'District 9' Reviews

Thought that the summer of action spectacle had come to a close with the storming of theaters by 'G.I Joe: The Rise of Cobra' last week? Not so fast. This Friday, the buzzed-about sci-fi flick 'District 9' beams into cinemas and, judging by the ecstatic reviews thus far, it just might be the most utterly unique and entertaining film of the entire summer.

Produced by Peter Jackson and directed by his protege Neill Blomkamp, the movie centers on a spaceshipful of peaceful aliens who become stranded in South Africa, are relegated to living in the titular slum and inevitably clash with their human oppressors. Part sci-fi action flick, part social commentary on -- you guessed it -- apartheid, critics are heralding the movie as a popcorn movie for the thinking man. See what reviewers are saying in our roundup below, then chime in with your own thoughts. -- By Tom DiChiara

Moviefone: "Sci-fi lovers should geek out over '9,' one of the most original and inspired genre movies to hit theaters in years."

Variety: "This grossly engrossing speculative fiction bears Jackson's blood-splattered fingerprints but also heralds first-time feature director Neill Blomkamp as a nimble talent to watch."

Bloody Disgusting: "'District 9' is hands down the best film of the summer and has made me love movies all over again. It's engaging, explosive, and pure nonstop awesomeness -- it's what big summer movies are supposed to be."

The Hollywood Reporter: "Combining the very best of the postwar sci-fi movies with their trenchant political undertones and pulse-pounding dynamism and contemporary movie technology that can blend aliens seamlessly into a realistic human world of urban and moral decay, 'District 9' flirts with greatness."


'District 9' showtimes & tickets | 'District 9': What is it about?

Entertainment Weekly: "What begins with 'news' footage out of South Africa ends with headline news here at home: District 9 proves that there's intelligent alien life in the movie universe this summer."

Sci-Fi Squad: "We were prepared for massive amounts of CGI, but we were definitely not prepared for the huge amounts of awesome that were dumped into our eyes and brains. Honestly, I haven't been this moved by a film or a performance in quite some time."

Cinema Blend: "It's impressive not just as a debut, but as a new example of how to use original sci-fi as a mirror to our own world, and without $200 million budgets and space battles or even hobbits. Peter Jackson took the money he made making a faithful and beautiful adaptation, and has used it to fund something truly, remarkably original."

Hollywood & Fine: "The 'wow' factor in Neill Blomkamp's 'District 9' is huge -- so much so that it would be easy to overlook what a soulful, tragically heroic story it is."