"District 9" was a well made film. Even though it uses the "documentary style" camera work, all the fuzziness and camera shake here and there were in check and only added flavor instead of distracting. The overall arc took "The Hero's Journey" route, and ended with both a despairing and optimistic note.

There were many parallels to the way humans treat others, and for those informed enough, the comparisons to they way the Nazis shoved Jews into ghettos and did medical experiments on them, Americans stuck the Japanese in internment camps, and Apartheid's heinous rule in South Africa (where the movie takes place, ironically) are obvious.

Unfortunately, from the reactions gained from many in the theater I watched the movie in, the lesson of how ugly humanity can be with all its fear, racism, greed, and callousness toward the life of others outside themselves and their family is lost to most. There were many comments about "not enough good action parts," "why didn't just fight and kick everyone's a**," or "why didn't they just kill all the aliens?" What disgusted me the most, was how some actually laughed at the "abortions" and mass killings of babies.

All in all, the storytelling and transformation of the main character made for good writing and entertainment for the mature mind. Those looking for a light-hearted action film, or even a heavy sci-fi action film need not apply. "District 9" is more along the lines of "Children of Men" than your basic alien flick.

Millefune Rating: A-