This bizarre SF movie, appropriately structured using documentary styled filming, is simply one of the year's best movies that effectively acknowledges the audience of racial discrimination.

Gritty. Funny. Gory. Intense. Original. All-action. Empathy-wielding. Epic.

It is a great movie, and every science fiction fan should watch it. The story is quite unique from one perspective, because in this movie the aliens are not the threat to us - we are the threat to the aliens. The story is also great and not hard to follow, the characters have very sharp personalities.
Overall it's a very good movie, I had a lot of fun, so check it out!
I give it 9/10

What a waste of a great premise! This movie starts out with a really interesting concept and procedes to digress into just another stupid action movie. It makes me very sad, this movie could have really unique and interesting but as the movie progresses it gets less and less unique and interesting and gets more and more cliche action movie explosions. Kudos for a great concept, and shake of the head for failing to do anything with it.… Expand

This film is crap. The worst First Person Shooter has a better plot than this one. What you learn is that white South Africans are bad but Nigerians are the dregs of humanity.
Despite what a lot of people think there is not a single new idea in this messed up movie.
Good intentions and good actors are not enough to make a movie. You need writers.

Awful, irritating, gratuitous garbage. I'm so very tired of cinematic comic books that feel like they were scripted by precocious 11yr.olds Best/Worst line: ( in the lab after the break in) " Look for something that might hold a vial!"

Interesting idea. Bad execution. Gratuitous yuck moments. Super big storyline holes. Hoping for a good sci-fi film and it wasn't even close.

I can honestly say that I have never seen anything like this before. A true and complete original. You will ride an emotional rollercoaster while watching this film. You'll laugh, scream, wince, jump and quite possibly cry. I cannot recommend seeing this film enough. Amazing.

it was amazingly original and very unpredictable. a must for me personally.

Was hoping it would turn out great, got sucked up by all the hype. Was disappointed by all of the mish mash of different sci fi flavors. Seriously was it a faux docudrama? or did they forget half way through... action was pretty decent and had 2 funny scenes, but it was all over the place and didnt know what it wanted to be. Plus seriously were they paid by how many times they uttered the "F word"

Loved the documentary style at the beginning of the film. Although it wained slightly after that, the twist was a great move and the storyline very complex for a movie where Aliens and Humans get blown to smithereens.

Next Peter Jackson's movie and next amazing movie!
This movie is other than all Action, Sci-Fi movies. It holds in tension and tells excellent story. Story is the best in this movie but all is really great. This is ones of my favorites movies and i advice District 9 every Sci-Fi fans.

This movie is so bad I couldn't finish it. If I want to watch raw news footage I can go to YouTube.

I thought this movie was intelligently put together. Its not as deep as a heavy drama, but there's decent character development and an OK script. The technology/CGI for the movie was pretty well done and the storyline concept was unique and well thought out.

Funny, but I actually agree with the folks who rated this a zero and with those who rated it much higher. All things said, I am able to just ignore the clear faults this movie has and accept it as a worthy sci-fi thriller.

Not only is this film an engaging science fiction film it is one of the only sci fi films where I have left the cinema viewing the humans as the real monsters. This is a must see summer blockbuster and probably one of the most important films of this year and maybye the decade.

I have tears in my eyes. 'District 9' is pure genuis! Neill Blouwkamp got it so right, the words for such things, haven't been invented yet. I grew up in English speaking KZN South Africa, hearing van der Merwe jokes , but deep down inside, I always knew, that thrown into the frontline, van der Merwe would be heroic and clearly Neill knew it too. I cannot wait for Neill9;s next film.… Expand

Very bad movie, Spoiler Alert: All the movie comes down to is very bad acting followed by overgrown grasshopers with no reasonable explanation for arrivale or depart, that live in the ghetto and are bullied by humans. And a very annoying main character from which the beggining you hope dies, he doesnt. The only decent thing the movie had was the alien weapons and there is probly less than 10 kills with them. Do not buy this movie, if you must see it just rent it, even then you are going to wish you had a couple dollars and a few hours of your life back!… Expand

A genuinely thrilling and smart film. If you like your sci-fi movies deeper and more realistic than usual, than you're on the right track with this one.

Blissfully original,subtly political, teeming with excitement & brilliance.

One of the worst nights I've spent at the movies in a long time. Any social comment was rapidly submerged in the kind of gore-fest that seems to be obligatory for sci-fi in the Aliens genre, which this one much too obviously was (Please could we at least have a change of alien physique in future offerings, because the insect format is so hackneyed). I didn't care about any of the characters, which is the only thing that could have made me stay to the end, and there wasn't a single shred of genuine humour or lightness throughout. I think of the detail and subtlety of "MInority Report" and "Blade Runner", and wonder why Hollywood has to keep on churning out such lame-brained trash that obviously caters to the lowest end of the market. Peter Jackson, stick to hobbits!… Expand

This isn't a cosy film. You can't just sit there and expect robots hitting each other whilst the good looking guy gets the good looking girl. The fact that it deals with aliens is largely irrelevant. Its NOT about apartheid, but it IS about displacement and reflects the sad treatment of powerless refugees across the world. This is a difficult story with no easy answers provided by the SFX guys. There IS a kind of resolution but its hard fought for and therefore more worthwhile when it arrives. An INTELLIGENT Sci-fi film for once. Well done.… Expand

Seriously the best movie since The Dark Knight. My interest was never lost from start to finish. Pulls on the strings of your heart.

All I can really say, It was phenomenal. I didn't know what to think as the story continued. It was simply amazing.

Absolutely amazing. Neil Blomkamp and Peter Jackson, I bow to you, for bringing us the best Sci-fi experience in years. My favorite movie ever, hands down.

Near perfect movie. It kept me enraptured for the full viewing time. One of the most original concepts for cinema I've ever seen. A movie in which the viewer actually cares for the fate of the protagonists? woah, what a novel concept! This movie had me praying the "good guys" succeed. A must see for EVERYONE (with the exception of young children). P.S. Pray Neill Blomkamp can get his hands on the Halo movie rights, he'll take it to new bounds.… Expand

This movie starts great with the very original premise of aliens that are being kept on earth against their will with a documentary feel that keeps the watcher feeling totally engrossed in the movie. Then, suddenly the aliens become just a side comment to the movie as it transitions to a run of the mill fugitive story with every crappy alien movie cliche out there, despite the lack of aliens. I was extremely disappointed.… Expand

My son and I went to this movie expecting something awe inspiring, but were more struck by a yech feeling! It's like seeing Alien with the good guys being crewed by Dunder Mifflin. The lead "human" actor comes across as blissfully unaware of anything, and the filming with hand held cameras with graphic gore really does not go well with popcorn. Just didn't see what was so wonderful about this film. Will give it to the director that this was an ambitious idea, but it just did not work for me.… Expand

It begrudges me to read the negative reviews of this movie. A lot of viewers have focused on the messages (of which are their personal opinions) that this film is portraying rather than judging it purely on entertainment. This movie was a breath of fresh air and is one that I can add to a short list of films I would watch multiple times.

OK people, you're really getting a bit crazy here. This movie was OK, as a comic-book plot turned into a movie, but it was not, repeat NOT, high-quality sci-fi. There were plot holes you could drive a mother-ship through in this thing, from what energy source keeps the ship hovering over Johannesburg for 20 years (and why can't THAT energy be used to launch the ship??) to exactly how likely is it that superpowers like the US, China and Russia would leave little old South Africa alone to handle these aliens, who, oh by the way, might be carrying viruses and/or technology that could wipe out mankind. Sounds logical to me! Anyway, you have to think of the movie as an intelligent comic book plot. It had good cinematics, decent effects, nice acting and a fairly well-executed (if overdone) morale to the story. The development of the main character from a beurocrat who treats the aliens like lower life forms (the egg-burning scene is particularly nasty) to....well, I don't want to give anything away, but let's just say his perspective changes pretty dramatically.... Anyway, its a good movie, better than the Transformers/G.I.Joe junk we've been fed lately, but it's certainly not as good as the next level up (Matrix/Star Wars/Blade Runner), and even those aren't really, really great sci-fi....Here's hoping someone out there has the brains to produce Lord of Light....now THERE's a sci-fi story.… Expand

OMG, how can everybody think this is so amazing? Its AVERAGE! The point of the film is so obvious that it loses any affect. The filming changes from a documentary to an action with no explanation. And the plot holes are frequent and annoying. Whoever rates this 7 above should consider that a good film actually has to have structure, not a cobbled together bunch of action that has no relevance to the rest of the film.… Expand

I recognized the heavy handed social commentary but this movie was disgusting and boring. Wikus was convincing as the wimp turned hero but the movie has huge plot holes. At the end of the film you still don't know that much about the aliens, In this way the movie disregards the aliens and their culture just like the callous humans of the story. Creatures are the focal point --not the story. I felt cheated out of my money and my time.… Expand

Both me and my wife just went because nothing else out that we didn't see. We loved it, I'm a sci fi fan she isn't . She said an interesting thing ,after you get to know the aliens they don't look so bad.

I beg you not to see this movie! I'm 60 years old,love sci fi, I'm smart,he he,worst movie Iv ever seen. I wanted to get up in the theater and say, isn't this movie a joke?" Jerking camera made me seasick.

I really didn't kike this movie. Usually I like Sci-Fi, but this one not at all. I was also chock by the racial content of this movie. I am sure I am not the only one.

If you really do not like this movie then you probably cannot catch on to the high level concept. Heaven forbid the director make everything make sense so that all of you idiots with your third grade IQ levels understand. It kills me to see that people like GI joe and Transformers 2, then people call District 9 a bad movie. I have seen District 9, 5 times in the last 2 weeks, and every time I watch it, I learn something new about the movie. This movie is smart enough to be shown in classes as a good example of allusions, metaphors, and allegories; but children won't be watching District 9 in English class just yet because.....you cannot say the F word in school, but maybe that will change. District 9 is perfection, go see it.… Expand

is movie is proof that there are people out in the world who know what a si-fi moive is. when other movie showed that si-fi now means big guns and bad action with a lame story that has aliens, this movie brings back what si-fi used to mean big guns and good action with a tear jreakin, heart warming realist tell that has alines

Last night I died and went to cinema heaven

The main theme of this movie is ignorance imo. Ignorance in it's various forms: blind desire, neglect , indifference, incompetence, lack of understanding and selfishness. It's about the terrible cost of these attributes for the individual and society as a whole. It's about how fragile civilisation is and how interdependent we are: could you fix your phone or you car if you needed help getting back home? And it's pretty fookin funny.… Expand

It's 2009 and amazing that movies are completely dull, boring, non-entertaining. I feel most are just to "trick" you to spend money. My 6 year old could make a better plot. We in the U.S. are becoming numb.

With all the high ratings and a great premise, and having loved the latest Star Trek movie, I had to go see this movie. Well, I finally did last night. Like someone else has already said, "What a piece of crap this movie is". As an entertainment movie, you know...acting, plot, production values, special effects, believability.....well, I give it a 1.5 out of 10, which I rounded down to a 1. Then to make it even worse, second grade preachy BS all through it in the same package. What a waste of my time. It starts with a great premise, and you think, wow, this movie is going to be great. You imagine where this movie could go and you anticipate something grand coming....as soon as they get over this boring introductory stuff. But, the whole movie stays in totally unbelievable boring step 1 phase, and never gets off the ground or goes anywhere. The biggest advantage of this movie is you can now look at those reviewers who gave it a 100, and know that their opinions are worthless for your future movie reviews.… Expand

I am seeing it for a third time tomorrow, and may even go for a fourth. Leave the kids at home, the emotions and the language and the violence are certainly not appropriate for the kiddos, but wow what an original, engaging movie! Don't read spoilers, the less you know about the movie going in, the better. After seeing such mindless, stupid nonsense as Transformers 2, with its over the top budget and marketing, to finally see an intelligent sci fi movie, and from a relatively unknown director, with unknown actors... it's incredible.… Expand

As a South African I went to watch the movie expecting it to be worse than what the reviews said. I'm tired of all the racism stories and well I wasn't expecting anything good. Wow I was wrong. I loved it and will probably go watch it again. The only flaw for me is that it turns into too much of an action movie, though still a good one. All the so called plot holes can be reasoned away and I'm glad that we are not spoonfed everything. Awesome movie and well worth the watch!… Expand

Stunning, amazing, I would definetly recommend.

This film is raw, unpretty, shaky, crude and probably has a budget much less than Hollywood ones. I enjoyed this one much more than any Hollywood movie. It left me on the verge of sobbing into my hankie.

What a complete waste of time. I'm not sure if the naseau feeling was from the shacking cameras or the quality of the film. Stupid plot lines, the main character was an unlikeable tool, and the beginning put me to sleep. Probably one of the worst movies I paid to see at the theaters ever. The national critics must have some agenda to give such high praise. The funniest part of the movie was how it is set-up for "District 10". They must be F-ing kidding!… Expand

Amazingly tender, thought provoking and engrossing story. The documentary style makes it extremely authentic. This is what sci-fi is all about.

I was really eager to like this film, but there were some major story problems. E.g., why have the aliens not rebelled in 20 years despite the fact that they have advanced weaponry? Why does the head of the multinational corporation place his son-in-law, a total doofus, in charge of the relocation (and what was the purpose of the relocation anyway)? And would the father-in-law really be so evil that he doesn't stop the grotesque medical experiments on his son-in-law? How come the prawns mysteriously vanish from District 9 only to resurface abruptly at the end? And why are the humans so incredibly stupid and gullible about the corporation's true intentions? Also, why does the film adopt a mockumentary format but repeatedly shift to a more cinematic tone? How do the aliens and the humans communicate, anyway? I could go on, but it was these and other problems that prevented me from taking the film's "message" seriously (well, that and that not-quite-convincing CGI, which makes the aliens seems slightly cartoonish). Suffice it to say, it's actually something of a relief when the film becomes another stupid action movie in the final act, if only because the movie drops any pretense of being a deep and profound meditation on prejudice and economic inequality. As an audience, you really just want to see heads explode, which the movie delivers in spades. One final word of advice to the director: it's not necessary to explain via voiceover absolutely everything that we see on the screen. Thanks, I have a brain and the plot isn't really that complicated.… Expand

Brilliant! Flawless performance of main actor, great story, realistic effects.Real refreshment in movie industry and real gem of SF. Way to go!!!

Anyone who rates this lower than a 9 knows nothing about Sci-Fi or cinema for that matter and is more likely to be all excited about big budget nonsence like transformers.Go ahead and get in line for Roland Emerich's 2012, i'll wait till it appears in the bargain bucket at my local junk shop about 6 months after its release! Rate District 9 low if you really feel the need to grab the attention of grown up movie lovers but my advise would be not to bother just get back to your online gaming.....is that your mum i hear calling?… Expand

This movie takes us from a tongue in cheek parallel of the apartheid era to the xenophobic actions following of people as a result of the vilification of people in public which gives one the "right" to just do what you want to them....it is gritty, very smart with acting, style and the expression of and accent from the home ground of the afrikaans speaking people, so remniscent of many myopic attitudes under the surface of most cultures.… Expand

A movie more flawless than this one does'nt come to mind because there is'nt any. From the begining to the end the film succeds in entertaining. Everything about it is A1 from the cast's performances to the films story.

Startling on first viewing, left a big impression even if I can't quite pin down what that is! Reminds me of the feeling I had when I first saw Alien and Terminator, not necessarily great films in the traditional sense but for whatever reason stops you in your tracks. A Marmite film, you'll love it or hate it, either way it's destined to become a cult classic.

Badly conceived story, although, well filmed and assembled. It was just goofy, full of conceptual holes, not well thought out. There was no believable science in the thing, they just expected you to suspend your disbelief because they were showing this pseudo documentary. Really stupid. It has been a while since I have seen a film that brings out such diametrically opposed views. It's like a Rorschach test. I can't figure out what it is about the film that makes so many people go nuts for it. I thought it stank.… Expand

The New York Post's review was spot on! "The movie falls into the same uneasy category as "Eight Legged Freaks": too tongue-in-cheek to be thrilling, not funny enough to be a comedy."

Once you get past the annoying main character and the stupid looking aliens and story behind it is compelling. Ultimately this movie deals with immigration and corruption This movie is really not so far fetched if you look at how it illustrates how conflicting ideas and policies of government agencies and human aid agencies would deal which a similar situation.

One of the best films I have ever seen. Utterly compelling. The acting was superb from everyone involved, and the script couldn't have been written any better. If this doesn't go down in history as one of the greatest films of all time, I will be sorely disappointed.

This movie will make you think about yourself.

Finally overtook Missouri Breaks as the worst movie in the past 100 years.

90/100. What an amazingly imaginative film, and it has a totally unique plot and you can

THIS MOVIE FAILS... HARD!

I have been reading lots of reviews and need to start commenting in order to clear up some of the misunderstandings. ive read so many (usa) reviews about the "unbelievable main character" and the "fake accent" and to any south african Wikus is 100% typical of our own red neck those-who-never-apply for passports true blue south african. we all know lots of south africans who speak and act and (unfortunately) think exactly like wikus. there is a huge problem with nigerian violence, scams and drug trafficking in SA and the locals have been protesting about it. Our malawian gardener who comes to us once a week always gets himself robbed by nigerians when returning to the townships, we have opened a bank account for him so that doesnt carry cash anymore. Our friends in JHB had their son killed because a nigerian gang kidnapped him and asked for a ransom, which our friends paid for, and they killed him anyway. So yes, its very very appropriate to include them in the movie. The ruwandans, mocambiqueans, botswananas, malawians and all manner of neighbouring africans who have flocked into SA are corralled into the worst parts of every township and are called "aliens" locally. Racism? Well the white guys are depicted as the baddies and the black guys in MNU are the nicest humans so the racist card is not that clear. I find it amusing that people who would walk out of a movie only 20 minutes into it can write reviews and have any sort of intelligent opinion. The director clearly states that he didnt need to patronise the audience by explaining every little angle and leaves much to audience. A good movie is one that gets people thinking and talking and this movie sure does that !! I understood the brilliance of the movie when seeing it the second time and so much fell into place that I couldnt take in the first time because it was so intense. Hopefully the academy will do their due diligence and try and understand the social and criminal context, the accent and ignore some of the super ignorant reviews that have been written by folk who cant understand a movie unless it spoonfeeds and stars Will Smith !!… Expand

Whats with all these 0's and people saying this film is bad...?!!?!?! Rigged boards? Dont talk rubbish.. Anyway..this film is geniuenly epic...and it really dos make you feel empathy for the aliens and sorry for Wikus...the main character. I loved it from start to finish....the special effects are top notch, it isnt my favorite film..but its definelty one of them! Seriously do yourself a favor and see it...its really really good!!… Expand

Special effects good, but story trite and relied on implausible premise that all aliens needed to be moved from one place to another and hostility was grossly underestimated. More interesting story would have been how the situation requiring move arose in the first place. I just didn't buy it.

I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would bother to watch more than 20 minutes of this unmitigated mind raping dross. What sheer fun it is to watch a video game, normally interactively played, unfold lazily before your very eyes with the same absence of storyline, acting or logical resolution to its various silly plot points. An allegory to the the human drama know as apartheid? If it was an allegory to that, you surely wouldn't want to set it in Johannesburg would you? that's like making an allegory to Nazi Germany while filming a tale set in Nazi Germany.... This kind of stupidity doesn't bother anyone anymore? Aliens who eat cat food as an allegory to drug use? Do all you ten-voters also still watch Sesame Street or something? D9 is nothing less than a completely farcical and generic action fodder hailed as the second coming of Christ featuring the most nauseating and lazy style of filming known as mockumentary with actors bereft of any professional acting skills and a script which is roughly made up on the spot with an f-bombs galore to hide the fact that the screenwriter signed off when he was told to quit being such a pain in the butt. "It's only a movie man!", or so he was told. No, no one is bothered by this. We turn off our brains as we laud the FX puppeteer for serving us yet another upgrade in CGI rendering as we cry ourselves to sleep from the joy that is living in these blissful times where real emotion is thankfully replaced by bandwagon hype and comfortable contrivances that won't occur in real life anyway. How terribly complacent it is to not have to worry about an actual sensical three act structure when you've got all this marketing budget to throw around allowing you to already cash in on the prefabricated acclaim and Pavlov conditioning of the crowds way before the movie is even actually screened. Seriously, why bother making the movie at all? Oh wait, I almost forgot, they never actually did...… Expand

Unlike anything you've ever seen. A very original sci-fi film with top notch cgi, acting and a great script. Copley is absolutely amazing in his first film, this guy is going to be a star. Blomkamp is a visionary... this film had me hooked from the first frame. A must see.

This movie is simply beyond perfection

While watching District 9 it reminded me of other movies, the shakey carmera work from transformers , The aliens were a rip out of Half Life 2. The idea was an intresting one, but then it turned into a typical chase movie. A bluray rental nothing more.

I'm certain a sequel is being hashed out as I type this little review and the resulting "District 10" had better explain some things to me...like is there a biological basis for bigotry? My left lower claw is tapping out messages in wounded impatience but that's just me and my wild DNA...it gets a little funky with all that cat food in the system. All in all, I have to say this film was amazingly well done and embraced many themes about our humanity that were compelling and engaging. But I didn't feel it was "deep" enough. Don't get me wrong. It's a great little film. But the themes have just been scratched and I hope will be further explored. And yeah, I liked all that vomiting, public urination and relatively tidy body explosions!… Expand

Everything starts out great but then becomes an action flick with no pulp. At first there are notes of apartheid and deep social suggestions, but by the end it turns into an incoherent BIONIC COMMANDO trying to save his relationship by betting it all on an infantile alien. It starts out feeling smart, and ends feeling dumber than dirt. Alien racism is halfway thought through, and what is up with the ever changing accents?… Expand

District 9 is easily the best movie I have seen so far this year. It's story brings you in and makes you feel for these people(humans and aliens alike). The action is amazing, but never feels overdone or like it is meaningless. I should note that the entire film is extremely violent and if you don't like blood you should stay away. If you like good movies that actually have a message then don't miss this one.… Expand

This movie proves it's not about money, it's all about the artist behind the camera. Well done Mr. Blomkamp and Mr. Jackson.

A mix of The Fly, Blackhawk Down, Children of men and Half-life 2, with a possible gravity gun reference involving a.... I wont spoil it. If I had to nitpick, I'd say that the Aliens aren't really all that alien. They are basically bug people who behave exactly as humans would. And the Apartheid thing doesn't last long before it goes all action, But the action is great.

I went into this movie with high hopes. I was left speechless. This movie delivers on all fronts and its worth every penny...twice. I would recommend this to all. Be warned there is quite a bit of gore so this is not for the weak stomached.

District 9 is subtle, subversive and its a Sci-Fi shot in Johannesburg?? What a treat watching a movie that does not bombard you with colour, special effects and the soulless Hollywood 'SHAZAM' factor. Instead we are given a real portrayal of squatter camp life, with beings suffering and oppressed to the point of revolt. We feel for them; we want them to be rescued and oh yes they are aliens!!! This Movies strength is its core is overflowing with subversive power and the fact that its a alien/chase/special effects fiasco just makes it a great ,great movie!!!!… Expand

Most original sci-fi since Alien. Neill Blomkamp in his directing debut knocked this one out of the park. There is so much right with this movie, and so little wrong. It really pulls you in and ratchets up the tension so adroitly you don't notice until you're cheering. Can't wait to see it again.

A well-done, fun, rational, thought-provoking, exciting movie!

All the critics who gave it a 50 either misunderstood the film or simple lack any sort of intelligence. Some critics have bad taste in films. Please note this is not a comedy nor a comic book film, it is a realistic science fiction film. This movie is a Si-Fi classic. It has a lot of rich ideas and great action. District 9 has all the components you would expect from a excellent film. It has a great plot that makes you think about humanity and what would happen if we were really to encounter Aliens. All the snobby critics can go eat canned cat food, and should be held captive in district 9. The snobby critics misunderstood the movie the way M.N.U. misunderstood the aliens of district 9. Hopefully we will see district 10 some time in the near future.… Expand

Very satisfying and original. I cant wait to go see it again and then go buy it on DVD.

Dark, twisted, and wonderfully executed.

Purely amazing. This movie pulls you in, grabs you by the head, and smothers you in awesome. Very intelligent, very entertaining. They fleshed out the Aliens and made you feel for them, and I loved the way they ended it, this is one of the closest movies I would call perfect. Everyone was clapping.

How boring was this movie? Parable or not, it was only for my friends being with me that I did not walk out of it. I'm actually kind of glad I did not because it gained its two point rating at the end when something actually happened. Aliens getting stranded on earth is a pretty lame premise for a movie in the first place and, even though the special effects were great and the CGI truly impressive, it could not overcome that "Haven't we seen this all before?" feeling. And that feeling is hard to accept for over two and a half hours at a time.… Expand

Just when you think this movie is trying too hard to be a documentary Blomkamp thrusts you into an emotionally charged action film with all of the bells and whistles of a top shelf summer movie. It manages to pull the viewer into its make-believe world and tear at the heart and soul. Nail biting and speak out loud to youself... "oh god I hope they don't kill tha poor child, wait he's CG!!!!." incredible sci-fi movie. Genre defining. A must see!!!… Expand

An amazing movie, especially considering it's really low budget.

Peter Jackson does to SciFi what he did to zombie flicks with his dark humored classic Dead Alive. This film is original. Tells a good story. Has a nice whimsical at times and dry / twisted at times sense of humor. Most important part. THE SPECIAL EFFECTS ARE USED TO TELL THE STORY. They rarely, if at all, get in the way or are special effects for the sake of special effects. Rising above a sea of Hollywood crap this summer this film redeemed my faith in creative narrative and filmmaking.… Expand

Great SCi fi movie, Great social drama, Great action movie. You cannot help but feel uneasy at the brutal realism of this movie. Wikus is a testament to the best and worst of human nature. THe lack of stars allows the focus to be on the story. After the debacle of Transformers and Wolverine, This film is proof that real movie making still lives.

I went into the theater with high expectations, and I was blow away. I left the theater dazed, and I'm still digesting the subtler elements of the film. Stunning, brilliant, exciting, and heartbreaking. There hasn't been an American film this good since There Will Be Blood. We are going to see great, marvelous things coming from both Neill Blomkamp and Sharlto Copley!

A fantastic film that is a whole lot of fun, but I don't think it was without flaws. While I found the majority of the film brilliant and exciting, I felt that the most interesting stuff came from the backstory. I would have enjoyed seeing more of that and less of the main human character. I enjoyed following him far less that I think I should have and found him to be despicable, only capable of becoming compassionate at the grimest of moments. Even then, I felt him completely selfish and motivated by his own desires. And his story of transformation was also less than desirable. But just about everything else in the film was fantastic. The aliens are great, both in look and in personality and dimension. The action is great and a whole lot of fun, worth the ticket price alone. And the whole set up and world created here is brilliant. While there is much to be desired, the film creates an emotional ride that is both exciting and interesting.… Expand

I walked into District 9, Niell Blomkamp

Perfect 10 loved every moment.

This is by far the deepest Science Fiction film I have ever seen, the message and imagery rocked me to my core. Hopefully people who see this will look into the atrocities that have happened in South Africa so that they will never repeat themselves anywhere.

I'm amazed this film gets as many high rating as it does. The simple things is what it lacks. #1 A story. There was no discernible plot for an hour and half... Then by the time a story surfaced, it was over. I'd say it was the longest trailer I'd ever seen... Can't wait for D-9 part 2. With all the loose ends, and only costing 30m to make, there is really no way around a sequel. Sad.… Expand

Great movie that is NOT totally centered around science fiction. You must actually think while watching the film; that's what makes it outstanding. The special effects are an added bonus.

I could not wait for this to get over. I kept telling my wife maybe it will get better in a minute. She was about to loose her popcorn because of all the hand held camera scenes. After all the hype and the rave reviews we were very disappointed. I heard several people leaving the theater voicing the same.

Visually impressive for the CGI. Other than that, it was silliness. If you have a brain, you'll be insulted. The script is absurd and seems like it was written by the same person that scripted the Transformers. If you're a SciFi fan you'll be embarrassed if you want anything more intelligent. I hate to agree with Ebert, but this is nothing more than poor space soap opera with emotional manipulation and little care to actually producing anything intelligent. I got the point of the movie. It's been done a million times and much better and without a need for an excuse to focus on apartheid, which didn't even make sense. It makes me realize that movies have deterioriated into such unoriginal trash that throw any new CGI trick in front of them and they'll scream how awesome it is.… Expand

I liked this movie while I watched it, but when I stepped out of the theater, I realized how stupid it is. Cat food being like a drug to the aliens? The fact that the aliens look like shrimp/lobster? Laughable! Let's not forget the fact that these shrimp ("prawns") communicate with humans easily - us humans know their language! Weird? Yeah. Ok the movie has a "message" but I don';t think we needed a movie to tell us that racism/unequality is bad.… Expand

Yet another pathetic allegory for the New World Order salivating to put humans in giant concentration camps after they pull the big false flag trigger to the next world war. Eat me, Hollywood propaganda turd movies.

Was I watching the same movie as some of these critics? Not a very good movie, if you must see at all please wait for the dvd rental.