District 9

Pros: Great effects, well shot, socio-political relevance
Cons: Nothing

It’s been a while since I saw a sci-fi movie as impacting as District 9. Movies such as Star Wars, Blade Runner, The Terminator and Alien have been identified as benchmarks of the genre and after District 9 starts to get noticed by mainstream ...

Pros: visually appealing, aliens are integrated into story nicely
Cons: very very preachy, far too violent, wooden supporting characters, soulless story, weak third act

District 9 is the type of movie that doesn't come along very often, which presents something new to the science fiction genre, and seeks to impress audiences with that originality.  Well to a certain extent, District 9 does succeed in ...

Pros: Excellent story, good acting and excellent special effects which don't dominate the film
Cons: Graphic violence

Even though I shouldn't have, I went to the midnight showing of this film (shouldn't have because I had to work the next day.)  I had read good reviews of the film and was intrigued by the trailers.  I thought it was a powerful film which ...

Pros: Animation, dialogue, interesting concept.
Cons: Pacing, plot, flat characters.

"Prawns" have a strange affinity for cat food and rubber.  An odd diet for an alien species that resemble their seafood moniker both in appearance as well as reputation (as bottom feeders).  Their spaceship first appeared in the skies above ...

Pros: Good story, effects, and commentary; Sharlto Copley
Cons: Beginning is very slow going; some parts reminiscent of other recent films

Something unusual has been hovering in the skies of Johannesburg for over 25 years. From that object, aliens from another planet have settled in the city. The inhabitants of the city have forced these crustacean-like beings, whom they disparagingly call ...

Pros: great film-making, good underlying themes, entertaining
Cons: simple story

District 9, produced by Peter Jackson, directed by the untested Neill Blomkamp with a practically indie-sized budget of $30 million accomplishes many things as a milestone sci-fi flick for this decade.  Unfortunately though, thanks to the ...

Pros: Fresh and original, great effects, gripping story.
Cons: Starts a bit slow.

It's a common theme in Sci-Fi. The cold, calculating aliens come to Earth to steal our planet, and it's up to the noble, valiant human race to find a way to defeat them. You've likely seen it in films like ...

Pros: Brilliant performance by Sharlto Copley.  Amazing aliens, solid social dynamics.
Cons: Dark, dirty, depressing, and a little too close to home.  Pacing is a little slow.

District 9 (2009) Directed by Neill Blomkamp   "We are from the Government, and we are here to help."  The eleven scariest words in any language.   When aliens arrived on Earth, they did not land in New York, ...

Pros: Great special effects, fun, great value, very intereting
Cons: None

This summer has been one that science fiction geeks have gone crazy over. We had two $200 million blockbusters like Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen and Terminator Salvation and we also saw the mightily successful return of the Star ...

Pros: Intense, fast paced, somewhat imaginative, good special effects
Cons: lots of things don't make any sense, opportunities squandered.

District 9 is an intense, engaging medium budgeted futuristic rollercoaster ride with impressive special effects.  It’s a thinly disguised political film with several things on its mind including apartheid and xenophobia (dislike of ...

Pros: A pretty good remake of the Alien Nation concept.  Some funny scenes.  Impressive special effects.
Cons: Non-stop, nauseating, unsteady, constantly whirring around camera work.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this year's Academy Award for jerkiest camera work goes to.... <tears open the envelope>... DISTRICT 9!   The award will be presented by the President of the Dramamine Company and motion sickness pills will be ...

Pros: Great story and a great main character
Cons: How long must I wait for the sequel?

DISTRICT 9 works spectacularly well.  There, I thought I’d just sum it all up right at the beginning.  You can stop reading now.  It’s simply one of the very few movies of this year (which has not so far been a great year for ...

Pros: Imaginative in both conception and execution.  Surprisingly well acted.
Cons: None from my perspective, but some expecting more conventional sci-fi sounded perplexed.

There is a lot to write about District 9, so I'll begin with my conclusion:  This, the the first feature-length film from director Neill Blomkamp, is the best science-fiction film in years, probably since Terminator 2 if not since ET and ...

Pros: no-name actors and hand-held camera shots really give the film its documentary realism
Cons: The aliens looked a bit hokey, hand-held camera shots were a bit much in places

District 9 is one of those films that I didn't want to know anything about before I saw it - other than the few previews I saw.  My step-son came home and raved about the film, so my wife and I had to see it.Going into the film I ...

Pros: Entertaining popcorn movie.  Rousing Score.  Sympathetic character. 
Cons: A lot of improbabilities, but still entertaining.

District 9 is unlike any sci-fi movie in recent memory.  The last time I was wowed by sci-fi was the Matrix.  Good sci-fi only only comes around so often and like the Matrix, what Peter Jackson (the producer)  has done is make the ...