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DISTRICT 9Movie Reviews
Science fiction story about a man who seeks asylum in an alien refugee camp after he unlocks the secrets of alien weaponry and becomes the most hunted man in the world. Cast:Sharlto Copley, David James, Jason Cope, Mandla Gaduka, Vanessa HaywoodDirector:Neill BlomkampRelease Date:August 14, 2009DVD Release:December 29, 2009From:Sony PicturesRating:RLength:1 hr 52 min
District 9 played to sensational reviews. • Amy Biancolli wrote in the Houston Chronicle, "...so brilliantly and fully imagined that real life, when it resumes after the credits, arrives with a new sense of dread." • And Richard Corliss wrote in Time, "...proves that genre films, besides being a hell of a lot of fun, can say things you hadn't considered and show stuff you haven't seen." More Reviews Below...
District 9 Positive Reviews (44 Reviews, reviews below)
Leah Rozen, People: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a clever political film and a kick-ass sci-fi thriller.... this unexpected summer treat (produced by 'Lord of the Rings' ' Peter Jackson) is not to be missed."(See all of Leah Rozen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 115 words, 08/13/09
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...madly original, cheekily political, altogether exciting.... 'District 9' proves that there's intelligent alien life in the movie universe this summer."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 364 words, 08/14/09
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...one intense, intelligent, well-crafted action movie -- one that dazzles the eye with seamless special effects but also makes you think without preaching."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 632 words, 08/13/09
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (12 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...ingenious, propulsive and suspenseful... respects your intelligence even as it makes your eyes pop (and, once in a while, your stomach turn)."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,045 words, 08/14/09
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT(cg) "So few entries in this genre leaves any imprint. 'District 9' is the exact opposite: a memorable, monstrous fable that's consistently gripping."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 458 words, 08/14/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...does a lot of things right, including giving us aliens to remind us not everyone who comes in a spaceship need be angelic, octopod or stainless steel."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 874 words, 08/13/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...a scathing social satire hidden inside a terrific action thriller teeming with gross aliens and regrettable inter-species conflict. And it's a blast."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 975 words, 08/14/09
Kyle Smith, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "...falls into the same uneasy category as 'Eight Legged Freaks': too tongue-in-cheek to be thrilling, not funny enough to be a comedy."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 345 words, 08/14/09
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: VERY GOOD(cg) "Plot holes and techno-nonsense abound, but this smart, funny, fast-moving film will earn your patience.... a highly entertaining take on a serious subject."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 285 words, 08/14/09
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "...blazes a trail both different and compelling. But then the trail disappears... Yes, the premise is delightful; no, the delight doesn't last."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 694 words, 08/14/09
Scott Foundas, Village Voice/LA Weekly: EXCELLENT "...fast and furiously inventive.... nearly worthy of its obvious influences: 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers,' 'Dawn of the Dead,' and 'Starship Troopers.' "(See all of Scott Foundas's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 846 words, 08/12/09
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...as satisfying as 'District 9' may be as an action movie, it sets a conceptual bar for itself that it just doesn't clear."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 495 words, 08/13/09
KEY CITIES (17 Reviews)
John Anderson, Washington Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "A sci-fi-fueled indictment of man's inhumanity to man -- and the non-human -- 'District 9' is all horribly familiar, and transfixing."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 574 words, 08/14/09
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a science-fiction action vehicle so brilliantly and fully imagined that real life, when it resumes after the credits, arrives with a new sense of dread."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 706 words, 08/14/09
Cary Darling, Dallas Morning News: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...an eye-popping yet cannily intelligent blast of social commentary from first-time features director Neill Blomkamp that may be remembered as a classic of the form."(See all of Cary Darling's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 670 words, 08/14/09
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "There is a lot of shield-your-eyes ickiness... What there is not a lot of, however, is humanity - even in the film's depiction of the inhumanity humans are capable of."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 531 words, 08/14/09
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD(cg) "There's ultimately less to 'District 9' than meets the eye, even if an awful lot meets the eye. The details, more than anything, are what stick with you..."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 782 words, 08/14/09
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...an electrifying sci-fi ride that defies all the usual Hollywood cliches. It's that rarest kind of film, magnificent trash."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 659 words, 08/14/09
Tom Keogh, Seattle Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...an initially provocative science-fiction feature with comic as well as tragic edges equally obscured by numbing, blow-everything-up action."(See all of Tom Keogh's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 385 words, 08/14/09
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...smart and vicious and filled with moments that make you smile at the wonders of contemporary film craft, a bravura calling card from an exciting new talent."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 576 words, 08/14/09
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...boldly realized... Much of 'District 9' is presented as documentary-style news footage that's both uncannily believable and unmistakably satirical."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 318 words, 08/14/09
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...grabs viewers from first frame to last, not only with viscera but genuine intelligence that's rare in any genre these days."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 517 words, 08/13/09
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a rip-roaring, relentless science-fiction adventure that neither insults your intelligence nor requires you to come up with excuses for liking it."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 606 words, 08/14/09
Scott Foundas, Village Voice/LA Weekly: EXCELLENT "...fast and furiously inventive.... nearly worthy of its obvious influences: 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers,' 'Dawn of the Dead,' and 'Starship Troopers.' "(See all of Scott Foundas's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 846 words, 08/12/09
Shaula Clark, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...might have felt groundbreaking if Blomkamp hadn't already started to tell the story (and done a better job of it) with the 2005 short 'Alive in Joburg.' "(See all of Shaula Clark's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 611 words, 08/13/09
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...as satisfying as 'District 9' may be as an action movie, it sets a conceptual bar for itself that it just doesn't clear."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 495 words, 08/13/09
Tricia Olszewski, Washington City Paper: FAIR "...the conflict is presented before the film's halfway mark, after which it becomes a rather one-note parade of très Hollywood chases, gunfire, and explosions."(See all of Tricia Olszewski's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 673 words, 08/13/09
HIGHBROW PRESS (4 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...ingenious, propulsive and suspenseful... respects your intelligence even as it makes your eyes pop (and, once in a while, your stomach turn)."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,045 words, 08/14/09
Joanne Kaufman, Wall Street Journal: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "There's a wonderfully sly, farcical verve to these early moments, but it dissipates when the script, with its strains of 'E.T.' and 'The Fly,' moves into high sci-fi gear."(See all of Joanne Kaufman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 287 words, 08/14/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...a scathing social satire hidden inside a terrific action thriller teeming with gross aliens and regrettable inter-species conflict. And it's a blast."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 975 words, 08/14/09
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: OUTSTANDING "...enjoyably disgusting... bears Peter Jackson's blood-splattered fingerprints but also heralds first-time feature director Neill Blomkamp as a nimble talent to watch."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 989 words, 07/29/09
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: OUTSTANDING "No true fan of science fiction -- or, for that matter, cinema -- can help but thrill to the action, high stakes and suspense built around a very original chase movie."(See all of Kirk Honeycutt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 955 words, 07/29/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...a scathing social satire hidden inside a terrific action thriller teeming with gross aliens and regrettable inter-species conflict. And it's a blast."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 975 words, 08/14/09
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...ingenious, propulsive and suspenseful... respects your intelligence even as it makes your eyes pop (and, once in a while, your stomach turn)."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,045 words, 08/14/09
Joanne Kaufman, Wall Street Journal: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "There's a wonderfully sly, farcical verve to these early moments, but it dissipates when the script, with its strains of 'E.T.' and 'The Fly,' moves into high sci-fi gear."(See all of Joanne Kaufman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 287 words, 08/14/09
18.9 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
District 9's reviews are separated by an average 18.9 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
District 9 (44 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:District 9's reviews cover 86.8% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 25,987 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 591 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
District 9 Coverage, Volume & Length (44 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 1.0 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
District 9's reviews on average broke 1.0 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is District 9's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
District 9 (44 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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