In the words of one of the main characters, just sit back and "let your mind go blank". I think this phrase perfectly sums up this movie - the chewy bubble gum, the pretty wrapper on some very cheap and sugary candy, the triumph of superficiality over substance.

I would genuinely like to salute all the technologists, programmers, engineers, and the artists that made this movie possible. But beyond the spectacle of all the special effects and 3D graphics, for the sake of effects, there is not much to see here.

I remember in the first "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe", you were truly awed by the spectacle of the grandiose battle. In the "District 9" you were grappled by the original story, unusual plot twists, interesting dialogues, and unusual ending. The special effects in the "District 9" were so amazing and so organically woven into the fabric of the movie (although the movie itself was a bit too much graphic), that they transcended the usual "special effects" experience, and became just a natural part of the story.

Nothing of that sort was experienced by me while watching this latest Hollywood creation. The story is recycled, re-recycled, the music is typically generic (probably the same composer writes music for all these blockbusters), coherent dialogues are pretty much non-existent (they might have as well made it into a silent movie). The plot, the characters, the twists, the ending are so trite and ridiculous that it is just an insult to watch it for any thinking person.

The only redeeming factor was the planet's atmosphere, but after first 30 minutes or so of watching dressed-up earth and its creatures (horses, rhinos, wolves, and etc), an incredible feeling of boredom overtook me and I really could care less for who was killed at the end.