District 9 had a lot of cool trailers but I still wasn’t sold on it. I’ve seen enough alien movies that were quite boring. Sure, Peter Jackson produced the movie but his last movie, King Kong was just average. The movie had some creative marketing including ads on bus stop with warning signs against the aliens and videos that looked like real news footage.
Synopsis from IMDB.com: An extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth suddenly find a kindred spirit in a government agent that is exposed to their biotechnology.
Review:
First time full-length director Neill Blomkamp, has achieved what many blockbusters has failed to do: character development, captivating story and great special effects. What’s even more impressive is the $30 million budget of District 9.
At first, the movie felt like a rehash. Shot in documentary style, it reminded me too much of Cloverfield and Blair Witch with the handheld shaky cams. Once the story progressed, it was a different experience. I was glued to my seat. The characters were great, especially the CG aliens. I really felt for them. The bad guy was one dimensional but he could have been a lot cheesier.
District 9 is structured similarly to James Cameron’s movies. It uses special effects and action scenes to further the storyline. So once the action starts you still care about the characters and it never gets numb. The special effects is top notch, especially the last 15 minutes. I won’t spoil it but DAMN, it’s a nerd’s wet dream.
Another good decision by Blomkamp is that he respects the audience. The movie doesn’t explain the whole mystery behind the aliens and this adds more depth to the film. It’s up to us to interpret if they’re good or bad.
Sorry G.I. Joe, District 9 is my new favorite movie of the summer!
Grade: A-
Here’s Blomkamp’s Halo video, that started it all:
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Circus80
Aug 15, 2009 -
I liked the movie very much. It was a good old time. This is definitely a nerd’s wet dream. Wet dream? Hell, it’s a nerd’s monsoon. But really, it’s a very made done movie. I’d also give it a A- grade, and extra points for the subtitled swear words spoken by the aliens. 🙂
Mike
Aug 16, 2009 -
I believe its “Alive in Joburg” that started it all, which would later be turned into District 9.
Alive in Joburg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHYBpljIckE
Mike
Aug 16, 2009 -
Yellow is also an awesome short by Neill Bolkamp. Last thing he did before District 9 and after the Halo shorts
Yellow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmd8BDiB-qU
AW85
Aug 18, 2009 -
I absoutely hated it. I had my eyes closed for more than half of the movie.
John Spartan
Aug 18, 2009 -
This is the best movie of the year for me, tied with Star Trek and Up.
Ccfmds
Aug 22, 2009 -
I WANTED to like the movie, but I found it muddled, overlong, and often a mess. It was still very ambitious. I finally posted my review of it.