The disconnect between the first and second half of the movie shows you how great District 9 could have been, if Jackson and his financial backers had allowed it, instead of what it is, exciting, but with nothing lingering in the mind after it was over.
District 9 (2009)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:238
Fresh:215
Rotten:23
Average Rating:7.8/10
Consensus: Technically brilliant and emotionally wrenching, District 9 has action, imagination, and all the elements of a thoroughly entertaining science-fiction classic.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for bloody violence and pervasive language.
Runtime: 1 hr 52 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Theatrical Release:Aug 14, 2009 Wide
Box Office: $115,646,235
Synopsis: Director Neill Blomkamp teams with producer Peter Jackson for this tale of extraterrestrial refugees stuck in contemporary South Africa. It's been 28 years since the aliens made first contact, but... Director Neill Blomkamp teams with producer Peter Jackson for this tale of extraterrestrial refugees stuck in contemporary South Africa. It's been 28 years since the aliens made first contact, but there was never any attack from the skies, nor any profound technological revelation capable of advancing our society. Instead, the aliens were treated as refugees. They were the last of their kind, and in order to accommodate them, the government of South Africa set up a makeshift home in District 9 as politicians and world leaders debated how to handle the situation. As the humans begin to grow wary of the unwelcome intruders, a private company called Multi-National United (MNU) is assigned the task of controlling the aliens. But MNU is less interested in the aliens' welfare than attempting to understand how their weaponry works. Should they manage to make that breakthrough, they will receive tremendous profits to fund their research. Unfortunately, the highly advanced weaponry requires alien DNA in order to be activated. When MNU field operative Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley) is exposed to biotechnology that causes his DNA to mutate, the tensions between the aliens and the humans intensifies. Wikus is the key to unlocking the alien's technology, and he quickly becomes the most wanted man on the planet. Ostracized and isolated, Wikus retreats to District 9 in a desperate bid to shake his dogged pursuers. [More]
Starring: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, David James, Mandla Gaduka
Starring: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, David James, Mandla Gaduka, William Allen Young, Vanessa Haywood, Kenneth Nkosi, Devlin Brown
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Screenwriter: Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
Producer: Peter Jackson, Carolynne Cunningham
Composer: Clinton Shorter
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment
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Reviews for District 9
Science fiction as it was meant to be: intelligent and challenging.
Since the metaphor itself is pretty clear, Blomkamp goes for the visceral quality of the images and situations.
The film persuades us to look beneath the aliens' chitinous exterior, and slowly eats at us as the images of racism, subjugation and internment become familiar and prod our conscience.
"One of the most intelligent science fiction entries in the last ten years..."
Un entretenido ejercicio de ciencia ficción que es también toda una alegoría sobre la condición racista y discriminadora del hombre.
Um presente inesperado para todos os fãs de uma boa e inteligente ficção-científica.
Le film de Neill Blomkamp brille de par son audace et la pertinence de son propos.
We've seen most of the film's elements before ... but all these ideas have never been assembled in exactly this manner before, let alone with Blomkamp's wit and style.
Works as political commentary, blood-splattering action flick and sneaky-funny comedy.
We'll know if District 9 has become an instant cult classic if this Halloween, children start dressing up as prawns.
Peter Jackson let Neil Blomkamp make his Bad Taste but with all of Jackson's expensive toys.
Original in concept and thoroughly intense, this alien encampment sci-fi thriller quickly devolves into a gritty slaughter chase that never bores but rarely surprises.
District 9 is a ferocious fable. Potent and provocative, it is an allegory for our time. It is bursting with contemporary themes -- oppression, greed, power, propaganda, and the conflict of disparate cultures.
You don’t feel bamboozled, fooled, or patronized by District 9, as you did by most of the summer blockbusters. You feel winded, shaken, and shamed.
The film’s tone moves easily from the comic to the cruel, and the alien creatures look authentic. From the start, the film promises a fresh and thoughtful slice of Swiftian sci-fi.
District 9 ends on a touching scene that evokes Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, but it's an honest film that repays its debts.
You have to go back to 1979 and the premiere of Alien to find a sci-fi ET movie as thrilling and innovative as director Neill Blomkamp's District 9. His satirical fable on racism delivers all the toys and ploys for the fanboys while teasing and teaching t
Perhaps we’re witnessing a new dawn for politically engaged sci-fi and horror, with Blomkamp as a latter-day George Romero. Either way, this is a stunningly impressive debut.
Latest News for District 9
December 21, 2009:
RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: District 9 and (500) Days of Summer
One would think that the week of Christmas would bring with it a plethora of new releases in home video, but such is unfortunately not quite the case. Though there are a... More...
December 07, 2009:
Help Us Choose the Community Golden Tomato Award
If you're a regular RT reader, then you're probably familiar with our end-of-year Golden Tomato Awards. The long and short of it is that we compile a list of the films released... More...
October 23, 2009:
Blomkamp Gets to Work on District 9 Follow-Up ![]()
Few details are known about the project, but director Neill Blomkamp has signed a deal that will give him creative control over his untitled follow-up to "District 9." More...
September 03, 2009:
Neill Blomkamp talks District 9 - RT Interview
District 9 heralds the arrival of 29-year-old South African-born director Neill Blomkamp as a major new voice in science-fiction. Infused with gritty, hand-held authenticity,... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
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| 77% 77% | The Hangover |
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
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| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
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