An Utterly Phenomenal Experience

Rating: 9/10 (16 August 2009)

After only having seen one trailer for District 9, I went into the film expecting an enjoyable yet predictable no-brainer. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised to find so much more.
The reason this film is so successful on so many levels is pretty obvious: it has heart. You can tell by watching it that everyone working on this movie was pouring themselves into it. From the amazing CGI to the acting to the unbelievably complex and convincing clicking language that the "prawns" use, nothing seems to come up short. And best of all, the plot isn't at all predictable. It's true that this film is big, loud, and action-packed, but I found myself truly feeling for the aliens as well as the humans, and the narrative takes a number of surprising twists that keep your eyes glued to the screen. And when you find yourself empathizing with creatures that look like enormous, ugly, mutated prawns, you know the filmmakers have done SOMETHING right.
The only criticism that I can envision someone making has to do with the cinematography. The director chose to use a documentary-style approach to filming that makes a lot of it look like it was shot with a hand-held camera. I happened to like Cloverfield, but those who didn't shouldn't worry; the director obviously isn't a purist and he knows when to back off and switch to more conventional techniques that make the narrative flow very smoothly. It isn't anywhere near as choppy and jarring as Cloverfield or The Blair Witch Project, but it does pull the viewer in and add to the atmosphere of confusion and terror that the characters are experiencing.
Going into this film, I wasn't aware of the District Six inspiration, a sickening event in and of itself. I've seen one review that claims District 9 is insensitive to the Apartheid experience, but personally I don't think that's the case. While it doesn't seem that the director is explicitly referencing or criticizing the District Six horror, it doesn't glorify the incident either. The oppressors in this film are painted in revolting, cruel shades.
While leaving the theatre, I was tempted to just head back in and see the next showing as well. It's also making me itch for a sequel, which, in this day of crappy sequel cash-ins, is really saying something. So go see it! If you're anything like me, you'll be glad you did.