Top 10 reasons why District 9 and Neill Blomkamp live up to the hype

TIP of the Scyfilove cap goes to Neill Blomkamp and District 9, which opened this week in the UK.

I had already blogged about its clever marketing campaign, but I saw it during a specially extended lunch hour in Liverpool and it was a great way to spend a Friday afternoon.

I could go on and on about why, but don't want to spoil anything, so I'll keep it quick and easy:

1) The South African cast: no Hollywood stars - or even actors you recognise - kept it real. Should all films have an unknown cast?

2) The Prawns: beautifully designed and realised.

3) The special effects: obviously limited by budget, but rationed to make a massive impact.

4) The faux documentary style of the film-makers.

5) The nods to video games like Halo and Doom in the tech on display - expected from Blomkamp, who was to direct the Halo film before it fell through.

6) Aliens treated as second-class citizens - done before in Alien Nation and the like - but given extra allegorical resonance by the setting in South Africa.

7) The decision to make the leading man sympathetic, but not likeable.

9) More intelligent and thoughtful science fiction - Duncan Jones's Moon is not alone.

That's enough for now - I'll jot something more down in a few days or so, to give people the chance to see it.

Oh, and 10) I got to sneak out of work to go and see it!

What did you think of it?