District 9

After a Summer of movies that disappointed, finally with "District 9" I have seen something imaginative and amazing. Neill Blomkamp directed and Peter Jackson produced a film that remembers how to thrill an audience. First the film sets the stage, and if you've seen the trailer, it to is a set-up. In the onset, characters are introduced, the basic premise is explained, the rules are established. Then all hell breaks loose. Now this isn't a re-invention of the wheel; this film does follow conventions set forth from the beginning of sci-fi action movie, but here it's done so well that it feels fresh and new. At the center of the film is the age old fable where the main character must undergo metamorphosis in order to repair his misconceptions. This story takes place in a setting that while Earthly, seems so foreign to us, making for an interesting mix of the familiar with what is alien. Then throw into the mix a seamless integration of what is real and what is special effects. I've mentioned before how bored I have become with effect driven movies, well here in "District 9" there are characters that are 100% effects, yet they are as much character and as much a presence as the people onscreen. I will admit that at times it is distracting, because I find myself marvelling at 'how id they do that?' But, for the most part it is just so well done that I was captivated by what was going on, instead of how. As I mentioned before, the real strength that Blomkamp and Jackson show is presentation; they know how good their effects are, but instead of overdoing it or showing-off, they take the time to get us interested, to get us anticipating what will happen next. Then they deliver. And when it was all over I felt like I came, I saw, and stuff got blowed-up real nice.