District 9 proves that sci-fi thrillers don't have to be star-studded or mega-budgeted to be visually compelling and thoroughly entertaining.
2 Comments
08/14/09
District 9 (2009)
90
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:237
Fresh:214
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
A sci-fi-fueled indictment of man's inhumanity to man -- and the non-human -- District 9 is all horribly familiar, and transfixing.
08/14/09
Top CriticIn the midst of it all you almost take for granted the carefully rendered details of the setting, the tightness of the editing and the inventiveness of the special effects.
08/14/09
Top CriticIt's not for everyone, but for sci-fi fans and audiences who want something different from the run-of-the-mill no-brainer Hollywood summer film, it's a must-see.
08/14/09
In District 9, racism provides the white guy with a very special growth experience.
08/14/09
Monty Python-esque. Reminded me a bit of the Stormtrooper spoof on TV's "Cops." Sharlto Copley sells it to us with grit, charm, naivety, and humor. He's absolutely brilliant.
08/14/09
For 85 minutes, District 9 is a thinking creature's action film, but its final brain-numbing half hour sacrifices most of that logic for loud blasts and unconvincing sentiment.
08/14/09
For every person who walks out of the cineplex complaining that they want to see something different and original. That doesn't mean it is awesome, but it is different.
08/14/09
District 9's City of God meets War of the Worlds hybrid proves overbearing and under-convincing.
08/14/09
The first half is great: original, well-paced, superb production design. But the promising story ultimately falls flat, devolving into an overlong shootout, turning from provocative social commentary to E.T.
08/14/09
A galvanizing thriller that delivers an unfortunate mixed message through its 'alien apartheid' metaphor... A young white suburbanite might emerge from a screening thinking that aliens are cool, but, y'know, black folks are really scary.
08/14/09
By avoiding the typical end of the world apocalypse that most alien invasion movies mandate...District 9 becomes that most elusive of science fiction films - a serious and thoughtful dissertation on who we really are.
08/14/09
A wonderfully-entertaining suspense thriller that reinvents and recharges the alien invasion genre.
08/14/09
Jolts with disturbing plot twists, disgusts with gory kills, showcases awesome and inventive alien technology, comments on inhumane medical experimentation and criticizes unchecked military might, but always remains in service of a nail-biting story.
08/14/09
This is vibrant, original and marks the arrival of a talent to watch.
08/14/09
As an action director, Blomkamp is no John Carpenter. Parts of the story are not dramatised but narrated direct-to-camera by supposed interview subjects -- a lazy device that reduces immediacy and momentum.
08/14/09
I know this word gets thrown around a lot and it should be used sparingly, but this film is very close to being a masterpiece in science fiction cinema.
08/14/09
A revelatory debut, an inventive, daring, original piece of filmmaking that doesn't just hint at a new arrival on the scene as much as blasts one into the film consciousness.
08/14/09
... the last time I saw a genre film that felt like this much of a stick-the-landing home run was 'Shaun Of The Dead'... a smart, visceral sci-fi parable.
08/14/09
You've never seen a movie like District 9, but you're likely to now see many more...Unless the big studio heads dispatch their own men in black with magic memory erasers.
08/14/09
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...
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