3. It's Still Full Of Action

Yes, while District 9 has a solid, intellectual core, it never forgets the action.

This is a film where a small war breaks out between an oppressed group and the people who loathe and distrust them.

And when things go badly wrong for Wikus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley), the plot kicks the action up several notches.

As Blomkamp switches from the mock-doc format (see page 9), he throws the visual trickery into overdrive, with some impressive shots, nail-biting suspense and even fast-paced editing (though not so distractingly quick as to approach the likes of Michael Bay.

The camera rolls, ducks and weaves as Wikus goes on his life-altering adventure, making sure you stay with him for every moment.

To avoid big spoilers, we won't go into what happens when some of the aliens' weapons are finally unveiled (if you've seen the trailer, you've seen it happen) but suffice to say it's a lot of fun.

And to Blomkamp's credit, the vast majority of the action is driven by character. These are not set pieces for the sake of having something go boom - every moment springs from the needs of the plot.

"The way I approached the action is the same way I approached the whole film," says Blomkamp. "Right from the beginning, the idea was to juxtapose the fantastic and the mundane. This crazy science fiction is placed in a usual, every day situation. It's also presented with an everyday paintbrush. It's not glossy, over-the-top and Hollywood per se."

And there will be blood. "I knew right from the beginning that I wanted it to be violent. A few months after we started, I knew a dark satirical direction mixed with something that felt real would be the best way to go.

"Don't make it too serious. Once I knew that there was an element of satire and a lot of violence, meat explosions seemed like the direction to go in."

Next: The trailer's not full of spoilers