I have not been to the movies in a very long time, and sadly, I don’t think that I’ve missed anything.  But every now and then passionate filmmakers remind me of the artistry of collective work, like District 9, that sneaks up on you and nudges you, and says, “You see.  This is why you like film.”  That happens about once every couple of years.  Is this one of them?  I’m not sure.  My feelings swung from a degree of absurdly bizarre to a gripping, nail-biting finish.  Somebody knows how to tell a story.  And I’m glad they did, for the most part.  Some of the undercurrents of the film were so glaringly preachy that it was almost laughable.  But I held onto every word, especially as there was not one person who spoke American or British English, from what I could tell.  
The Afrikaaners were let loose on this film, although I can’t really distinguish a Dutch from a New Zealand accent, and don’t know about the latter country’s history to know if they actually speak Dutch, at all.  I guess I need some educating.  Excuse me while I research....  Wikipedia.... too confusing to explain.  Suffice to say that the Dutch have a past in New Zealand, although NZ's ties appear to be British.  I digress, anyway.  Whatever form of English that was spoken, one has to be careful to listen to understand everything.  Luckily, the story itself could be viewed without sound and still be understood as it’s so obvious who the bad and the good guys are, and I’m not giving anything away in saying that.

I don’t want to spoil your right to view the film firsthand and develop your own impressions.  Let me just say that there’s a new actor on the loose, and he was absolutely brilliant.  Sharlto Copley, a total unknown to us in the U.S., makes a brilliant debut as the protagonist who surprises us as his character experiences a transformation from comical federal employee in a futuristic society, to a man who must fight for what he believes.  His character arc is as riveting as that in other movies, such as LA Confidential (I won't say whose), or Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.  The viewer sees a man transform into a real man, who stands for something.  A cross between David Arquette and Italian hunk, Giancarlo Giannini, or even a young DeNiro, he goes from almost waifish, cute nerd to manly hunk right before our eyes. He sucks you in, from the beginning, and he never lets you go.  I have not seen that kind of charisma and skill in an actor in years.  He is absolutely riveting, and his character arc must fill any man watching it with a sense of empowerment.  For women, you’ll see him in a different vein, as his character travels from geek to Greek demi-god in the film.  

This review is cryptic because I refuse to spoil it for you.  I can tell you that what you’ve seen in the trailers on television is very accurate.  The trailer depicts a future world where there’s an alien invasion, and a country must decide what to do about it.  The symbolism is not profound and this has been done before.  I even see a bit of Ed Zwick in this director’s writing and directing, in his creation of an anti-hero who does the word “bravery” proud.  The special effects are some of the best I have every seen and it’s quite daring because of the realistic setting in which the events take place.  You are there.  In the slums of South Africa, in a Soweto-like compound, a no-mans land where Nigerian thugs rule.  The hatred of the South Africans of Nigerians is not even subtle as they depict Nigerians as the scum of the earth who believe in witchcraft and are full of graft and corruption.  Although they go far, there is a basis for their belief, as I witnessed a shopping center where people could buy animal parts for voodoo or witchcraft.  It was pretty scary, honestly, and it is the same in this film.  Something you're not likely to catch is a reference to the former President of Nigeria, who they call a dictator or some worm of some sort--Obasanjo's name is bandied about once, and if you know anything about Nigeria, that's a major put-down.  This film might do more than any law enforcement attempt to reign in the Nigerian advance fee fraud scammers because they are depicted so demonically in the film (only one story line doesn't really work, and was probably added at the last minute as it doesn't really jive with the rest of the film).
I can’t think of one actor who failed in his or her mission (um... there were less than 3 "hers" in the movie, including the blood-sucking Nigerian sorceress), although there is a plot line that doesn’t make sense, but I understand that it may have had to be kept in for continuity’s sake.  But had they thought harder they could have come up with a way to keep the weak scene out.  Suffice it to say that there was an opportunity to accomplish something earlier, that was passed up and saved for later.  That’s the only time where I saw “the movie” versus the real world that the movie so successfully depicted except for this license with a realistic plot point.  There were a couple of moments where things happened almost too suddenly, but hey, it’s a movie.  The geeks will find it (like me), but I won’t catalogue it as a thumbs down.  The movie was good.  They made some mistakes.  But, who cares.  It had me at hello.

Peter Jackson Executive Produced the film.  Not being a fan of Lord of the Rings, I’m not sure I know what to say, except that he obviously knows talent when he sees it.  I’m glad to see new filmmakers come on the scene and teach Hollywood lessons in movie-making.  Life isn’t clean.  It’s dirty, stinking, messy and that’s what it is, and this film shows it, whereas Hollywood is clean and pretty, even when it’s dirty; paradoxically, the real stench is when one deals with the real Hollywood that disguise its evil beneath its its manicured, wholesome, choreographed, dimply-cute little mean worlds (could I be more hateful, you ask? Actually, yes.).  In this film, you feel every squish in the mud.  You feel every bombast and boom--and you’ll flinch when it happens, even though you know it’s coming.  It pulls you in and you’re there in South Africa, trying to run for cover.

I saw one review when looking at purchasing my ticket on line (Fandango charges a $2.00 courtesy fee--no thank you, I’ll stand in line).  The person said they hated the film. I can see how he could say that, especially in the beginning.  One doesn’t know what the heck is going on and there’s a sense of the absurd, almost, a comical angle to it that makes it hard to pin down.  But it moves so fast that before you have time to criticize it as rubbish, the plot's already started to grip you, mainly due to the character of Wikus Van De Merwe, who keeps you following his every move.  As it progresses, its tentacles grab your neck and bring you forward in your seat, to watch and ponder the messages of this deeply layered film.  Apocalyptic in the tradition of Apocalypse Now (helicopters), and 2001:  A Space Odyssey (I’ll let you find it), are both heralded in the film, but in each comparison, this film tells us, “this is how you do it, Mr. Lucas, Mr. Kubrick” (but it pays tribute Mr. Kubrick more than it tries to teach him anything).  In fact, they use guns that look surprisingly familar to the gun machinery of Star Wars galore (but I only saw the first 2, I believe, so I’m really dating myself).   
We should all take lessons.  I haven’t researched the background of the story, and haven’t the time.  I’m supposed to be writing 1 and 1/2 hours a day (but they didn’t say, write what). Well, this is my writing for the day.  

I doubt I’ll be able to watch the film again.  It is violent, very violent, and I had to close my eyes through the “sounds” of gore. But all my senses were put to the test.  I could do everything but smell the stench of the slums of South Africa that pits man against machine, good against bad, and government versus the people, and mixes them all up into a phantasmagoric spectacle of excellent filmmaking.  I expect great things from Neill Blomkamp, writer, director; I can’t wait to see more from this Director, that I label "Ed Zwick with serious special effects."   And as for the lead, we’ve found a new and wonderful actor, may he live long and prosper, and our film enjoyment, also, as a result.

Recommended: Yes

Movie Mood: Action Movie
Viewing Method: Other
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Nothing