Going into the cinema I had mixed expectations as I only saw a handful (yet interesting) posters and only one trailer. I only heard a handful of reviews yet all of them came from this site. Well, I decided to hedge my bets and walk in anyway. And I'm glad I did.

"District 9" is a wallop of a film that is also one of the year's very best films. It perfectly presents the balance of human emotions and CGI mastery. The acting is top notch and believable, and the characters are so realistically presented; even the protagonist is deeply flawed, and during some scenes I wonder who should I root for.

The story is well told; a refreshing, unique and somewhat original scenario, one that we've never experienced for quite some time. The atmosphere is bleak, dark and realistic, actually making me believe this thing can actually happen here on Earth.

The special effects are excellently rendered, and actually give more than their money's worth (Only US$ 30 million! And the effects were amazing, as great as anything WETA has done before!). The creature effects are so realistic we could not tell the difference. Thanks to none other than WETA for this amazing feat, and I hope they get an Oscar for visual effects. But the practical effects are believable too, as per the engaging and thrilling (and also non-stop) action sequences in the film's second half. And boy, those weapons are awesome! Special mention goes out to the fluid editing. Example, first half of the film works like a docu-drama, and the second half becomes a hybrid of Black Hawk Down, and we don't notice the change of pace. It's that brilliant.

Peter Jackson really knows how to pick a good story and director when he sees one. And I want to shake Neill Blommkamp's hand if I meet him. He is certainly a talented director, and one to look out for in the future. (P.S. If that Halo movie is still going on, Blommkamp has proved that he is the man for the job) In short, it's an excellent science fiction action film, but not without it's intelligence. It may have a few flaws and very few clichés (these happen near the end of the film) but it is still very solid nonetheless. If there is a sequel, I'll be first in line to see it.

Overall value: 8.5/10

This is such an incredibly weird movie that I am not even sure if I can adequately describe it, but I'll try. The film is, through the first half, a mockumentary about a problematic alien problem that will supposedly be happening in the near future. In 2010, an alien ship appears over Johannesburg and just hovers there. When humans eventually decide to cut through the hull, they find the ship packed with over a million aliens--aliens that are starving and look like giant bugs. Well, there seems to be no one in charge and they all are apparently workers who have no real purpose other than to work. When the UN decides to finally do something about it, the aliens are herded into a giant ghetto like those used during apartheid. And, for the most part, they are reviled or exploited--and kept as a permanent underclass.

The film mostly centers around a rather dim civil servant, Wikus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley). He is the leader of an organization sent in to move the bugs to a new facility that also totally sucks--but is away from the humans--who have come to totally distrust and hate them. But, in the process he accidentally infects himself...and where this goes next is just amazingly weird! And, once infected, the film stops being a mockumentary and follows his new life as a wanted man. Why is he wanted, who wants him and what this is all about is just too much for this short review--really.

So let's talk about the film. I used to think that movies like "Happiness of the Katakuris", "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" and "Delicatessen" were weird films, but "District 9" clearly sets a new standard for weird and creative. You simply cannot find anything like it--and it's wonderful to find a film that is this unique. Plus, like good sci-fi, this one is a great allegory with deeper contemporary meaning--with a lot to say about us screwed up humans! By the way, this movie is rated-R and it clearly deserves this. The language is very, very rough but the film is also very gross--with lots of blood, guys, vomiting and the like. It is NOT for a person with a weak stomach or children...seriously...do NOT let the kids see this one! Because of this, although I loved this film and was blown away by it, I also cannot see it as a perfect film--hence my not giving it a 10. It's just unnecessarily adult when it could have been a great film for a much wider audience.

Sci-fi has been in a bit of a rut in Hollywood so it's refreshing to see this South African take on the genre. Here, aliens are subject to apartheid and the film's "hero" is a guy committed to driving them away from mankind. The lead character is one of my biggest problems with the film. He's a jerk, and his redemption comes way too late in the proceedings. It should have come after his first escape, but even at the climax he's still acting like a jerk. The actor's fine, it's just the horrible character we're saddled with that rankles me.

Still, the film's look and polish is spot on. It's done up to look low budget, with hand cameras and the like, and this makes the presence of the aliens all the more remarkable. Truly, these are the best CGI creations I've ever seen. They live and breath on the screen in a way that surpasses even Gollum and the lead alien guy is my favourite character in the film.

Things begin quite slowly but pick up once the main character is exposed to some alien fluid. From there on in there are references to Cronenberg's THE FLY and other films but DISTRICT 9 retains its own individuality and flavour. There are some big, brutal battle scenes which are a lot of fun and an impressive military climax in which all manner of robots and weapons are used to destroy humans, vehicles and buildings. By the end, I was thoroughly entertained by the film – especially as it was the first blu-ray disc I watched on my new player.