Audiences everywhere will appreciate the sleek, pulsating, clever film that Blomkamp has created.
Comment
08/14/09
District 9 (2009)
90
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:236
Fresh:213
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.
Theatrical Release:Aug 14, 2009 Wide
Box Office: $115,646,235
Synopsis: Genre master Peter Jackson produces this science-fiction film, the directorial debut of Neill Blomkamp. In District 9, South Africa has become a haven for refugees--from outer space. [More]
Starring: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, David James, Mandla Gaduka
Director: Neill Blomkamp
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Reviews for District 9
Taking a traditional sci-fi approach, Blomkamp examines contemporary society through a new prism.
08/14/09
A late-summer jolt of serious science-fiction juice that marries breathless action to political satire and poignant drama.
08/14/09
Part 'Cloverfield', part 'Quarantine' and a lot of David Cronenberg's 'The Fly' without the starpower.
08/14/09
Every now and then, a film comes along that both defies and compels description.
08/14/09
About the only way District 9 - a bloody marvelous action movie that's part science-fiction allegory and part unabashed mayhem - could get more in your face is if it was shot in 3D.
08/14/09
The film all but gets away from [the director] as battles take over and opportunities to explore the story as more than the sum of its weapons disappears.
08/14/09
The fresh premise over, the stale action returns.
08/14/09
As an allegory of racial conflict and mass immigration, District 9 never really goes anywhere: The appealing premise fades into the background before 20 minutes have elapsed.
08/14/09
A swift, subtle movie, it trusts us to do some of the work.
08/14/09
You've seen alien invasion flicks before, and you've seen more than your share of summer blockbusters. But you've never seen anything quite like District 9.
08/14/09
This might go down as the year that science-fiction cinema, despite the deafening crash and clangor of sparring robots, began to rediscover its brains, heart and soul.
08/14/09
A thinking man's, or man-boy's, Transformers.
08/14/09
If you're looking for the late-summer special-effects action fantasy with big franchise potential, forget about G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. (You already forgot? Fine.) Instead, proceed directly to District 9.
08/14/09
Top CriticBounds from one contrivance to the next.
08/14/09
District 9 succeeds brilliantly as an exercise in style, but the style promises a level of substance the film never quite delivers.
08/14/09
Top CriticNot just an excellent time for what it has to say, but also for the effortlessly exciting way in which it delivers the cargo.
08/14/09
In a summer where toy robots and action heroes have rocked the box office and killed brain cells, it's nice to see a movie where some serious thought has been put into reviving a stale genre.
08/14/09
Top CriticThere's a wonderfully sly, farcical verve to these early moments, but it dissipates when the script, with its strains of E.T. and The Fly, moves into high sci-fi gear.
08/14/09
District 9 proves that sci-fi thrillers don't have to be star-studded or mega-budgeted to be visually compelling and thoroughly entertaining.
08/14/09
Latest News for District 9
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...
August 28, 2009:
Neill Blomkamp Teases District 9 Sequel, Prequel
Now that "District 9" is officially a hit, it's time for Neill Blomkamp to hit the publicity trail -- and answer the inevitable questions about a sequel and/or prequel. CHUD has... More...
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