Good...yup, just "good"

Rating: 7/10 (26 August 2009)

I read a lot of reviews before burning our gift certificates to see this movie on the big screen. It looked like people either loved it or hated it; post-teen gamers and sci-fi lovers thought it was lame, and film buffs loved it. I had to see for myself, and now I know what was up with the reviews. If you want a CG extravaganza a la or "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" or even "Starship Troopers", forget it. If you want the rich sci-fi texture of "Aliens" or "Blade Runner", you'll be disappointed. But if you want a fun good-vs-evil thrill ride like "T2" or "Total Recall" (with a modern cinema twist), it's worth a few bucks for the in-theater experience.
Mind you, it's way more "indie" than any of those movies, but it's an indie movie with mind-blowing CG. The story and the sci-fi do not bear close examination, but the CG does. The trailers do not mislead in that respect. The lead actor is terrific, too.
I came to the movie half expecting it to be social allegory, what with the South African shanty town and legacy of apartheid and all, but they left that alone and let the movie speak for itself. They were smart enough not to be at all preachy with it, which would indeed have made it suck. My only complaint is the same complaint I have about all movies I like: it was about an hour too short.