User blog comment:MEffect Fan/Your most beloved Sci-Fi movie./@comment-730941-20100622123339

District 9 is an extremely well-made movie, especially considering its relatively humble, star-free production.

I think an honourable mention should go to the 1951 version of The Day the Earth Stood Still - a classic sci-fi movie (even if the 'alien' was human) that did very well considering the limitations of that era's technology. In contrast, the recent remake (with Keanu Reeves) was a horrible, disjointed, special-effects laden mess.

The original Star Wars trilogy will always be the high-point of sci-fi for me, and not just for nostalgia reasons - it was made for good epic storytelling, rather than as a money-spinner. Its financial success was a byproduct, not a goal.