Who payed the critics

Highly Overrated But Still Good

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

I must admit I was skeptical about this film, as the trailer did nothing for my senses and even the premise seemed like something that's been done a hundred times before. But boy, was I in for a surprise! The film gets more interesting as it progresses, and is ultimately absolutely fantastic. It is a thrill ride of note with amazing action sequences and incredible visuals. Sharlo Copley is brilliant as Wikus van der Merwe, and deservedly won a few awards as Best Actor

I have to say that at first time I saw the aliens in this movie, I wondered why did I got excited for it!!As a science fiction movies fan, I would say that I liked it. It have all the reasonable factors that makes it a good sci-fi movie.. which is presentation of an unusual phenomena or event or whatever it could be and then the viewer should sit back and watch the effects of it with minimal predictable "smart" interference that usually found in sci-fi movies. This movie is not about aliens.. it is about humans. The aliens are just means to describe human behaviors. Most movies that involve alien race presence would of course showcases human behaviors toward the unknown.. but here and in this movie the aliens are not "unknown". For some reason an obviously more technically advanced alien race got "trapped" on earth. Up to almost half the movie run time, the presentation of aliens was through TV reports and interviews that documents the life of aliens in the restricted slum-like area after so many years on earth. On the second half of the movie run time, that's when the enjoyable part start.. the sympathy toward the aliens reflected back to be a sympathy toward human race for its cruelty and selfishness. I would recommend this movie to every science fiction genre fan.

Out of many films about extraterrestrial species that I've watched arguably District 9 is the best. Out of many reasons as to why I would regard it as that ; the most important is the fact that the Aliens are depicted in a much wider scope and with a lot of personality in this film. Specially, the lead Alien character Christopher along with the leading performance by Sharlto Copley as Wikus carries this wonderful story on their shoulders and executes the plot to perfection. This film is also about how malignant human beings can be to our own species where they don't blink to betray our own at the face of financial benefits which are sunk deep in technological advancements. Certain characters in this film almost make us feel how far our basic human values would deplete for the greed of power and money in this technologically advancing World. Colonel Koobus and Piet Smit are those worst strains of humanity. The film maintains an emotional grip throughout the film which would keep you totally invested in its plot unfolding. Specially, Wikus whose wonderful character arch with his own insecurities make him feel compassionate about the Aliens which in turn would make us feel compassionate about him. Anyone who is a fan of science fiction films wouldn't wanna miss this one equipped with fantastic visual effects, action sequences, and masterfully layered emotional grip which keeps you invested from start to finish.

A very rare sighting indeed - an innovative and original sci fi movie, that is well written, well directed and well acted. And this is it. Extremely original. Great plot, which constantly channels your thoughts in one direction, only to wrong-foot you. Good direction, from an unknown director. Graphics are great, which is a given for a modern movie, but here the graphics are more subtle and take a backseat to the storyline, unlike the Michael Bay/James Cameron school of in-your- face all-style-no-substance direction.Great, gritty, natural acting from a cast of unknowns. With The Hurt Locker probably the most under-hyped and (pre-release) under-rated movie of 2009.Even if you don't like sci fi, watch this.