Thirty years ago, a spaceship carrying a cargo of sick, malnourished aliens appeared above the city of Johannesburg, South Africa. Panic ensued until a group of humans infiltrated the ship to discover the ship's huddled, frightened masses. Initially, the Earth's governments pledged to help the planet's guests, but after years of idleness from the aliens, derogatorily referred to as "Prawns," as well as the introduction of Nigerian warlords and weapons (both human and alien) into their society, the alien camps deteriorated into slums. In response, relocation plans are put into place to move the Prawns to a new camp further away from Johannesburg. Relocation agent Wikus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley) is put in command of the operation, which proves daunting thanks in large part to the Warlords who aren't about to give up their new playthings.

The situation gets worse when Wikus comes in contact with a mysterious alien liquid that begins to slowly reconfigure his DNA. Wikus begins to undergo a violent biological transformation, but also gains the ability to use the Prawn's destructive weapons, making him a valuable asset to the military who has spent years trying to crack the technology. Wikus's metamorphosis also gains the attention of the Nigerians, who believe eating Wikus will make them more powerful.

Although all sci-fi (well, good sci-fi) is built on some message about the human condition or other social issues, District 9 is not a message movie, at least not overtly. Similar to X-Men, social commentary is left as undertones, placing well-choreographed and incredibly violent (in a gruesome way) sequences at the forefront. But under the slick digital effects, set pieces and story of aliens is a much deeper story grown from Writer/ Director Neill Blomkamp's own experiences with apartheid in South Africa. It's no coincidence the Prawns end up above Johannesburg, and the events that follow their arrival - presented in an incredibly effective pseudo-documentary style - help build an incredibly powerful story. Though a pure work of sci-fi, there's something incredibly realistic about how events play out through the rapid-fire succession of news stories and interviews that build the film's backstory and eventual climax.

The gritty storytelling is accompanied by a slew of impressive technical feats managing to present something that is more "sexy" than "real." There are a few noticeably "silly" effects issues, but everything in District 9 looks incredible. District 9 was filmed on a Red One HD digital camera, so everything looks as sharp as any HD transfer can get. If you have the option, this is a movie you want on Blu-ray. Every shot in the film is perfect from a technical standpoint. The colors are bright, details are sharp, details are everywhere... this is how HD is supposed to be done.

Many of the film's technical feats are covered in the film's overly generous extras, including a number exclusive to the Blu-ray release. "Alien Generation: The Visual Effects of District 9" covers the challenges of integrating the all-digital aliens into the film's grit-filled world, while "The Transformation of Wikus" investigates the film's practical make-up effects, mainly on Wikus's metamorphosis. Both should be required viewing for anyone interested in breaking into the effects field. "Innovation: The Acting and Improvisation of District 9" covers the importance of improvisation and how it can help elevate the story's realism, especially when using the film's documentary approach.

The behind-the-scenes extras are accompanied by an incredibly in-depth commentary track from Neill Blomkamp. Commentary covers nearly every aspect of the film, including his short film Alive in Joburg and its relation and eventual evolution to District 9, Wikus's character progression and his relationship with actor Sharlto Copley, shooting locations, weapons, why certain decisions were made (particularly during action sequences) and the film's underlying tone and metaphors. Blomkamp's commentary is a must listen.

The only "weak" extra is "The Alien Agenda: A Filmmaker's Log," a three-part "Making of..." sequence looking at film's origins, themes, and shooting schedule all intercut with cast and crew commentary. Though worth a watch just for a few details, most of the information is available in the other, better-produced, features.

Also on-board an already over-stuffed list of extras are 22 deleted scenes as well as a playable demo for God of War III available to viewers watching on a PlayStation 3 and an exclusive "Making the Game" featurette.

The lack of longer, thrill-a-minute action sequences makes District 9 one of the year's more polarizing movies. You'll either like it or won't; there's little space in between. District 9 is definitely a more "grown up" sci-fi film; replacing most of the high-octane action set pieces that typically define modern sci-fi with emotionally-tense situations usually more at home in dramatic thrillers. There's plenty of action to go around, but viewers typically in the "more shooting, less words" mindset will find the short sequences unsatisfying. Regardless, District 9 ranks among some of the best sci-fi has to offer.