resistance feature human/alien hybrid characters and alien weaponry. |
When the alien weapons are finally fired up in District 9, then you really see the parallels between the movie and games. There's a gun that fires a propulsive force and sends people flying (like in Project: Snowblind, Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil and, of course, Half-Life 2). There's a electrical beam that zaps people into red mist (Killzone 2's Lightning gun, countless Gauss rifle variations). Then, at the end of the movie, there's the mech.
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| It's time for the last level. Get in the power armor! |
Along the way, you've got action setpieces that are ripe for a video game translation, especially a battle within the MNU headquarters. Bulk up the scene with the Nigerian gang and you've got another memorable FPS level, complete with a power-up at the end: the alien force gun. Add a little more conflict in the opening eviction scene and you have a great first level.
There are many similarities between District 9 and video games, but if you looked hard enough you could probably find ties between most movies and gaming, right? After all, games have been drawing inspiration from movies for years. But even the plot progression of Distict 9 feels like a game, with the main character moving from action setpiece to action setpiece and acquiring upgrades like an alien mutation, alien weaponry and the mech battle suit. Add one or two more action scenes, and the film would be ready for a direct translation into a game. I'm not the only one who has noticed this.
This article is in no way intended as a slight of District 9. I'm not saying it's a ripoff or calling its creators thieves. What I am saying is that the sensibilities of games are becoming evident in movies, after years of games being influenced by films. Titles like Metal Gear, Uncharted, Gears of War and many, many others have admittedly drawn from film. Now, the relationship is moving both ways, with movies like District 9, Gamer, Crank drawing from video games. Maybe that's progress, maybe it's not, but either way it's clear that video games are increasingly part of the mainstream.
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