District 9

[Rob]

I've been a fan of director Neill Blomkamp since he directed the Halo short film "Landfall."

Since the deal for the Halo movie fell apart Blomkamp was out in the cold. Producer Peter Jackson ("King Kong", "Lord of the Rings") presumably felt bad for getting Blomkamp into such a bad situation and used his considerable clout to get another project underway for Blomkamp in short order.

I've seen quite a few movies this summer. District 9 is by far the best. For a fraction of the budget (30 Million) Blomkamp has made a better sci-fi movie than both Michael Bay ("Transformers" = 200 Million) and Stephen Sommers ("G. I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" = 170 Million).

What struck me most about "District 9" was how real it was. Shockingly, horribly, in your face real. The movie can be disturbing at times. Not once was I pulled out of the story by special effects that didn't seamlessly blend with the live action. But what really fed the realism is the story. The more I thought about it the more I realized how true the behavior of the humans was.

And I'm not talking about great acting here. If "District 9" has one flaw it is that the acting could be better. The main cast does a decent job but you can feel the uneasiness in the performance whenever a supporting actor takes center stage.

A mixture of "Independence Day", "Blade Runner", a little "V For Vendetta" and a unique style that is all Blomkamp "District 9" doesn't have a message: it has no politics: it isn't trying to teach you anything. Blomkamp simply holds a mirror up to our faces and says "look at what you did. This is how you behaved when confronted with adversity. Live with it." And it is hard to argue.

A great film and a mark for originality. The originality alone is worth supporting but you get the added benefit of something that is both thought provoking and entertaining. I disagree with Roger Ebert (who did give the movie a positive review but had some issues with the film) that the third act disintegrates into a shoot 'em up. I found it to be understated and, like so much of the film, very real.

If you have a great home theater you could wait for this one on DVD but if not you should really see it in the theater. The effects and performance deserve the big screen. Blomkamp simply understands how to direct film in this digital CGI age better than most of the big names out there today.