South African director Neil Blomkamp’s story of alien segregation and despair after their accidental arrival on earth dramatized South Africa’s tradition of apartheid. Blomkamp went further, twisting stories such as Black Like Me to create marvelous ironies and conflicts tin District 9 that evoked cries of sympathy from the audience at the Fairmount Cinema 6.

Despite the influences from history and drama, District 9 stands as one of the most creative science fiction films in years. Though it bears no resemblance to Star Trek, District 9 carries on that original series’s effort to flesh out our social conflicts within a science fiction setting.

With District 9, the Fairmount was able to execute a 1-2 punch on archrival Carmike, as G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra, finished at No. 2 with 22.3 million. G.I. Joe did drop about 60%, and that’s steep, but typical of action films heavy on the teen demographic. In a manner similar to the latest Harry Potter, though, G.I. Joe’s opening was so strong that it is closing in on $100 million in earnings after only two weeks.

The Time Traveler’s Wife finished a strong third with $18.6 million in earnings. Rachel McAdams performs well and draws well, and Eric Bana completes the pairing, both developing an excellent chemistry with each other.

Overall, Box Office Mojo reported the North American box office rose 14% over last year.