Tense solid character-driven action/drama with forgivable faults. 8/10

Rating: 8/10 (25 August 2009)

As the summary suggests, this movie features a solid premise, very able acting, and a sensible script. The plot is fairly well thought through and each scene follows from the last. The director must have done a fabulous job because I really couldn't predict the events of the movie. It didn't lock itself into a hero-movie path.
The character-driven nature of this film is one of its best characteristics, and as a rare treat for an action movie I was able to emotionally invest in the fate of the lead characters. This extra quality offsets the typical action, and more than makes up for some of the slightly more clichéd elements within the show. Thankfully though, they did not follow any formula closely.
It *does* have some faults. There are moments when plot or scene logic doesn't hold up to serious scrutiny, and while the action is well-done, it does have a few of those "why doesn't he just..." moments. That won't matter to you though because you'll be so intrigued with having a cinematic experience that treats you like a thinking person that you won't even bother to think about HOW the logic is incomplete or how the action should have been done. The foibles are sufficiently minor and the movie keeps moving forward.
My biggest problem is with the camera work. The shaky camera effect was used in places I felt it unjustified. Certainly some of the film is believable with the hand-held quality but many parts make that really inappropriate and distracting.
This movie is intelligent, and I beg for a sequel. I want that sequel to be a continuation of the story, with the same high calibre acting, attention to script quality (that's so important), and not blown way out of proportion and made horrid like sequels normally are.
Thank you, everyone who contributed to District 9. This movie did not disappoint!