Great movie, but not a masterpiece.

Rating: 8/10 (23 September 2009)

Initially I felt this movie was great. It had a very strong sense of realism and most of the things the character did were what most people would do. There was none of that cliché stereotypical hero stuff. The CGI were well done, and the story was believable to an extent.
But it left me feeling like something was amiss. As I watched it a second time, I was able to pinpoint some of the problems.
FLAWS: The main problems of this movie were some improbable (though not impossible) parts. For example, for an alien race capable of such technology and having a civilization possibly thousands to millions of years ahead of mankind, they were extremely gullible and unintelligent. This seemed highly unlikely.
Secondly, the strange reactions of the antagonists around the main character. How they did illogical things in order to find out about his mutation, was not very likely. (I'm referring to the government and Nigerian gangs, of course)
Third, the main character was not particularly relatable. Though it was realistic in its depiction of the human psyche, a movie should always make its audience care for the protagonist. This movie made me root for the alien (Christopher) rather than the main protagonist (Wikus).
I won't list out the rest as I don't want to spoil it. But there are certainly many points which make you wonder "why didn't they...". Remember, these are government agencies and supposedly highly advanced aliens. Their actions and decisions should be infallible.
FINAL VERDICT: Overall, with all its illogic, it did have great graphics and sound, as well as bringing us some food for thought (which not many films are able to deliver).