District 9 - 9 stars out of 10

District 9 - 9 stars out of 10

This movie was much better the second time, once I knew what to expect.  Shot in documentary form, "District 9" really gives the feeling of watching video footage from an historic event.  It transcends the realm of fantasy by turning it into reality.  The idea of cohabitation between humans and aliens is difficult to swallow at first, but soon seems typical and creates a human/alien interaction that no other movie has ever portrayed.  The special effects are among the best that I've ever seen, making it difficult to remember that the aliens did not actually interact with the humans during filming.  The transformation of Wikus's body is also entirely realistic and sometimes difficult to watch.  Sharlto Copley is a great addition to Hollywood and I hope to see him in many future roles now that he has proved himself by being in nearly every shot of this entire film.  A lot of credit needs to be given to the cameramen, whose timing was flawless on all of the handheld shots.  The movie has a constant energy that comes from the unity of actors, cameramen, and computer animation.  The special effects take gore to a new level at points, but that just adds to the extreme edge of this film.  I'd definitely recommend this film but realize that it is not what you expect.  In fact, it's better than anything that you could expect from an intellectual sci-fi thriller.