Not that good

Rating: 3/10 (6 September 2009)

This movie seems to be very well liked by most of the folks who've left comments. I, however, was disappointed. Now, I should say, my only a priori to this flick was a trailer I saw a couple of weeks ago at another film. I got the impression, incorrectly, that Peter Jackson DIRECTED this project. Boy, was I wrong (he was producer.) Jackson knows how to tell a story. This guy doesn't.
What the director of "DISTRICT 9" DID do well was create a string of very tense moments, many presented in a somewhat unpredictable fashion, but that's not necessarily a story. And I don't care HOW much social commentary is infused into it (and there was plenty.) Here's where I think the WRITERS failed.
Social commentary has been used so much over the past few decades that it should be filed under "Predictable Hollywood Theatrical Device #37." It's like salt on movie theater popcorn, there IS such a thing as TOO MUCH, whether the general public realizes it or not. It comes across especially heavy handed in this film, with the South African locale and evil military commanders. I guess I feel social statements are most effective when you let the AUDIENCE connect all the dots, and don't try to do all the mental heavy lifting for them.
Then there was the typical modern sci-fi excessive gross out violence (Predictable Hollywood Theatrical device #23.) My wife had to leave.
I eventually did too, but it was mostly because I didn't like the style of the film. After awhile, the documentary approach came across as inadequate, eventually having to rely on surveillance cameras in the restroom, and other unlikely places, in order to maintain continuity. And when that didn't work, it started morphing into a different style of film, just so it could tell the story.
As I said...disappointing. Can't recommend it.