Movie: District 9

Last weekend I watched the movie District 9 twice within three days. Yes, it was that good to me. Produced by Peter Jackson of The Frighteners & Lord of the Rings fame, Directed by Rookie Neill Blomkamp, a 30 year old South African, it was touted as one of the most original Alien movies in a long while.
There was not much publicity done for the movie, I suppose it being directed by a rookie with an unknown cast must have been the reason for its low profile. Nevertheless, I have been noticing it for a month or two now before it aired. I first caught the trailer on Youtube and was impressed by the machines inside. I read the prologue and it sounded pretty interesting to me.
Perhaps what impressed me most about the movie is the acting on hindsight. Without the usual Hollywood stars, you tend to focus on the story and the actors.
The production design signifies another milestone for me. The weapons and Mechas used by the aliens were without a doubt inspired by Japanese anime. You notice elements of Macross, Patlabor and Evangelion everywhere.  It seems like the trend is moving towards Japanese anime influence in Hollywood productions. This is good news for me as I grew up watching anime and could relate to it. Gone are the days of Americana designs, those crude bare metal, muscle and stars and stripes. This is the age of Asia and we will be seeing lots of anime inspired movies.

I hope there is a part two in the near future. I look forward to even better designs and effects.