One of the greatest films I have ever watched, and the best of recent years by light years

Rating: 10/10 (24 August 2009)

I had immensely high expectations for this. To have them met and repeatedly exceeded was astonishing. It's been so long since I was last so affected by something I saw that I can't remember when it was, if it has ever happened at all. This touches upon some deep and unpleasant aspects of humanity and science, with countless sequences and ideas that imitate real life occurrences. I urge anyone who comes out from this saying "nothing like that would actually happen" to read up on history, and frankly, you sadly don't have to look that far back. The acting is flawless, every single performance. Not casting anyone well-known was the exact right choice. The CGI is beyond reproach, such intricate detail, so imaginative, always believable, everything had a weight to it, and everything living was expressive. I did not feel like I was looking at something animated(in general, you can't tell that this had a relatively low budget). The word "cartoony" doesn't apply in the least. This is gritty and strong. Not everyone is going to have the stomach for this, there is a lot of very disturbing content. The style is spot-on, with a marvelous mix of a professionally shot documentary(that introduces the audience to the world of this) and the classic story-telling of a movie. You find yourself completely engrossed. The cinematography is magnificent. There is a lot of hand-held, without it at all being headache-inducing or distracting. This is superior to Cloverfield and Quarantine, to the point that it is just about beyond describing. Do yourself a favor, do not let anyone spoil anything about this to you before your viewing. The plot is excellent, and develops masterfully, and not always in the anticipated direction. This is one of the most original concepts I have witnessed in a long time. I found the growth, the characters and the events entirely credible, not to mention amazingly powerful. The drama is engaging throughout. This is epic, they managed to put such a massive amount into it, and it all works and has an impact, nothing comes up short. I am so impressed it's difficult to put into words. The action is awesome and creative, though it obviously is not the focus of this. There is humor in this, and it's funny without the serious tone suffering. They also don't go over the line for laughs, if there are arguably a few exceptions to that. The pace is perfect. Editing is sharp and skillful. There is a moderate amount of bloody violence and gore, as well as language in this. I warmly recommend this to anyone who enjoys intelligent, satirical and challenging sci-fi, in any medium. 10/10