District 9

[Chained Chaos]

I had a somewhat similar experience going into this film.

I had seen a brief trailer, one of the first released, that didn't really allude to much aside from "Hey, this movie has aliens or something." Still, despite the vague connotations, I was drawn in somehow and knew that I wanted to see this movie for better or worse.

Just a few nights ago, after seeing a poster for it, I decided that it was about time to head back to the theaters and dedicate some time to the ritual. I don't go very often, but it's a nice change of pace -- and, frankly, I was still pretty curious about what this story entailed.

I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. I expected something geared more towards appealing to baser instincts. Instead I was treated with a much more mature representation of what I expected; yes, there were explosions, bloody moments, and general testosterone-flavored scenes, but it was done in such a way that you forgive its excess. I especially enjoyed the spectrum of emotions that it conveyed to the audience, warranting at times empathy and anger in places that you initially wouldn't have expected to feel them.

Sure, the film has its flaws: what film doesn't? I think I'll refrain from putting the spotlight on them, though. Enjoying things for what they are instead of picking them apart for what they aren't generally leads to a much more entertaining experience.

In any case,
tl;dr I'm buying it on DVD or Blu-Ray when it gets released.