MD saved this movie from being really bad

Rating: 7/10 (17 August 2013)

While watching this movie I felt torn between two positions. I really like MD as an actor, and I didn't like district 9. I think those 2 things come to head in this movie and left it as a draw.
I am a huge fan of syfy but Neill Blomkamp has had no real appeal to me in his movies. It is one thing to get over the overly human syfyness of the movie, it's futuristic I get that. However, having less character development than transformers is hard to over look in this future world. There was plenty of action in this movie which I'm sure some will say takes away from working on characters. However there was plenty of action in bourne identity too and we still had character development. The lack of feeling any real connection between these characters drags it down.
MD did a very good job with his character. He does his usual cool action scenes, tries a little tough guy comedy, and plays the roll probably as best as anyone could have played it. I think the movie would have really sunk without him. His ability to put any personality on screen has been amazing and his presence gives this movie it's only resemblance of character which is missing through any dialog or action development.
The one thought I was left with walking out of this movie is I wish they had a better bad guy. All syfy movies need a great villain and in this movie they relied more on these evil social morals than actually putting together a darth vader quality villain. Good guys need a great bad guy to fight. Luke had vader, batman had the joker, superman lex, autobots decepticon. You can't name me one great good vs bad movie that didn't have a great villain. Even the ghostbusters had the staypuff! MD didn't have a quality villain. They were bone heads in bland rolls. That combined with a lack of character connection makes this movie a 7/10 held up only by MD. If he wasn't it this movie it would have probably ended up a 5/10.