3. Sharlto Copley As Wikus Van De Merwe In District 9 (2009)
District 9 was a shock to most of Hollywood. The passion project was produced by Peter Jackson and directed by Neil Blomkamp after their plans for a film adaptation of the video game Halo fell through. No one really knew what to expect even after seeing the viral marketing campaign and the fantastic but cryptic trailers. When the movie was released both moviegoers and critics praised the films message and storyline. The film follows Wikus Van De Merwe, an employee of Multi-National United, a government entity in charge of dealing with the aliens (Prawns) that are living in Johannesburg, South Africa. The film starts as a documentary with Wikus as the subject of the film. He leads a huge team of MNU employees and soldiers into District 9 where all of the Prawns live. They are trying to evict the Prawns from District 9, which has essentially turned into a run-down refugee camp, where warlords, rather than the government, are in control, and move them into a new settlement. While trying to evict one particular Prawn, Wikus accidentally touches an alien device that sprays out a mysterious black substance. Wikus consumes the substance and begins to feel sick. He starts to slowly change into a Prawn and is brought back to MNU for experimentation. Scientists get the okay from the head of MNU, who happens to be Wikus father in law, to harvest his organs. By doing this they will be able to use the Prawns weapons, which can only be used by them. Fearing for his life, Wikus escapes the MNU and tracks down the Prawn whose device is responsible for causing Wikus transformation.
Why is he a terrible employee? Wikus finds Christopher, the Prawn whose device has now turned Wikus into a disgusting human/alien hybrid. The Prawn tells Wikus that he can turn him back into a human if they can somehow get back to the monstrous ship that is hovering over Johannesburg. They will need the device that Christopher was working on that is now being held up at MNU headquarters. Even though Wikus says it is impossible to break into the MNU building, they do so anyway by stealing some alien weapons and blowing a massive hole into the side of the building. MNU must have forgotten about Wikus status as a wanted criminal, because they left his security access to MNU Headquarters intact, which allows Wikus and Christopher to enter a top-secret storage/lab area and get the device they need. A shootout occurs between Wikus, Christopher, and MNU agents. They kill the agents and retreat back to District 9 to try to get back to the ship. I wont spoil the ending, but lets discuss what has happened to Wikus. He was a normal desk employee given a promotion at an important company run by his father in law. He ends up accidently becoming an alien and is subjected to experiments that are performed by the company he works for. Its completely acceptable that he would be upset with the MNU, but he did blow up the building that contained a lot of his friends and coworkers, kill more than a few MNU agents, and end up becoming a wanted terrorist. Maybe he should have just stayed behind the desk.