Originally cliché

Rating: 8/10 (19 August 2015)

The first 20-30 minutes of the movie seemed very original. The documentary-like style, non-traditional hero, aliens living in slums, the social settings of the Johannesburg and District 9, etc. However, after the protagonist escaped from MNU building, all the details that could make the film original lost their effect. It turned into another cliché film: good, innocent people and the hero that changes sides vs. bad, corporates. The movie from that point onwards is an action movie with a predictable plot full of Hollywood action movie clichés.
Overall, the film is a good one though. My complaint is actually more directed at Hollywood than this movie in particular. Despite being another product of the same meta that has been ruling in Hollywood for so long, District 9 manages to be original in many aspect. The aliens don't come to USA for a change; the protagonist isn't a instinctively virtuous muscle-tank; everything about cat-food; weapons using biotechnology etc.
The first 25 minutes: 9/10. The rest: 6/10 PS: Somehow the extraterrestrial creatures AGAIN have almost the same body and intelligence as humans do. Shocking!