District 9 Reviews

For me District 9 is neither a masterpiece or a bad movie, instead it is an interesting but not entirely successful kind of movie.

For a low budget movie, District 9 does look excellent. The cinematography, editing and effects are very, very good, and I did accept the aliens appearance wise. The soundtrack and sound also create a sense of foreboding and genuine atmosphere, the concept is amazing and the film does start off brilliantly. The acting overall by a largely unknown cast is good, as is the direction, and the lead characters are likable.

What didn't impress me so much, is that while District 9 does have heart, that I could see from how it was made and the enthusiasm of the actors and director, I wasn't entirely involved. As I've said, the film starts off with no problem, but the final third with plot points that were either rushed and underdeveloped or silly or clichéd wasn't so good. The story doesn't quite live up to the concept for me, it was intriguing and thoughtfully handled but thin, the support characters aren't as well-thought out or as likable as the leads, the dialogue has some sketchiness that is particularly evident in the slower parts and final third and the pace does get sluggish sometimes.

Overall, I did like it and was intrigued by it, but sorry it isn't a movie I would see again in a hurry. 6/10 Bethany Cox

let's cut to the chase, this movie has one of the best 3rd acts I've ever seen in a movie.

now let's face it, a lot of movies were awful in 2009. disappointments, overrated garbage and just bad movies. oh my god, the score. this is probably the best movie score since batman begins. something I like is that the score is a real score and not that marvel nonsense.

the action is realistic and the story makes sense. Sharlto Copley is one of my favorite actors and his performance in this movie is Oscar worthy. I liked Elysium and Chappie was pretty bad but I still have faith in this director. people don't like Elysium because the world is bribed my violence.

It's an underrated masterpiece that should be more appreciated.

One of the most brilliant sci-fi films ever made! I need to see it again and again. It's so good! I love its unique documentary style camera.

I wasn't a fan of this film when it first came out, I must admit after three or four viewings I have quite grown to like it. It's an action movie, and for all intents and purposes an intelligent one, but don't expect a ton of depth in terms of character development or symbolism.

The plot is pretty simple- a colony of about 1.5 million bug-like aliens have their ship break down on them above Johannesburg. After several months of the ship just, well, hovering there, a team of people get inside the ship and find that the aliens are agitated, starving, and living in their own filth.

The 'colonization' of the aliens goes pretty much exactly the way I thought it would in reality- no laser beams, no probing, just good ol'-fashioned oppression and humans sticking their noses where they don't belong. The people build a ghetto for the aliens to live in squalor and fear, and tensions rise.

The 'her a the center of the story is Wikus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley) a clean-cut buearocrat who does everything asked of him with punctuality and zest. The film is told in found-footage 'flashback,' where friends and family lament the fate of poor Wikus, who seems to have gotten himself in too deep.

The turning point in Wikus' life seems pretty typical for movies like these, as he ham-handedly slimes himself with some alien goo, which incites his transformation from a man to... wait for it... one of them. As soon as he begins changing, he is considered barely even human and the people he once considered friends want to dissect him and use his parts for their own ends.

As you can probably guess, Wikus seeks help in the most (ahem) unlikely place... from the creatures he once feared and hated. The actor Sharlto Copley is great here, and I'm glad he seems to be getting more recognition. I don't usually like action movies (especially ones like the "Transformers" series that rely to heavily on CGI,) but this one was pretty good in that it didn't let the special effects dominate the movie and it had a point.

Despite the fact that it's a story about tolerance and a allegory of Apartheid, things don't get that sappy, and Wikus' change of heart, ever so slight, doesn't seem too forced or implausible. I would have liked to have seen some more development of the two main aliens, personally- the character development there seemed to be a little weak.

I know it's such a cliche to hail the special effects of a mainstream movie, but the creation of the aliens, or 'prawns,' as they are not-so-affectionately called, is really quite extraordinary. It's hard to make insect-like extraterrestrials sympathetic or even plausible, but this movie pulls it off.

"District 9" is definitely worth a watch, mostly for the strength of Copley's performance. None of the other performances really stand out, but then again, Wikus and the aliens are given the majority of the screen time, so it would take someone really extraordinary (maybe like Christoph Waltz) to steal the spotlight from them.

Action film skeptics and people who don't know the first thing about Apartheid should still like this, because the movie doesn't dwell in explosion territory and the theme is selective yet somehow universal- that people fear what they don't understand and that most people will do as they're told, and lack the strength to do otherwise. Chew on that, fimmgoers.

This film was excellent. Yes, action, yes stuff going bang/splat and so forth but for me the brilliance was in the incisive social commentary, about which a book could be written. Despite the simplicity of the plot and the predictable chain of events the attention to detail and documentary filming style with multiple fast-cuts was appealing if sometimes overwhelming.

The weapons implication of metamorphosis was predictable as was the callous disregard for life that MNU subsequently showed but it is still a disturbing metaphor that is all the more powerful because it is entirely plausible. The plot was far from perfect - I winced at the obvious stupidity of Wikus taking a cell-phone when it was certain he'd be tracked by it - but in a high-pressure situation even cool heads make mistakes. But on the aggregate it was pretty enthralling and the quality of cinematography kept my whole attention.

Great cast all round and wonderful to see so many unfamiliar faces though the
two standouts for me were Sharlto Copley and David James who made the rubber meet the road with carbon-steel performances.

The filming style and direction seemed to collapse the wall usually between the viewer and the situation and you were there behind the camera, simply brilliant.

I can't wait to see Blomkamp's Elysium in 2013!

"Jotenkin yhdistelmä aivotonta actionia ja kantaanottavaa sanomaa ei koskaan oikein toimi kunnolla, ja tässä siitä on hyvä esimerkki. Alun dokumenttikohtaukset olivat mielenkiintoisia, mutta sen jälkeen lähdettiin perus blockbuster-linjalle missä CGI ja räjähdykset hallitsevat. Melkoinen pettymys."

District 9, a surprisingly emotional science fiction/thriller is one of the most unique and original films of the year. It starts off as a documentary, a very clever way to make the whole concept seem realistic. The concept is aliens arriving on earth and being kept in slums by the humans, and not being allowed to leave. Being produced by Peter Jackson, you would expect it to be a visual feast and it does not disappoint. The aliens, or 'prawns' as they are called, are incredibly realistic. It had a wonderful start and terrific ending, but faltered slightly in the middle when, in my opinion, all I wanted to see was how it turned out in the end. However, overall it is a fabulously unique film and deserves its Oscar nomination for 'Best Picture'.

Fab! One of the cleverest and funniest "sci-fi" movies have had the pleasure of watching. Yes it is sad in parts but thought provoking with a mixture of entertaining plot and "cool" special effects that will certainly keep you glued to your screen. Ignore the train of thought that the film is an attempt at making a political statement - there are a number of ovbious parallels but view for what it is.....a blinking good story.

Actually, I wasn't really interested by this flick but when I saw that it was on the IMDB top 250, I was intrigued and I thought I should give it a shot. Eventually, I thought it was a very interesting and entertaining movie. I especially enjoyed the 1st half which was just great. Then, the 2nd half was little too much action-oriented for my taste but still it was a very good and original picture. The other day I watched it again with Nick, my step-son, who really loved it and it still holds up pretty good. One of the best thing about this flick was also the main character, Wikus Van De Merwe. I mean, the guy is a total moron and I thought it was really refreshing, in contrast with all the stereopycal heroes you get in your usual commercial productions. It's too bad Wikus wasn't so interesting in the second half when, suddenly, he got himself a conscience. In my opinion, it is still rather exagerated to put this movie in the top 250 best movies ever made. I mean, it is definitely an interesting flick and it may belong to the best movies coming out in 2009 but it is definitely not a masterpiece, at least, not in my opinion. To conclude, for a directing debut, in spite its flaws, it was still pretty impressive and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

Neill Blomkamp brings to screens a fantastic, gritty, realistic piece of science fiction with District 9. Not since Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner", John Carpenter's "The Thing", or James Cameron's "Aliens" have we seen a science fiction film with a vision of this caliber. After viewing District 9, it will be clear to one and all why Peter Jackson put so much faith in Blomkamp and took him under his wing as protégé.

Abandoning the usual settings of Hollywood sci-fi and placing us in the harsh slums of South Africa, we are given an original piece of work which takes risks in the way it tells its story. Not only does it go against the expectations of audiences who have been trained to expect mediocrity from their sci-fi, it goes above and beyond the call of duty to provide us with spectacle as well as something to ponder after we've downed our popcorn.

There is, thankfully, not an overused, overexposed celebrity in sight, and every unknown face in the film gives a solid performance. The aliens themselves, brilliantly realized with top notch CGI even manage to make us feel something, only rivaled by Gollum from "Lord of the Rings".

District 9 has so much to like. It's spectacular, darkly funny, entertaining and thoughtful all at the same time, and it's all done on a meager $30m budget. There is true talent on show here. If only there were more films like this, the world of cinema would be a more interesting place