Note to Michael Bay: THIS is how you entertain the audience without dumbing them down

Rating: 10/10 (8 April 2010)

It seems that every film is either a remake or a sequel and no one seems to want to make original films anymore, especially with sci-fi films. The first time I heard of District 9 was seeing the ads on bus and subway stops or posters plastered near construction sites. Then I got to see the trailer and I thought this looked awesome. I finally got to see it in a theater (haven't been in one for a long time) and even though I had to sit through a gazillion commercials for everything from real estate to Fanta, it was worth it.
How unique was this film compared to the crap we're force-fed? The aliens were victims. Humans were the evil empire. The setting was Johannesburg instead of the usual cities like New York or Los Angeles. You didn't have women used as eye candy. You didn't have sidekicks used for occasionally offensive but mostly unfunny comic relief. You had parents that acted normal as oppose to being shrill and annoying. You have a protagonist that wasn't the usual pretty boy/muscle-bound/wise-crack spewing nob you usually get. You have dialog that felt real and not like it was written by twelve year olds on pop rocks and Ritalin. You were able to enjoy the action without feeling like you need to reach for the barf bag every time the camera swished and swoshed around. You can actually follow the storyline. I repeat: YOU CAN ACTUALLY FOLLOW THE STORYLINE. Gee, why can't Hollywood make films like this anymore?