Over-hyped and an underwhelming disappointment

Rating: 3/10 (30 December 2009)

District 9 is an over-hyped, underwhelming disappointment. The movie is flawed in so many ways. The movie commences in a documentary style which is used to introduce the background story and lead characters. Unfortunately, the initial appeal and cleverness of this approach is lost with the inexplicable sudden switch to traditional camera-work. The movie as a whole has an uneven and erratic storyboard and a plot that whilst highly original and intriguing suffers from being shamefully thin, overstretched (the whole movie plot can be summed up in a couple of sentences) and full of holes. The action sequences are disjointed and suffer badly from some distinctly below average and ropey CGI. The movie is also poorly edited and lacking much needed refinement and polish. However, irrespective of all these flaws the main problem I had with this movie is that the lead character is a truly vile and loathsome individual. On more than one occasion I found myself really hoping that the despicable anti-hero got shot, blown up or eaten, only to be disappointed that he didn't and I would have to endure more of his relentlessly amoral, spineless and self-centred behaviour. It's not a spoiler to mention that he does have an eleventh hour change of heart that causes him to take one humane action, however this tardy schmaltzy ludicrous nonsense unfortunately fails entirely to make him any more likable. District 9 is a bit like paint thrown at the wall from afar... it's hit and miss, but in general a complete mess and all over the place.