Movie Review: District 9

Today I am reviewing one of the most hyped films of the summer, Neill Blomkamp's District 9. Let me be blunt. This is not a good film. It's been built up for months, starting with a trailer filled with news footage of shanty towns and assorted other examples of human suffering that ended with a CGI alien interrogation. With the exception of one short interview, the footage shown never made it into the film. Whether this was an editing room decision or a viral marketing hack job, I remain irritated with it. Trailers filled with footage not from the film are simply deceptions. The trailer itself is wonderful. Everything involved with the build up to this film has been fascinating and phenomenally well done. The film itself, however, did not cash in on this build up. It's as if they had the idea for a political commentary involving aliens, but then half way through writing it Michael Bay broke in and finished it in crayon. The action is uninspired, the music is generic, and the CGI is run of the mill. The only impressive effects, and I use impressive lightly, was the weapons, which could have been pulled easily out of any video game. The obvious attempt to comment on apartheid falls flat as nearly character portrayed is equally as despicable. with the exception of the adorable child alien, who I felt for, not a single character touches you. The protagonist, portrayed by Sharlto Copley, is unlikable. Sure, he goes through hardship and, eventually, does the right thing...sort of, but he's a white collar scum that you love to hate. For Christ's sake he spends the first half hour of the film evicting people! It's like an episode of COPS. And not even a good episode of COPS! If the filmmakers intended to create a surreal view of racism, they failed. Everyone hated everyone, and the underlying message, if indeed the film actually had one, seems to me to be this: You think (insert race here) is bad? Just wait for the aliens!

I haven't been so disappointed with a film since Pan's Labyrinth. And I hated Pan's Labyrinth. With the exception of the general.

Peter Jackson and Neill Blomkamp, for shame. You took an alright idea, not a great one, but an alright one, and did it absolutely no justice. For shame.

**.5 out of *****

2.5 out of 5