"District 9" is a truly global affair.The South African-born Blomkamp learned his trade in Canada,and found a mentor in New Zealand.But it's the location that allows this allegory to resonate.
"District 9" also begs plenty of questions; not much of it makes sense if you stop to think about it.And Blomkamp seriously overplays his hand in the long,thoroughly conventional climactic shoot-'em-up.What should have been a taut 90-minute nightmare flick -- a classic midnight movie -- has somehow pumped up into a 112-minute approximation of a Hollywood action blockbuster.
Still,"District 9" has plenty of material to chew on.Expanded from a six-minute short,it's a brashly confident debut,full of sharp,inventive detail (the prawns are crazy for cat food) and rooted in a couple of Big Ideas.Well worth the time,if not all of it.