It's a good movie

Rating: 8/10 (21 March 2010)

I heard many negative comments from a few of my friends, and overheard two cinema workers talking about how much this movie sucked, so I did not go see it in theatres due to the fear of being disappointed. Anyways, I was on a flight to Orlando, Florida on January 6th, and District 9 was one of the available movies to watch, so I thought to myself: Why not? and basically here are my impressions. Overall, the context of having the Apartheid recreated with aliens was an original idea but I felt that the script was a bit lacking ideas. I mean I felt that in between the final fight and Wikus's escape, there wasn't much going on besides Wikus complaining that he doesn't want to turn into an alien. Speaking of Wikus, I felt that Sharlton Copey had a good portrayal of him, and made him feel likable, even when he was being a total jerk to the aliens.
However, while there didn't seem to be anything extremely cool during the ending and part of the middle of the movie doesn't mean this film bored me. The whole part about dealers willing to eat aliens to master the power of extra-terrestrial technology was pretty interesting. The acting was good and while the effects aren't Avatar looking, they're pretty awesome for a movie whose budget was about 30 million dollars. While the documentary aspect bored some other people, it captivated me on the other hand.
So all in all, it's a creative premise met by a somewhat lacking script. I only wish there was more action in this movie, but bear in mind that this is not a bad movie. It's pretty good, and while I wouldn't call it one of the year's best, I still feel that this movie has a lot of heart and that it is good. Worth at least a rent, but I think I'm going to buy the DVD when I can.