District 9

To be honest, things have been going downhill for the sci-fi genre for a long time, at least since the famous Star Wars films by Lucas. Too often, both viewers and creators confuse it with the popular fantasy genre, which is much easier due to its fairy tale themes. Pure sci-fi films are rare and are often made according to a certain template, for safety reasons. Blomkamp's District 9 is a very pleasant innovation and a combination of several subgenres into one spectacular and satisfying spectacle. In its essence, it is a simple story in the style of a straightforward adventure, interwoven with many action elements of classic sci-fi, spiced up by a documentary introduction and an interesting anti-hero in the lead role. Sharlto Copley does not look or act like a positive character for most of the runtime; instead, he acts like a cynical opportunist (the scene of the "abortion" of an alien newborn) who is primarily trying to save his own skin. The main motif of District 9 is the racial segregation of different ethnicities and cultures - it is no coincidence that the director placed his story in South Africa... In addition to the cramped environment of South African slums, there are dynamic camera shots that capture action scenes without the viewer losing track for even a moment, unfamiliar actors who are trying their best, a range of directorial ideas, raw dialogue, and overall creativity, which make District 9 look more attractive and visually impressive than many genre counterparts with much higher budgets. The fast pace and tension allow the viewer to overlook certain logical errors (one can only envy Wikus for how quickly he learns to control the combat robot with alien technology) and shortcomings. Although District 9 may not be at the absolute peak of the genre, it is still my nicest cinematic surprise of this year... Overall impression: 85% (20/09/2009)

I’ll say up front that it's a better 4 stars, because I'm still a bit bleary eyed. It was there, what people are like. There was action. There were powerful weapons. There were interesting aliens. It was cool X-D I'm so freaked out about it. It's definitely worth a movie ticket. It really was beautifully believable, the documentary style didn't hurt it, at all. Watch it again? Why not. Well, the best part was the use of the "dusting" gun anyway. I guess I'm a weirdo for liking it... In short: I have such a hard-to-describe feeling about this movie, but my cheeks are burning, which means it was good and that I paid maximum attention. (16/09/2009)

Definitely the surprise of the year. I really didn’t expect D9 to be this good. The original approach of the guy who I’d almost written off during the test shots for Halo blew my mind. Blomkamp knows his stuff. He’s good at provoking mixed feelings, where you don’t know whether to laugh or be disgusted. The whole movie is supported by an amazing performance from the unknown Sharlto Copley and his Wikus is everything but a good-guy main lead. Regardless everything he does at the beginning, the viewer still can be on board with him. Most of the people and the prawns, are bastards anyway. When I think about it, the only actual good guy was Chris. :-) It’s the best sci-fi so far this year (but this will probably be beaten by Avatar which comes out December 17th). This year’s Terminator can go take a walk. - Should I shoot the little bastard? - , you can’t shoot it now, it’s illegal to do that. (14/11/2009)

Yeah, it is original, but I couldn't get rid of the feeling that the director, in an attempt to kick the audience's ass as much as possible, sometimes overplays his hand, which was especially evident in the insanely action-packed and over-the-top ending. On the other hand, the main idea is really good, the narration in a light documentary style is quite brisk and the depiction of the aliens as despised scum of society feeding on garbage is a really unprecedented touch of diversity, on which everyone has to make their own opinion. I definitely highly recommend watching the film, it’s a shining example of the fact that even with a little you can make quality and suspenseful science fiction that doesn't play games and serves what the viewers expect. That said, I would never call it a cult-classic. 75% (23/05/2012)

There was a loophole in Hollywood, and a guy who is no stranger to the word "compromise" slipped into the A-list mainstream. I’m glad Peter Jackson gave Neill Blomkamp the chance to make an incredibly engrossing and captivating sci-fi for a ridiculous thirty million. The film squeezes out the subject matter to the last drop, and then there are the special effects sequences. The feeling of "this is how it might actually happen..." beats the viewer over the head in every scene, and yet it doesn't falter in its pace. Objectively, I could ask several "why and how?" questions, but subjectively, I was ecstatic the whole time. If Blomkamp really does make a "Halo" movie, I want to see "Hal-Life" from him too, the guy’s got what it takes! I hope he succeeds. (20/09/2009)