Respect Thy Prawny Neighbour

Rating: 7/10 (11 September 2009)

Now that Peter Jackson has fallen into the Hollywood trap directing overlong excessive spectacles, at least he supports fresh talents who make highly original modestly budgeted genre pics with hearts and brains... just like he once did.
Neill Blomkamp's the name of one of these protégés and his first feature-length pic marks an electrifying starting point. This highly entertaining sci-fi action movie creates a tense and unusually credible setting with both tragic and satirical leanings and a seamless blending of doc-style versus clear-cut storytelling and top-notch CGI effects. The talented cast of unknown performers is another plus.
Unfortunately, the pic's intensity declines slightly in the second half while the action elements take over. And the rushed ending is not completely satisfactory. (The allusions to apartheid, on the other hand, may be fairly obvious, but they're still effective.)
7 out of 10 tasty cans of cat food