District 9 (2009)

Fresh and Exciting

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

District 9 has a first-time director and a cast of unknowns, yet it manages to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with many of the big-name movies. The performances are excellent, and the characters, as well as the story, are complex and interesting. Plus, it blends "news footage," documentary-style footage and traditional filming almost seamlessly. I'm impressed.

Out of many films about extraterrestrial species that I've watched arguably District 9 is the best. Out of many reasons as to why I would regard it as that ; the most important is the fact that the Aliens are depicted in a much wider scope and with a lot of personality in this film. Specially, the lead Alien character Christopher along with the leading performance by Sharlto Copley as Wikus carries this wonderful story on their shoulders and executes the plot to perfection. This film is also about how malignant human beings can be to our own species where they don't blink to betray our own at the face of financial benefits which are sunk deep in technological advancements. Certain characters in this film almost make us feel how far our basic human values would deplete for the greed of power and money in this technologically advancing World. Colonel Koobus and Piet Smit are those worst strains of humanity. The film maintains an emotional grip throughout the film which would keep you totally invested in its plot unfolding. Specially, Wikus whose wonderful character arch with his own insecurities make him feel compassionate about the Aliens which in turn would make us feel compassionate about him. Anyone who is a fan of science fiction films wouldn't wanna miss this one equipped with fantastic visual effects, action sequences, and masterfully layered emotional grip which keeps you invested from start to finish.

Great movie! Made in the style of a documentary. It's gripping, touching and very, very watchable. The main attraction for me was the role played by the main character - he's a wimpy, nerdy, beta guy, who's a bit of a dork. But circumstances lead him to become more than that. Really enjoyable, and well-made movie.

This film shows quite clearly what the writer of the story thought about apartheid, an idea of a time he could have no clue about. First of all Neill Blomkamp was born near the end of apartheid and was too young to have seen any of the "unfairness". Then he also immigrated to Canada at the age of 18, meaning that he was from a strong financial family. To top things off he attended Vancouver University, a feat that no upper middle-class family could dream to achieve. So I want to know, what on earth made him an "expert" on apartheid and what on earth was he thinking bringing aliens into it all?!The film is basically an ANC propaganda film, with Wikus playing the part of FW De Klerk and Christopher playing the role of Nelson Mandela. Two different species (races) uniting for the freedom of the majority. It is a film about a smart alien race who endured space for years with technology that would destroy anything we can throw at them yet they were too "stupid" to use this tech for some reason??!! Was it because Neill sees black south africans as stupid? The main character Wikus was a prawn hater turned prawn lover without reason or premise. My review might not be the best worded, but it's because too many angry thoughts are going through my head, this was horrible and a waste of money making it so high budget just to spread more false south African propaganda. The only reason this film isn't getting a 1/10 from me is because as a south African I feel the need to give higher rating for our films, but this is with a very heavy heart