An uneven, but well-crafted and unusual film worth seeing

Rating: 7/10 (22 August 2009)

One of the first films in a long time that stands a chance of becoming a genuine cult movie, "District 9" is a throwback to an earlier time when quirkiness, social resonance and independent filmmaker spirit were essential ingredients of cinematic science fiction. It is by no means a perfect movie -- showing his relative inexperience, director Neill Blomkamp seems to have an rich and extensive backstory for it in his head that isn't always evident in the finished product, resulting in some confusing scenes and concepts. The world is also not saved at the end of his screenplay, unsatisfyingly leaving more doors open than the plot perhaps should have.
But "District 9" still manages to weave together the disparate elements of modern-day South Africa, special effects, shoot 'em up action, unusual cinematic techniques and thorough characterizations, in such a way that these flaws in the end seem relatively minor. Blomkamp throws a great deal of ideas, techniques and raw talent up on the screen, and a lot of it really does stick.
Everything you have heard about Sharlto Copley's performance is true: it is both an emotional tour de force, and an unrelenting character study of a small, silly man who ordinarily would have no business being the central figure of a sci-fi action flick. He has created an unforgettable character who strikes the viewer as both outlandish in his self-interest and deeply human in his suffering.
The film in fact slows somewhat the few times Copley is not on screen, but the CGI quality is so outstanding that the two central alien characters (father and son) take on real personalities of their own and could conceivably merit their own film.
It's a movie that holds up quite well to many great sci-fi films of past decades, and it ought to be seen by any serious fan of the genre.