Incredible!

Rating: 9/10 (15 August 2009)

I just saw this at a promotional screening through my college. It was fantastic.
As the movie description states, a giant flying saucer comes to earth in and does nothing. Eventually we brake our way in and find starving and seemingly unintelligent insectoid like aliens which then are housed in a ghetto like slum within Cape Town called District 9.
I knew almost nothing about the film when I entered the cinema. Regardless however, there is little anyone can say to prepare you for how fantastic this film is. After beginning as a 'mock-u-mentary' style film following a member of MNU (the company contracted to administer District 9) as he ludicrously serves eviction notices to Aliens to be resettled, the film breaks away from this (and thankfully the shaky cam) after the main character is exposed to Alien bio-technology and is forced to flee into District 9 after becoming hunted for experimentation. While this sounds a little like a lame B grade Sci-fi, there is plenty of clever humor added in at the right parts and the story is very concise and well told. Whether it is the Aliens being addicted to cat food or the hilarious final scene where the robot combat suit in the trailer is used your never too bored. Our bungling hero is perfectly cast and constantly dropping the F-Bomb in his South African accent.
The acting is solid with Sharlto Copley nailing his part. The special effects are almost flawless despite the incredibly modest budget of 30 million. The pace is good and just as scenes started to wind down for me things moved along quickly so I was never bored. The comedy is at times priceless, like gangsters peddling cat food to Aliens.
This is a must for sci-fi fans for sure, and I think it'll be incredibly successful, but if you don't mind being a little freaked out this one is a good film to catch. Instant top 10 as far as I'm concerned.
Aside from that, it's worth watching to see what happens when the alien weapons are used, simply hilarious.