District 9 (2009)

A brilliant, original piece of indie sci-fi. It's so rare to see new ideas on screen these days. In addition, it was so well put together. The CGI, motion capture, and practical effects blended seamlessly. A lot of quality work went into making this film. Story-wise, I was also very engaged. The acting was very believable. The lead actor especially pulled off a great performance—Oscar worthy if you ask me. I hope there's a sequel and that the same people are involved with its creation.

Rating: A-

Death Race 2 (2010)

This is actually a prequel, not that anyone was asking for one. Do we really need the origin story for a NASCAR snuff film? The last Death Race had a higher caliber cast and better writing. This retooled version tries really hard to convince us it’s not a B movie, to no avail. There are some fun sequences, but overall it’s a clunker.

Rating: D