One Filmmaker's Journey...: District 9 = WOW.

District 9 ... was an event.

The last film that I went to see that I could say that about was Cloverfield.

Much like Cloverfield, quite a bit of District 9 is told through a documentary... but not all. This was the one bad thing that I can say about the film. The 1st 15 or 20 minutes were all told in documentary mode then there was a jump out and then back in and then it started cutting between the two. Eventually this worked, but there should have been cutting between the two from the beginning so that it was not jarring when it first happened. This was the only time I really felt that I was taken out of the story.

That said, I think I loved the film. At this point, I did not love it as much as Ain't It Cool's Harry Knowles. Read his much more eloquent (and quite accurate) review here http://www.aintitcool.com/node/42012. Much like Harry though, I do want to see the film another time... or three.

I found a few plot points predictable, yet I was still incredibly impressed.

There was A LOT of killing of humans and aliens and yet, the Halloween 2 trailer that played before was considerably more gorey.

I had seen the Alive in Joburg short and while I was intriqued by it I was overall not that impressed. But I took a chance on this film... And the F/X did NOT disappoint. The budget for District 9 is listed at $30M. The special effects here rivial any $150-200M movie out right now... or soon to be released.

The acting by most was better than average. However, Sharlto Copely who plays the lead, Wikus Van De Merwe is extraordinary in his range. From where he starts to where he ends and everything in between. One should expect him to be the next big male actor.

This IS Classic Science Fiction. This could easily have been a novel by Phillip K. Dick or Clark or Asimov or Orwell.

I hope no sequel is made.

District 9 is definitely one of my top two films of the year and one of my top sci-fi films ever.

Just go with an open mind, because what you think you know about the film just from the trailers... you don't know.

Don.