When I first saw the trailer for "District 9" a while back, I was not sure what I was watching. I had heard nothing about it, no other previews geek chatter or anything. Needless to say, I was excited to see the the film to satisfy my curiosity.
It was a different film than I had expected, but this is a good thing. It was centered more on dramatic theme rather than action, but it was definitely not lacking in that department either. There are some not-so-subtle references to the apartheid that has occurred and is occurring in South Africa, where this film takes place. Humans do exactly what you think they would if aliens landed on our planet - segregate, dissect and "learn" from them. As the film goes on, you can't help but empathize for the aliens for the way they are treated and for the conditions in which they are forced to live in.
The movie was filmed in a very realistic manner, using mostly hand held cameras with the occasional POV camera, which provides for some really cool effects. Those that tend to suffer from motion sickness, be ready for it. I don't mention this as a bad thing, because it adds to the urgency and the tension of the film. The CG is incredible for a movie with a $30 million budget. The mother ship looked awesome every time they showed it and the alien weapons were a force to be reckoned with. The sound effects were perfect! Whether it be the aliens communicating or the myriad of weaponry, it was just as good at "Terminator Salvation" from earlier this year.
Sharlto Copley is an amazing actor and I suspect you'll see him in many films to come. When you are first introduced to his character, you see a guy who should be working for the Geek Squad at Best Buy (no offense to any readers), but by the end of the film he's completely opposite of that image. The supporting cast is superb. They don't really have huge parts, but they are an integral part of the film that acts as a glue to hold the film together.
I am confident in saying this is probably the one of the best films of the year so far. There are a couple of slow portions of the film, but not enough to pull you out of it. Director, Neill Blomkamp, created an amazing world in his directoral debut. It is a film that will be a cult classic, but is also a film that an every day movie goer can enjoy as well.
Grade: A-