I saw District 9 with my family this week, and I'm not sure doing so with my family was necessarily a good idea--Those of you who have seen it probably know why, but for those who haven't... It's fairly violent and profane. There are some really graphic scenes of violence, but there's also quite a bit of implied bloodshed throughout the movie, and it makes for some really strong impact with some of the scenes.

First off, it's not at all what I'd been expecting. In many ways, that's a really good thing. When I went in, I was expecting a relatively shallow sci-fi action movie, which would have been fine. What I got was a really interesting allegory for apartheid in South Africa, but with aliens. From outer space.

The movie itself also differs considerably from how I'd been expecting it to unfold. Throughout the movie, you get little documentary snippets about the past and about some of the primary characters, both giving you a lot of background and kind of setting up for what'll happen next. It's a technique that's certainly been done before, but District 9 seems to make a point of using it really well: answering questions while also raising several more to be answered as the story progresses.

The characters, for the most part, are very likable (at least the ones you see the most of are). I guess it's a good thing that a lot of them aren't quite so charming, considering most of the characters anyone will dislike are antagonists and are meant to be disliked. I like a villain you can sympathize with just as much as the next guy, but it is refreshing to see an antagonist who's either just plain mean or crazy.

It's also very pretty, from the alien species living in District 9 to the various other special and visual effects (most of them used for the different kinds of alien weaponry). And that's kind of what I've come to expect of movies with Peter Jackson involved--It's not so much that the guy being involved immediately means the effects will be amazing, but it is an interesting correlation I'm starting to see. But even beyond effects, getting past that tangent, the camerawork is really, really good. It doesn't break new ground, but the whole thing is put together very well.

District 9 isn't a short movie, but its 2+ hour length didn't feel at all that long. It was surprising to see it end so "soon," considering I'd half expected another plot arc to pick up as the climactic sequence began. Even so, it didn't disappoint and it didn't feel at all incomplete. If anything, it's good that it felt so short, because only so many movies can hold my attention so well that I'm surprised to find that they're almost over.

I'm not going to spoil anything about the story here. I'd be doing anyone who hasn't seen it already a disservice. District 9 is easily the best movie I've seen since Gran Torino (I'm kind of a fan of Eastwood), and I'd highly recommend it to anyone. See this movie. I really doubt you'll regret it.