District 9
| release date | August 14 2009 |
| studio | Columbia PIctures |
| director | Neill Blomkamp |
| writer | Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell |
| starring | David James, Sharlto Copley |
| rating | R |
| tagline | You are not welcome here. |
| site | district9movie.com |
| trailer 1 | Trailer #1 |
7 Comments
District 9 is AMAZING. Definitely one of the most original and imaginative films I’ve seen in a while. Technically it was excellent and visually impressive, a blockbuster with real intelligence.
Best movie I’ve seen this year…So far
I agree 100%. This is the THE best movie of the year… I’d like to see what can top it. This movie blew me away. It was absolutely amazing.
I was hooked about 10 seconds into the movie and stayed hooked until the credits. Fast, bloody action, a terrific main character, and great effects. The story feels very plausible (in the off-chance we ever encounter intelligent aliens, that is), and pays EXCELLENT attention to details, really wrapping you into the setting. One thing that kind of bothered me throughout the first half or so of the film was that the aliens and humans could talk to each other. You eventually learn that the aliens are MUCH more intelligent than they let on from earlier in the movie, so, OK, I guess they’re smart enough to figure out english after 20 years, but it was never made clear how humans came to comprehend the alien language. It would have been nice if that was fleshed out a bit, but whatever, by the end of the movie you probably won’t give two shits. And the end absolutely BEGS for a sequel. I would imagine they would call it “District 10″ and hopefully it will come out 3 years from now, that would be kinda nice (this makes sense when you see the flick. The movie is also really quite unpredictable. Traditional cues, like “here take this can of cat food, they love it” or whatever, you expect they end up using the cat food to fend off an “evil” alien, but it turns out the next time cat food plays a major role is when the protagonist starts eating cat food during the madness of being overcome when slowly morphing into an alien. These kinds of ‘throwing you in the wrong direction’ are everywhere, as well as emotions overtaking characters and causing them to act unpredictably. So original, so relentless. Best movie of the summer and one of the best movies in the past few years.
I was fortunate enough to see the film just before it’s US release, and I feel blessed by the opportunity.
Being a South African myself I feel a new sense of patriotism as I realise that one of our very own has created a blockbuster film that has nothing to do with the USA. A lot of the production team was local to SA, not the mention the lead actor who has created an entirely new breed of sci-fi action hero the world never saw coming.
I don’t want to spoil the plot for anyone, cause it’s a guaranteed thrill ride you’ll want to see over and over again, and own on DVD as well. The special effects, donated by PJ’s WETA company are revolutionary, so expect some serious eye candy.
I found it such a novelty to see the my home town of Johannesburg in a big-budget sci-fi movie, that is turning heads all around the world. It’s given our nation the necessary kick up the ass it so desperately needed.
Here’s to the sequel!
Jay
On Screen
Best movie of the year so far. I’d say it’s the best sci-fi movie since Empire Strikes Back. I’m not much of a sci-fi fan, but do check out all of the new movies from the genre that are supposedly “groundbreaking” or what have you and nothing has topped this since ESB. Great camera angles and cast. The aliens were refreshingly unique as well. Quite a few people here have given this a 9 out of 10, what could have been done to get a 10? This movie was flawless.
This was such an epic film. The cinematography is beautiful. The cgi is great. The best film in the last decade. The ending was perfect but a little depressing. A must watch film!!! I would see it another 2 times.
I had very little idea of just what I was getting myself into, but in the case of District 9, that was a good thing. Even thirty minutes into the movie, I was wondering whether or not it was going to be a bust. But oh, no, it was far from a bust. Seeing this amazing little movie reminded me of how it felt to see Close Encounters or Jaws for the first time. And it was incredible what Neil Blomkamp did with such a pedestrian budget. This movie brought out the kid in me, that whole sense of wonder that goes along with it, and my eyes were glued to the screen. I can only give my thanks for this labor of love at a time when movies are getting so bad that I hardly want to go see anything anymore. All I could keep thinking was: damn, this is the guy they wanted to handle Halo? What the fuck are they waiting for, give him his frigging budget, a’ready!!!
As close to perfect as your going to get!
In a couple of words FUCKIN BREATH TAKING…. Go see this flawless sci-fi movie that will stand out and the best sci-fi since star wars…
“WTF!!” except imagine that actual words instead of those 3 letters that’s what I heard when that Legion Trailer came on and the old lady ripped out that guys throat.
And that mood was the whole tone of the movie with just the sicking conditions “Christoper Johnson” and the rest of his people the “Prawns” are kept in. I felt truly pissed watching this knowing this was a sort of reflection of what Neill grew up in. “Prawns” replacing the displaced Nigerians that live in areas like District 9. The stress and weapons like tactics the MNU use on the Prawns and main character in this movie, make the pictures of men who are suspected terrorist being treated like dogs look like a slap on the wrist. and that’s just the first half.
The second half is a gore fest in the best and worse ways I’ve seen in movies EVER, with exploding heads, bodies and people just getting ripped apart LITERALLY!. It’s action it’s fast pace and makes sense, but at the same time every things has gone nuts and it shows with the attack by the main character to the Prawn “Chris Johnson”. Nothing goes how you think it will though. It’s just a total MINDF*** even the ending your sitting there thinking “wait I though this wasn’t going to happen” but it dose.
The special effect is above what the remake of King Kong was for the time, ABOVE What the ORIGINAL KONG was for it’s time. you believe the Prawns are real except for the fact YOU KNOW they’re CG, they look real, they act realistically if you never saw CG in your life before and you saw this movie thinking it was a real documentary you would freak out because they look that good. like if you went into a coma around the time Alien was made and woke up now you would think the Prawns were real.
Wilkus is your lovable oaf of an office worker and he comes off as a real dude mainly because you’ve never seen that actor in another movie and he had that Average Joe look. He when gets mad he curses, when he’s sad he cries and you believe he’s mad or sad he portrays human emotion.
If you don’t know about this movie make sure you never look at a spoiler, a image from the movie or anything go in Fresh as a baby into the world. The only thing you need to know is that the only movie that could beat this is James Cameron’s Avatar
so good to see an “action movie” which does not focus entirely on the action, but rather the action flows perfectly with the story and you don’t care much that it is there because the movie itself is just so fuckin’ Well Made. Ala terminator or transformers, the movies sucked bad because ALL there was was “cool shit” to stare at… which got boring after the first action scene or the 30th “here are my lips and boobs” shots of Megan Fox…. sigh
District 9 is simply superb… I cant think one thing to knock it for… where I expected bad acting and “ok” action scenes, I got a hilariously well done and thought provoking beginning/middle and a truly badass finale where you really CARE for the characters.
GO SEE IT NOW. Bring on the sequel!!
Slow to start, but once you get past the “government conspiracy” fluff, the movie really shines. A shame the story didn’t kick in earlier. Still, it’s really original and definitely kicks most other sci-fi films in the ass.
Wow. I was totally expecting to be disappointed with such high hopes and all the positive reviews..
This movie truly delivered and was enjoyable from the first 10 seconds to the last. Highly suggest!!
Great film all around. Definitely see this.
This was one of the most interesting cinematic experiences I’ve had in years. It’s downright terrifying to watch how the media is set to depict what they are told to… I really loathed the main character at first but then, through peril, he redeemed himself. There was so much intensity – I needed a film like this to get the blood pumping in my veins again.
great movie, great blood, great everything. Enough said.
I can’t even go into detail how amazing I thought this film was…I’m still in awe over it. Brilliant, heartbreaking, heartwarming, beautiful, original, scary, funny, and well, breath taking. That doesn’t even do it justice. Just see this movie, and support originality in films!
Masterpiece. Period. a prefect film.
Best movie of the year!
AMAZING.
This movie blew me away.An instant classic in the sci fi genre.The gritty feel of the film made everything so believable and intense.Now this is the summer movie that’s worth bragging about.If this film is not OSCAR worthy than that would be a crime.Should be nominated at least for best picture,best directing,best actor,best original screenplay and best cinematography.Plus all the technical award that go along with it.
Its a DAMN GOOD FUCKING MOVIE!! Nothing else
10/10
Really good movie. Bring on the sequel…. 8.5/10
Absolutely riveting. Can’t wait to see it again. So much glorious, gritty eye candy. Flawless, sublime ……. don’t miss it. Believe the hype!
An amazing movie for sci-fi OR horror fans. It had amazing effects, great gore, and an awesome story. Definitely one to see in theaters AND to buy once it comes out. An outstanding film.
Okay, I came into this with no pretensions–we were originally gonna see “A Perfect Getaway” but it was sold out . So in we go to District 9: it was a little too CNN for me in the beginning but it soon took off. I loved the CGI effects, and the scumbag guy in the beggining redeemed hmself by the end. It was an entertaining evening and isn’t that whywe go to the movies?It is definitly a go see for the big screen and I see it as a real ground breaker. Reminds me of War of the Worlds, Cloverfield but brought to a differnt and more human/non human level.
I wasn’t a huge fan of this highly overrated documentary like sci-fi/fantasy that had a couple of brilliant action scenes, a great and interesting story and a terrific lead actor but it just was an surprisingly underwhelming movie experience. I thought this would be the hit of the summer but I thought it had a pretty slow beginning that had me looking at my watch and all of the good stuff didn’t happen until towards the end and that’s when the movie really kicked into high gear. I thought the aliens weren’t that intimidating and weren’t crazy or freaky enough and some of them were adorable like E.T. and though there was alot of graphic scenes this is probably the most family like rated R flick I think I’ve seen or at least close to it. This is probably more humane than what this sci-fi flick leads you to expect and is one of the best thing about this flick and makes the whole situation in the movie very realistic. Overall as a whole I just didn’t buy it or was that thrilled by it but it is very different and intelligent and iteresting but just not the classic that I was hoping it would be and is no Cloverfield or Star Trek when it comes to entertainment and memorabilia. I’m just disappointed but interested where they are going with this story if at all. Wait for DVD!
People who wanted a big budget action explosion-o-rama with nasty, evil, unrelenting aliens will surely be disappointed because this movie is so much more than that. Sorry Independence Day loving Hollywood fanatics, this movie is not as streamlined and predictable as you’re used to.
Hopefully more films can take a cue from this masterpiece; guess what? You don’t need hundreds of millions of dollars to tell an epic science fiction story. It was almost daunting how much of this movie was REAL.
The aliens, or “prawns” as they are called by their human captors, are the real victims in this film. They’re not taking over or trying to destroy humanity. They are simply trying to co-exist because they are forced to given their unfortunate situation. In fact, I would call the prawns more “human” than their factual human counterparts.
The film is full of questions of morality. Most importantly asking “have we really come as far as we think we have? Are we really so much more evolved than our barbaric ancestors?”
The film is clearly just a fraction of a greater chronicle. Whether or not the rest of the story is ever told is irrelevant (though would undoubtedly be appreciated by the masses) because it’s so thoroughly effective as it stands.
for once a movie where the hype is just.
ummm i fell asleep during this movie….
Excellent People VS Aliens! Humans Lose!
I heard a lot of hype before going into this movie. Which more often than not leads to a disappointing experience. Thank You PJ sooo much for backing this amazing piece of art. This movie is an instant classic and the less you know going in the better time you will have. All you need to know is that movie has great acting, great story, and yes even great action/gore wich serves to further the story and is not for eye candy like every other shity blockbuster than came out (gi.joe, transformers). Any nay sayers are probably the people that hate any movie where you have to think and has actual emotion amongst the chaos. Horror518 why dont u go watch prom night the remake again…. and take feddy off as ur icon for fuck sake u should be banned from this site.
I loved it!.. I didn’t read up on the movie at all, I just went and saw it. And I must say Mr. disgusting was right, it absolutely added to the whole viewing experience.
I was excited to see this flick, but 10 minutes into it the disappointment overwhelmed me. Everyone should be warned that while this movie has some interesting plot points and good FX, it is told lazily in that Blair Witch / Cloverfield mockumentary style complete with shaky camera and actors “pretending” to be in a real situation (which is rarely believable). I understand that the lead actor improvised most of his lines. It shows. Furthermore, he was an extremely distracting, unlikable Steve Carrell type. This style of storytelling may appeal to our pre-teens and our reality show buffs, but it does not make for a good film experience for the rest of us who love SciFi. So just be warned. If this is your cup of tea, you’ll love it. Otherwise put this one low on your Netflix queue.
I really enjoyed it. I thought the beginning was a tad bit slow but the special effects/cgi were amazing enough to make up for that. Oddly, my friend who accompanied me thought it was boring, predictable, and thought the aliens were just a copy of the Fly. Oh well, I’m glad most people liked it, including myself.
Oh yeah 3 years….
Best summer flick hands down. The best flick ive seen in awhile. Highly recommended. Way better then both transformers… thats for damn sure.
Awesome movie
Fantastic movie, the presentation, the characters, hell even the aliens. everything in the movie was believable and exceptionally done well. I loved every minute of it. the special effects were some of the best i’ve ever seen.
*a teensy bit spoliery!*
I really wish someone hadn’t told me that this was a “mockumentary” before I went in, because during the first part of the film because I went in with some pre-concieved notions.
In the beginning of this film I did not know how to react. Is this supposed to be humorous? Scary? Serious? Who do I trust? Who are the good guys? And from there I was on one hell of a ride… and the realism of this film is unrelenting.
I left feeling amazed, excited and hopeful for a sequel! This my friends is what movies are supposed to be! I immediately wanted to see it again.
words are not enough to describe how perfect this movie is. I dont now if you now this but this is a prime example of immergration and racisum the aliens are not doing anything to us so why are we harming them? They just want to go home. Best movie ever go see it.
Simply awesome.
Although i found the main character unlikable at times and the camera hard to follow at times(this coming from someone who had no problem with Cloverfield), i really enjoyed this film and its originality. Definately recommended.
Well I would agree that instead of reading these reviews you should be sitting in a theater watching this amazing film. While more sci-fi than horror, it has its moments where you get a bit of both. A great mix of story and violence all played out in what seems to be a not so distant future.
When you see the trailers it leads you to beleive that its going to be the typical type of alien abuduction/alien invasion type film, but its far from it. Great character development from the human side and the aliens or prawns as they call them. From the steady cam shots to the some what over the shoulder “shaky cam” shots it really gives you a sense of what there dealing with on the ground and in the sky. The film gives you enough information that your not left scratching your heads wondering how or why this is all happening.
While watching the movie myself, I could’nt help but geek out and notice the great alien design as well as the ship and mechanical designs that were used through out the movie. They picked a great landscape that adds even more to the aliens and what there lives consist of. Also the weapon designs were something else that I was so fascinated by, I wish they could have focused more on that, but again that was just me geeking out.
The story alone grabs you and has you on the edge of your seat wondering whats going to happen next. Its been so long since Ive left a theater with so much food for thought. Just wondering and thinking of all these different scenarios and what ifs that could have taken place.
Over all just a great fun movie that left me wanting more. Easily the best summer movie by far.
Not a bad movie, but definitely over-hyped. I wish there would have been a little bit more explanation about some things, but sometimes I suppose it’s better to leave things to the imagination.
I didn’t think this movie was all that. It was an interesting concept filled with lots of cliche’s. There were a lot of unanswered questions as well.
Fucking Fantastic! I think maybe even the best movie ever. I can’t believe any of you have anything bad to say about it but oh well. Anyone who hasn’t seen it yet get your ass to the theater!
Great alien movie. Must see
I loved this movie. It is a great sci fi/horror thriller, but underneath the mask of genre lay a representation of human character. That is what made this film so chilling. The action was great, and the second half of the movie definitely delivered in the blood and gore category.
I enjoyed how we went from despising Wilkus for being such an arrogant man, feeling sympathy as he slowly loses everything that he had. His own step-father was willing to have him dissected alive for a profit. The movie portrays a side of humanity that is often overlooked. The greedy, violent nature who would perform sick experiments on living creatures who are intelligent, just weaker than humans. This movie in ways reminded me of the holocaust with the experiments and district 9 which reminded me of the ghettos that jews were forced to live in. This movie has a warning hidden underneath the action side
‘District 9′ is a unique experience that you have to see to believe. It successfully mixes a compelling story, social commentary, and some great gore into an awesome, blockbusting package. This is the sci-fi classic you never saw coming. See it now!
Great original sci-fi/action flick, not what I expected, but still very good. Will go down as one of the best movies of the year.
I can not stress enough how boring this movie was! After seeing it; by the next day I had forgotten the ending. A few days later I forgot the title of the movie! The movie starts out action packed and is action packed throughout. My gripe with this is that eventually and especially at the beginning, there’s so much going on onscreen that it becomes confusing as to what’s going on and you eventually get bored until the story (which it seems took a back seat to the action) kicks back in. The storyline was great, I just wish there were more of it. I never really got to change my opinion of the main character by the end of the movie. I thought of him as a jerk at the beginning and by the end I really didn’t care about him or whether he achieved what he wanted to do.
Anyone who was told this movie was all shaky cam was informed by an idiot. The first little bit of the movie is like that, but it transitions to standard film style shortly into the film.
This movie was fantastic! Best Sci-Fi film since Aliens. I loved it and plan on seeing it again!
one of the best science fiction films of all time.. best movie this year BY FAR
My fiance and I went to see this film yesterday afternoon. Walking in, I was not sure what to expect, but I was plesently surprised by the film’s end. This movie was spectacular. I had no idea that it would contain so much emotional appeal. I absolutely love movies that allow me to have a connection with the characters. The story was one of a kind and kept me drawn in throughout the entire movie. I highly recommend that everyone see this movie. Without a doubt, the best movie of the summer thus far!
THIS MOVIE WAS HONESTLY ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES OF THE SUMMER I WILL GO SEE IT AGAIN, I LOVE THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF THIS MOVIE AND IT MAKES U THINK HOW THE U.S WOULD REACT IF THIS TYPE OF THING WERE TO HAPPIN.
~@D@m~
woooooow. that was awesame
This and the hurt locker are easily the best movies of the year.
I convinced my brother to go see this Friday night instead of basterds cause i told him bloody disgusting gave it a great review and boy were we pleased. easily the best of the year with taken coming a close second. Great story loved the main character he really made the movie work. i thought the ending was great thou can’t really make a second one it would take away from the uniqueness of the film. great movie go see it now.
SHEER BRILLIANCE.
Enough said.
Great Flick one of the Best Films of 2009 by far and should have several oscar nominations for effects….could even be nominated for it’s wonderful writing. Oh yeah and for the idiots with no taste on this site writing worthless reviews the movie answered all the questions it needed. We the audience are supposed to fill in the blanks even knows some of you on here may not be mentally able.
so awesome. laser guns, robo suits, aliens, and exploding humans. oh yeah a decent story to boot. sci-fi horror doesn’t get much better than this
Everyone I knew that had watched it said it was boring and slow but I felt the complete opposite. Just because there’s a lot of action it doesn’t make the movie great…take transformers 2. I enjoyed this movie a lot.
Although I was reaching for better, the end result still stands as a good science fiction film that is way better than any remakes or films based on a toy line that is around these days.
I recommend the film for a unique experience that takes a slightly different turn than what most mainstream films stick to.
Simply amazing.
district 9 is a visual feast of amazing suspense the right amount of horror and sci fi and gives a strong message. the movie plays out well from start to finish, it begins simply telling us about the aliens and wat they have been doing over the last 20 years and then cuts to a scene with the main character wikus and he is telling us about MNU which is the agency keeping the aliens inside of district 9. so the begining gives us an idea of wat these creatures are (prawns) and so they need to evacuate these prawns to a different district (district 10) because the people of johannesburg are getting frustrated with these prawns and how they interfere with their everyday lives which leads to riots,murder,illegal trades between aliens and humans. so on with the rest of the story. when our pal wickus goes to tell a prawn named christopher that him and his son need to leave district 9 and he needs to check the shack that christopher lives in but only for MNU rules they have to check every shack and wickus finds a cylinder that christopher has been working on and has a fluid inside of it that could bring the prawns home but wikus doesnt know this and he presses something on the cylinder and sprays him in the face, 16 hours after exposure to this fluid we find that wickus is mutateing into one of the prawns. now as the worlds most wanted man is on the loose and needs to find a place where no one else would ever dare to look……District 9. everyone has been waiting for the movie of the summer to leave them breathless and it has arrived get in line for the must see movie of the summer this is garanteed to make u shiver again but till next time. there are a lot of secrets in district 9
thanks pulse101 for giving away the whole movie for people who haven’t seen it. what are you a teenage girl? dipshit!!!!!!!!!
Wicked and Weird this movie was really pretty cool I enjoyed some of the mocumentary iterveiws at the begining of the film. I liked the aliens who were treated like slaves and that they were being suplied supplys from gang members this is simply a statement about racism. I really enjoyed this movie.
it pains me to say it but i was disappointed by this, i didn’t know exactly what to expect but this wasn’t close to what i imagined it would be.but that being said,it was a pretty good film,at some point seemed kinda cheesy and kinda reminded me of a buddy-buddy cop movie or something but all and all i give it a 8/10
Elite Film
I must be the only person that thought this movie wasnt amazing. It is GOOD, just not great. Extremely overhyped, but definitley worth seeing in theatres as well as buying it on dvd / blu-ray
All hype and extremly anticlimactic. It’s an interesting concept but it couldn’t get me to take it seriously. I expected way more.
Hm.. It’s hard for me so say whether I loved this movie, or I just liked it a WHOLE lot. No matter what, it was a GREAT movie, but is it worth a ten? I don’t think so. A nine? MAYBE. I think an eight will do it, though. An eight for a movie that was very exciting, a little slow in parts, a little stupid in parts, but all the while very exciting. The blood was fun, the exploding heads were fun, the lesson they wanted me to learn? Not so much fun.
Let’s have a run-through on my problems with this film:
1. The CGI. I don’t know what movie I was watching, but it can’t be the same “District 9″ that got RAVING reviews for it’s animation. It was kind of lackluster to me. It was less OHMYGOSHLOOKATTHAT! and more eh, it looks fake, but he just ate something, so it’s cool. I supposed I don’t have so much as a problem with this, more of a disappointment that it wasn’t as good as it could’ve been.
2. The main character. He didn’t appeal to me. At all. And I know that makes this a stand-out, diverse movie and blahblahblah, but they couldn’t have picked out somebody a bit more attractive? A bit more worth rooting for? Who was he? What’s so important about him in the movie? “Ooh, he’s getting what he deserves cause he was an ass to the aliens.” Really? I think his character was childish through the entire movie, even in the serious parts. Worthless… worthless.
3. Peter Jackson. Where the fuck was his vision? It seemed Peter Jackson-less to me. Sure, the movie was EXCITING, but it wasn’t fun. At all. Nope.
4. The run-time. I’m a person that likes long movies. Selfish? Sure, it’s selfish, but I just enjoy knowing I still have time to see more plot roll out in front of me. Maybe that’s why I gave “Watchmen” a ten.
All-in-all, I had minor problems with “District 9″. I’m rethinking my originally-proposed eight for something… less? More? I don’t know. It was GOOD. It wasn’t the amazing intense action movie of the summer, but it’s what I’ll settle for as the best I’ve seen this summer. Though I did enjoy “Star Trek” and “Inglorious Basterds” tons more. Just saying. Long movies.
In the beginning, I thought that it would be a typical sci-fi flick with some zany aliens doing zany things to humans and to each other. This film is good but not one that would compliment Peter Jackson’s reputation. What carried it through is that it had an actual storyline that would let you feel interested in what the characters were doing and not just a typical human vs aliens type of film.
I honestly was not expecting much as I was walking into the theater, but this movie had some GREAT ACTING in it. The movie was basically flawless. However, the bald guy from the army at the end got WAYYY too big a part in the film and took down a whole robotic armor by himself. The guy can only die if he has his head ripped off by the aliens.
If you loved Cloverfield and the Fly you will love this movie! The movie is filmed in documentary style, where the camera is very shaky at times. Some think that is makes the movie more realistic, others including myself think that it gives one a headache!
If you can overcome this annoyance, then then next obstical in the movie is the maincharacter who is respondsible for relocating the aliens. He resembles an over the top british guy. Either you love the character or you hate him. I found him very annoying, as they were trying too hard!
Well the CGI was excellent, but that is just not enought to make a movie interesting for me anymore. The plot which most people tend to love was just average at the best.
So all in all I though this movie was a little above average, but the shaky cam and annoying main character drew the score down to a 4/10.
Insted of this movie your should watch The Fly and City of God to find some of the same themes, and they are both superior!
Like others have said, it’s made in mockumentary style with shaky-cam and bad acting. The action scenes are over the top and unexciting, the plot is nothing original. This movie was way overhyped and overrated. I was bored throughout this movie, it contains nothing of any real substance.
Utterly amazing!
this movie is frickin awesome
This was one of the biggest hyped fims of 2009. Who can refuse a alien, sci – fi horror flick? Well, in this case, you can’t, because no doubt this is a great movie. But why the seven score? Well, the shakey camera and odd acting doesn’t really do anything good for me, in this type of movie? The camera isn’t as shakey as likes of Cloverfield and Five Across The Eyes, but it is a headache of a camera, and doesn’t feel that real while watching. The other problem is the acting. Don’t get me wrong, the aliens and such are acted amazingly, but there a few acting issues, that just isn’t good enough to get it a solid ten. But, despite the problems, District 9 is a heart pounding, gory sci – fi movie. Exploding humans, robo suits, guns, gory and disgusting aliens, this is a film that will please fans of Predator, Alien and The Fly. The plot is wonderfully thought out, and the visuals are stunning (again, despite the shoddy camera work). District 9, though, overall, is a great, alien horror, that is worth a look for any occasion.
7/10
wow! one of the best movies ive seen in a while.
By far one of the greatest sci-fi films of the year. Very action packed movie full of alien weapons all sots of crazy alien experiments. If you have not seen it yet GO SEE IT!
great movie
i didnt think it was as good as some people made out, i thought the comaprisons with apartide was really obvious and not very subtle thought it was jsut okay thought the guy who played wikus was very good though, and i liked the effects very realistic and couldnt tell was blatently cgi like some films recently (cough, avatar) on the whole not bad effort but not something i’ll be desperate to watch again
District 9 starting up with a retrospective of the last 20 years from when the aliens stranded with their space ship over St. Johannesburg and the reactions of humans about the “arrival”. Social tension and problems of beings living in asylum. Crime and dark sides of society abusing poor aliens.
On the other hand the interest of the military in alien technology and weaponry against the attempt to “save” the aliens by moving them into another “exile”. At the beginning there are a lot of aspects the film reflects but also the main story line arises in parallel.
Wikus van de Merwe turning from a pallid unremarkable office clerk to a “hunted hero” and the reason why this happens and how Wikus changes throughout the movie is absolutely changing the picture.
District 9 is a fresh movie with just the right amount of computer graphics and a good story line. Especially a new way looking onto aliens and not the typical humans vs. aliens story make this movie extremely watchable and enjoyable.
I did not quite like it… The plot fails to surprise. Sorry!!!
You might’ve heard of District 9, otherwise known as ‘Not Halo’, or ‘Cloverfield with Aliens’, but neither of those titles give this movie the credit it deserves. I love the occasional alien movie, chase flick, or documentary but never have I seen a movie that has all three of those elements, transitioning between them seamlessly. One minute you’re watching a documentary about District 9 (the group of slums the aliens live in), the next minute you’re watching an intense chase movie, and than the film transitions into a fierce action flick. Read on for my take on the movie that could’ve been Halo, and if you haven’t seen it, spoilers may ensue.
I’ve decided to be rebellious, so I’m going to review this movie as an action film, chase movie, AND documentary. The first third of the movie is almost entirely documentary style, as we learn what’s been going on in this alternate universe. The story takes place twenty years after an alien ship came towards Earth and began hovering over Johannesburg, South Africa. After three months of no contact the not-so-patient humans decide to blast their way through the ship only to find over a million malnourished aliens. It’s assumed the survivors are workers, and their leader has disappeared (or died) so they take the aliens out of the ship and throw them into a fenced in area, designated District 9. Twenty years of overcrowding and militarization have turned the district into a group of slums, forcing the humans to find a new place for the aliens, called Prawns, to live.
Enter Multi-National United (MNU), and Wikus van der Merwe (the lead played by Sharlito Copley) who is given the task of getting the aliens to sign eviction notices so they can be legally moved out into the new District. While collecting signatures Wikus and his group come along a house where a very important artifact is being held, an artifact Wikus decided to play with, which sprays a liquid in his face making him sick. He realizes he’s not sick when his teeth and nails begin falling off (never a good sign) and when MNU realizes what’s happened the movie quickly transitions from documentary to chase movie.
The chase section of the movie comes at the perfect time, as the audience is caught up they know the characters, and what’s going on, so before anyone has a chance to get bored the movie switches into high gear. Wikus has to run from MNU *SPOILER* because his mutating DNA allows him to use the alien weaponry, making him a valuable commodity for MNU who have been trying to figure out how to use the alien’s weapons for twenty years. *END SPOILER* In the end he discovers that the only safe place for him is District 9, and after he gets settled in there the action movie begins.
There are quite a few spoilers in the action movie segment of District 9, so I’ll skip those and talk about the aliens awesome robot weapon, or what I refer to as the Giga Prawn. The Giga Prawn has a weapon similar to the Gravity Gun from Half-Life, which allows it to stop all incoming projectiles, like bullets, and shoot them back at its opponents. During this part of the movie the only thing going through my mind was how great a District 9 game would be. The excellent story, alien weaponry, the Giga Prawn, it’s all there.
But District 9 is more than an excellent sci-fi action movie (or a potentially good game), it also carries with it a message: People are paranoid. Humans, as a race, are xenophobic bastards who are just looking out for ourselves. When the credits began to roll and real life washed over me as it usually does once an immersive movie ends, all I could think of was how disgusted I was with the people in this movie. People are extremely messed up, and like the quickly transforming protagonist, Wikus, I too would like to be a Prawn.
I haven’t seen Star Trek and Inglorious Basterds yet, but so far, District 9 is the best summer movie of the year. Transformers, Terminator, Wolverine: all of them sucked hard and was only made for business purposes.
The protagonist has the best debut performance this year. The plot was original, and even though it was cool, I didn’t quite like the Robocop thingy in the climax. I would’ve give this 4 1/2 skulls, but it lacked plot holes. Now that summer is over, brace yourselves for the second worst movie (Dragonball-1st) of the year: NEW MOON. I’m puking already
if you dont like this movie something is wrong with you.
i fucking love this movie.
this movie is like three different types of a movies.
first, its like a documentary movie. then, its a chase movie. by the end of the movie its a full on action movie and the action is incredible.
i havent been that excited in years.
this is not the best movie of the summer. its the best movie of the year.
so far…
What a great Movie I am not a big fan of scifi and I expected this one to be.I was impressed how a Movie with Alines felt so real and believable its great to see something with Spaceships and Aliens that is nt far fetched and down to earth.
One of the best Sci-Fi films of the 21 century.
This was one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time. I’m not into sci-fi at all. Did anyone else think there was an under lying tone throughout the movie? The main character was great, because of how he changes his attitude along throughout the movie.. South Africa film was simply refreshing…
great film
fantastic movie, excellent from beginning to end!
Chalk this one up to a very pleasant surprise! District 9 was a damn good movie. im usually not into sci fi (just not my cup of tea) and that is the reason this one flew under my radar. ive read the reviews and seen the previews and i decided to give it a shot thanks to all the positive reviews. i really liked the story and how you can relate it to what is going on in our world today. the design of the aliens was original and a welcome departure to how there normally thought of. i felt for the lead guy as the movie went along and by the end, i wanted him to succeed and was rooting for him and the (father?) alien and his son toward the end of the movie. the FX were very good and were seamless to me, nothing stood out and seemed to be very real. some pretty bloody moments thrown in as well. nothing surprising as far as the story goes but its well told and will suck you in. i also loved the ending and added to the overall experience. this is definately a great movie that i overlooked and am glad i gave it a watch..not to be missed!
Great flick! Loved every minute of it!
one of the best alien movies out there
A really cool movie, one of the best alien movies I’ve seen in years. Not great and a little misleading in the promotion. The scene where the alien in in the interigation room is not even in the movie. It good though and definitely worth watching.
Wasn’t sure if I would like this when I found out it was sort of shot documentary style, but got it on the netflix anyway. Me and the oldest boy, who is a big sci-fi fan, watched it the other night, and I will have to say that even though it started off a little slow it picked up big time, and was a very good film. We both liked it alot and I know it will be buyer.
Enjoyable film, but severely over hyped. It’s funny how huge plot holes in other movies get flack, yet in District 9, they are just an “aura of mystery.” WTF? I give it props for entertainment value, and for upstaging Hollywood in terms of what can be done with a relatively low budget (what’s your excuses for your over bloated costs, Hollywood?). Too many unanswered questions and improbable situations for me to get behind 100%, but I recommend everyone see it none the less.
Great movie..Great experience..check it out
Truly fun in the “no real answers” vein like Cloverfield. It keeps you thinking afterward.
Extremely over-rated by the masses to be perfect (which its not, there are plenty of holes in this one), but its a damn good sci-fi film and it looks sweet on bluray.
Holy shit! This movie lives up to and exceeds the hype. Forget Star Trek and Avatar. This is THE true sci fi blockbuster of 2009. I love how this movie came out of nowhere and took everybody by suprise by being so damn good. Bursting with relentless action, excellent effects and a politically charged story, it goes to show there are film makers out there who want to shake things up and not give us the same old same old. Sure, it’s not that original but when was the last time you saw a movie as exciting as this? If this is Neil Blomkamps debut then his career is destined for greatness.
wow wtf? this movie was real bad!
I loved this movie. It contains some scathing commentary on racism and real-world issues and is accompanied by plenty of action and great acting. Best sci-fi film I’ve seen in quite some time. The direction really stands out, what a debut effort from Blompkamp. Hell, Peter Jackson produced, so there wasn’t much doubt it would be great.
i was so realistic, the way human nature works. We as people would probably react in the same way, too distance these creatures far far away. I thought it was shot in a great way, i thought the acting was fantastic. The fx were stunning. Everything was perfect, at least to me, about district 9
Endlessly fascinating. The creature f/x I’m pretty sure are CG, but they blend in so seamlessly with the rest of the film that you can barely tell. *Gotta love the magic of HD DV filming* This film proves that you can do sci-fi/action summer movie and tell an intelligent story at the same time. *take note, Michael Bay and Stephen Sommers*
Just imagine if David Cronenberg did an alien movie and it kinda played out like an episode of The Office…sorta. Great stuff. Plus is it only me, or does Sharlto Copley kinda look like a young Robert DeNiro?
District 9 is extremely overrated. It was a good movie but I didnt find it to be so amazing like everyone else does. As far as visuals go, they were astonishing but just because the visuals are spectacular doesn’t mean its an outstanding epic movie. It may seem like i have alot of gripe on this movie but I dont actually. It was a great movie with a good storyline with amazing visuals. All in All, District 9 was a good movie but just a bit overrated.I recommend it though.
District 9 is extremely overrated. It was a good movie but I didnt find it to be so amazing like everyone else does. As far as visuals go, they were astonishing but just because the visuals are spectacular doesn’t mean its an outstanding epic movie. It may seem like i have alot of gripe on this movie but I dont actually. It was a great movie with a good storyline with amazing visuals. All in All, District 9 was a good movie but just a bit overrated.I recommend it though.
simply awesome! great acting and storyline!
Great movie all around. I didnt really want to see this movie but my friend rented and I watched it and thought it was amazing. The story, characters, acting, special effects, were all top notch. I loved it.
I got so emotional watching this movie, and I still get a little tear here and there when I watch it. The feel to the movie was so realistic, and it showed how human beings would react in a situation like this. I had a hard time getting into it at first, but as the movie progressed I wouldn’t even blink in fear I would miss something great. I like how it wasn’t scary horror, but rather just an action-drama. Probably one of the most amazing sci-fi movies I’ve seen- ever.
The Film District 9 was made for a very low amount of money and you watched this film you will be like wow this movie was made fro 30million dollars and they still managed to make that stuff come to left the way they did. This movie came out last August and was loved by everyone critics and the audience they showed it becuase it did take the top spot back on that August 14th weekend!. The film is finnaly out on Dvd and i say now that it is go and pick it up.
Now i am not gonna be as enthusastic as everyone else by saying o this movie was great should win Best Picture.. No i did not like it that much but it was a good effort the movie did manage to keep me Enterained and the brought the Aliens to Life so well i actully felt sorry for the Aliens for awhile. The emoitions on there face were so releastic i almost started crying right there. If you need to make up aliens for whatever reason see what people made this movie they did a hell of a job.
Now the reason i am giving this a 4 star is becuase at some points the film lost me in its dialogue and i was confused at times. I Thought they were talking about one thing and then they were talking about a different thing but please that should not stop you from seeing this film.
The Story here is more original that anything an Alien Mothership has landed in Johannasberg South Africa and they have been quarantined in District 9. They Have been living there peacefully i guess but everyone in South Africa wants them to leave. Then there is this New Anchor played by Shartlo Copley who does a fantastic job as the guy who has to go around and give eviction notices to the Aliens of District 9. Well one day stumbles upon this black container containg a fluid that well i will let you find out the rest.
Distrcit 9 Was very well crafted and very well enjoyable from the start to the expolisve action packed finish.. District 9 is definatly something worthy of Checking out.
B
ReviewdByNate
RunTime112mins
RatedR
Thanks For Stoppin Buy
this movie was absolutely epic. i saw it at an iMax cinema in London for the first time then as soon as it was out on DVD, blagged it.
first, i love the way it is shot in the whole documentary style. i didn’t like Cloverfield anywhere near as much as this.
then there’s the way the main character changes throughout the movie from being a bit of an annoying idiot to a true hero who you feel deep sympathy for by the end. i liked how the character is totally out of his depth especially when the real action starts. amazing acting goes to Sharlto Copley, so believeable. i also LOVED the alien creatures and how human-like (if that’s even a word) they were. some scenes were genuinely emotional to watch and you really felt for them.
the storyline itself is interesting, tense and full of action. i like the underlying issues of racism which is shown in the names the humans call the aliens (prawns) and how it’s not the main focus of the movie but is subtly used.
total perfection. if you have not seen this movie, DO IT. you will not be disappointed!
Boring overrated? what more can i say.
One of my favourite movies ever. I loved the way it’s shot, I love the story, the characters and I love that a movie like is finally for once, not set in the U.S.
loved it, its a great Sci Fi flick that is gripping and interesting, full of great gore. worth several watches
District 9 is quite easily one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made. It blows Alien and The Thing out of the water, a film like District 9 must be something special as I hate sci-fi films and this is about as sci-fi as it comes! Aliens, spaceships, space-age guns it has it all so sci-fi fans can eat their hearts out. But all this crap doesn’t impress me.. well, it usually doesn’t but District 9 pulls it off phenomenally.
District 9 is an action packed extravaganzer which combine sci-fi and action together very much like Terminator 2 which is a hard nut to follow but I think that District 9 just about overtakes it.
District 9 starts off as a mockumentary which is outstandingly original and I don’t think I have ever seen it done before quite like this. It allows the audience to familiarise itself with this new realistic alien world we are now plunged into. It almost makes you belive that a giant space ship is hovering outside in South Africa. Abnother aspect that the director has chosen which makes the film overall more realistic and classier is the idea of aliens landing in not New York or Chicargo or any other big cities but in South Africa, a thrid world country already dealing with riots and racism which adds a brilliant new aspect to the film.
The first half an hour also has a rather dark comedy side to it, I didn’t know wheather to laugh or not but I did and I feel that you were meant to. The “prawns” themselves are ugly buggers but underneath that repulsive extorier is a friendly, lonely creature that just “wants to get home” it shows that the humans are the real monsters, they know nothing about the aliens which again adds a really improtant moral and questions humanity.
The reason why District 9 is so brilliant is because there is not one moment where I started to lose interest, I needed a wee but I just held it in until it hurt, every frame is just a pure adreneline rush. District 9 blows Alien and The Thing out of the water because District 9 is not just only a ferocious action thriller it also has heart and soul.
STOP READING ABOUT IT AND JUST SEE IT NOW!
@horrorking95, blows Alien and the Thing out of the water? BS!!! Nothing will ever blow those out of the water!! Yes this movie is good, but be realistic! Although, I suppose you’re entitled to your opinion, even though it SUCKS!
this was full of poo it was really boring i could not even get trough the hole film but my parents sure liked it
Quite an enjoyable movie but I didnt find it very gripping and even though it wasnt to long it seemed to go on forever.
This is a must see. Lots of originality. A new classic.
I actually liked the movie I did wait awhile to see it. I thought it was going to be different then it was.
Top notch film, anyone that likes scifi should check this out.
this movie was weird…..but in that awesome sorta way! great effects,great actors,great writing! The first sci-fi movie i really got into in quite sometime.
This movie has received quite a bit of positive attention, and I must say I’m at a loss to understand. I’ve read through the positive reviews here and understand that people like it, but I’m still not sure why. I will say that it is impressively made and that the lead actor does a very good job (although I wouldn’t say the same for the rest of the cast). However, the script is a little weak and filled with questionable character motiviations and plot twists seemingly designed to eke out the maximum amount of gore from the project. But my main gripe is that when all is done, the film doesn’t accomplish anything.
this was a fun movie to watch. i liked that the aliens were made with a little character for a change. the plot was also pretty good, like trying to touch on the social aspects of an alien race just showing up and living with all of us humans. worth watching. hope the sequal is better.
Weird didnt really do anything for me.
Personally, I think this is one of the greatest ever movies made.
I can understand why many don’t “get” this movie.
Partly because its based in South Africa and not in the usual settings like New York, Washington, LA etc
But mainly because its a huge social commentary on the history of South Africa. For people who have not lived there, much of the script will go over their heads and all that is left is the entertainment factor. Which obviously is subjective.
However, for people who know of South Africa’s history they will pick up on the “message” and understand the social difficulties the people there have faced.
Even if one hasn’t lived there, but has followed the events there, it will give you an understanding of the mechanics of apartheid, racism and social justice issues.
Its just done in a sci-fi setting and personally its done very intelligently.
Not the best movie ever or even, one of the best. I enjoyed this film. Great acting and visuals, but a decent story.
i have to sit a bit on the fence with this one because, even though the film and the story in itself were pretty good i was a little disappointed as it really wasnt what i expected it to be. i assumed there would be more gore and it would be more scary (based on the trailer i had seen and the hype around it) but it wasnt. still a great film.
again, not horror, wondering why it’s here…
But one of my favorite sci-fi action movies nonetheless. It’s witty, original, and badass. Can’t wait for the sequel.
A brilliant film about political commentary about Apartheid!Except instead of South Africans being victimized by whites it’s aliens.Exploding Bodies,Awesome Aliens,Cool Weapons,Brilliant plot, and superb acting by the lead actor.This blew me away.This could be the smartest Sci-Fi film I’ve ever seen.Highly recommend!
Great movie.