After Pokemon Silver on my awesome purple Gameboy Color, I basically fell out of the loop for several years until I picked up LeafGreen and went through that a couple times. Now, I'm back into the swing of things with the most content-heavy Pokemon game to date. So far, it's pretty darn good.

I was a little worried about things feeling too familiar, but with the look and feel of D/P/Pl, it manages to feel mostly fresh, kind of like meeting a friend you lost contact with for a decade and finding out that they're not a heroin junkie. ...Maybe a more pleasant surprise than that.

The music is really, really good. That's surprising to me, considering I'd heard a lot of anger about the music being "nothing compared to the original" or "crappy and fake sounding." Whatever that means. I'd have to say quite the opposite, actually; the music is a refreshing take on some of the older tracks. Goldenrod City now sounds bouncy and parade-like. The National Park opens with somber piano, leading into a softer rendition of the familiar melody. The Ruins of Alph now sounds a lot more foreboding--and so on. There's an option you can get to turn on the original music, but I'll never use it. It's too hard to go back.

There are some drawbacks, though. Battle menus seem to have a couple extra steps thrown in for no real reason. One pretty big example is the main battle menu, which has the screen divided up into the "fight" option on top, with "Pokemon," "Bag" and "Run" at the bottom. Now, the top of the screen has the outlines of the four attack buttons visible, but you're required to hit "Fight" before you can actually select an attack. It doesn't ruin the battles, but it does bog things down a bit.

You run into the same thing when swapping out Pokemon in battle. You're given the Switch menu, but when you choose what to swap in, you get the equivalent of an "ARE YOU SURE?" panel. (What it actually gives you is a "Summary, Moves, etc." page, but if you're choosing to swap something in, chances are good that you know its stats and what moves it has.) Streamlining the process would have been nice.

One other thing I just don't get is why the Pokemon are still basically using NES-quality sound effects for their roars and squeals. I'm pretty sure all the 251 from the GBC releases have the exact same battle cries, which is strange, because that's one of the first things I would have expected to change.

Anyway, a few admittedly minor gripes aside, HG/SS are a very worthy addition to the Pokemon brand, and I'd say they're enough to keep me interested in the series for another couple years now. Just when I thought it was safe...

(Note: I didn't mention the Pokewalker, true. That's because I haven't used it yet. I plan to, because I do quite a bit of walking, but the peripheral hasn't become a part of my life yet.

Edit: Yeah, I realize that sounds really stupid. FORGIVE MEEEEEEE!)

I already entered one for it, so if anyone uses Club Nintendo and wants some coins... First come, first serve.

Wow. Just... wow.

So, I rambled on about getting a 360 a while back and mentioned that I got Mass Effect 2 without Mass Effect. Well, I had the opportunity to play Mass Effect first, as is expected of me, and... Well, wow.

Now, let me qualify those three wows. I've played a lot of RPGs, most of them Japanese, one of them text-based--I know, huge nerd, forgive me--but probably nothing like this, ever. Unlike most RPGs I've played, Mass Effect lets me make my character what I want. That's such a novel idea, and something I can't believe I've been missing out on all these years.

Maybe the novelty just hasn't worn off yet, but I probably should have realized the point of a role-playing game is to actually, well, play a role. Nearly every RPG I've played until now has been, "Play the role of this teen of questionable sex--" Yeah, okay, stepping on toes there. But holy crap. Isn't that just the craziest thing? That is so weird. I love it.

I was kind of being facetious in that last paragraph. Moving on.

Instead of saying what I did like, I'm going to rant about what I didn't. Crazy concept.

First off, the inventory system was... Well, it was functional, but it was hardly fun to use. I guess that's standard fare for RPGs, so I an let it slide without eating it too savagely. Equipment upgrades could be very useful, but a lot of the time, I found myself skipping the junk that made weapons overheat more quickly, because come on, that's just stupid.

Second, the Mako. Really, what can I say about the Mako that hasn't already been said? The driving controls are rubbish, the fact that you can point the crosshairs down but can't actually shoot down is a cause for much annoyance and the physics on the vehicle itself are downright bizarre. It's like the thing is sometimes a solid brick of metal on wheels and other's it's made of balsa wood. All things considered, the Mako is bad, but it's not as bad as I'd heard. I was preparing for the most painful task ever in driving the thing. It turned out, however, to be an irritating but manageable affair.

Third, it was... kind of short. There's a lot of replay value and sidequests, but the lack of variety in gameplay kind of killed the mood sometimes. It feels shorter than it is, I'm sure, but you can conceivably beat the game in about 15 hours if you really power through it and skip all the sidequests.

Overall, I really enjoyed Mass Effect, and it's probably one of my favorite games, despite some gameplay quirks. Probably 8/10, if I could slap a gut reaction score to it.

MASS EFFECT 2 YAY!

After all, nobody cares about the original anymore, right? Right.

So, this pretty much threw out everything I disliked about the original, replacing much of it with better mechanics, better interface and pretty much better everything. Vehicle sections got you down? Gone. Hate micromanaging inventory? Gone. The only thing I have mixed feelings on is the leveling system. It's a lot simpler, and you get a lot less points. Is this bad? Not necessarily, but it's a trade-off that might put off loyalists to the original's formula. I liked it, but I also felt more restricted by it.

Another trade, somewhat ironically, comes with the lack of vehicle sections (although DLC will also add new missions and a new vehicle that promises to be better than the Mako, aptly named the Hammerhead--get it both sharks ahaha). The vehicle sections, though bothersome, kind of made the game feel "bigger." Worlds only had so many points of interest, but they were big and open and stuff.

One more trade before I get on to the stuff I liked. This is kind of nitpicking, but I liked leaving the Normandy through the exit hatch and then being in the area I was "going" to. That's not in this game. You pick a location and you go there. It feels a little disjointed at times, but like I said, kind of nitpicking.

Even if that bothered me a little, there's so much I loved about Mass Effect 2 that it almost doesn't matter at all.

First, the game is pretty. Really pretty. And this is compared to the first, which also looked outstanding. There are still occasional instances of texture/graphical pop-in, but they're far less frequent this time around--although that might actually make them a little easier to spot. Beyond that, ME2 has more of a sense of art direction than 1, and most of the worlds look very different from one another.

Second, gameplay has improved. Combat is a lot faster and more fluid, though it is a bit easier. But there are higher difficulties for that, so it's a moot point. There's sort of an underlying rock-paper-scissors thing going on with ammo and biotics now, where certain abilities are better against shields, armor and health, and that kind of helps things along when you have to plan whom you're taking with you based on what enemies you'll be fighting.

Third, there's a more emotional connection with this game. To offer an example, I (as Shepard) held a toast in memory of characters who died in the first game--It was such a little thing, but it made me say, "Aww..." Characters are a little deeper... mostly, and their animations during conversations have improved greatly, with the camera shifting around as characters walk and talk or sit down/stand up as they talk, and it gives the whole thing a more cinematic feel. It's not quite there yet, but it's getting there.

...Anyway, I'm tired and don't feel like rambling anymore, so I'm going to bed. So, that's what I thought of the Mass Effects.

I blew a bunch of money today on a 360 and Mass Effect 2. Good move, I hope. I'm now on Xbox Live, so those of you with accounts should be my pals.

Gamertag is "ScionofEntropy," surprising no one.

*Sobs.*

Three people? Oh, how the mighty have fallen. But seriously, if I wanted a ton of people following me and commenting on my stuff, I would totally be hurt. Honestly, there could have been tears. Anyway, it's about time I throw some awful formatting at you guys, because I've never done an answers blog before, and I don't know how to format anything anyway. Enjoy!

TristanH12: "How did you spend your holidays?"

Well, I did a little something called being lazy beyond belief. It's a sort of meditation they came up with in the '70s or so, when sitcoms got really popular.I don't knowif there's any correlation there. You should ask a sociologist.

I went to Pittsburgh to visit with some friends. That was a little awkward at times, but I had fun. Then, I came home after a week of that, and I had to do Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve, because I'm always late to the party. Mostly movies and such, but most people in the family knew what they were getting anyway. I got mostly movies, myself, and a couple video games, and a Penny Arcade "FF Caught in the Act" t-shirt... look it up. I was hoping for a Wii Remote, so I could play New Super Mario Bros Wii with someone in the family, but no such luck.

johnsteed7: "Where does your name come from?"

I have a better question: Where do I even start with that one? I guess it's story time. I was sitting around one day, staring at my stupid AIM screen name I blatantly took from a freaking Sonic the Hedgehog game--I know--when I suddenly realized it was a horrible idea and I needed to make a change.

"Golly!" I said. "I sure do think the word 'scion' sounds cool. But I can't think of another word I like the sound of."

I spent the next few minutes thinking of words I liked, and most of them came up nonsensical or wouldn't fit into AIM's 16-character limit anyway (although "Scion of Defenestration" would have been sweet). Eventually, I came up with "entropy" and it just so happened that it formed a vaguely coherent idea and name, however arguably depressing. Since then, I've used it for most everything. If you see a ScionofEntropy on another board, it's probably me... or someone jacking my rad name.

VGobbsesser: Current thoughts on gaming? What are your favorite games?

Darn it! And here I was hoping to avoid complex questions. Ah well...

My current thoughts on gaming? Well, first, let's look at the Big Three. We'll start with Microsoft.

Microsoft

I honestly have no idea how the Xbox succeeded, mean as it sounds. The original console was, in my opinion, awful. Granted, Microsoft absolutely nailed online gaming with Xbox Live, which was absolutely a huge part of the console's success, and their integration of multimedia functions was another brilliant move. However, the console itself was an ugly behemoth, and Halo aside, I saw very few compelling exclusives. And even Halo, I wasn't and am not all that enamored with--I just don't get the appeal. Still, the Xbox managed to succeed, solidly trouncing the GameCube, much to my dismay, and trailing the PlayStation 2 for years to come.

Then the 360 came out, and I still wasn't impressed--until I saw just how meaningful that year lead over Nintendo and Sony was. Microsoft had all but clinched that first year for home consoles, while Nintendo made up for lost ground in portables and Sony's PSP was still finding its footing. They had room to breathe while Microsoft reaped the benefits of their quick thinking, and for a while it seemed as though the 360 would remain king. Arguably, it has.

However, I would question the viability of Microsoft's Project Natal, and their skewing toward the "family" demographic with avatars. And with integration of Facebook and Twitter (among others), this brings to mind the question of "How much is too much?" I think that answers itself, personally. Facebook and Twitter? But I'll back off that.

My point is, Microsoft's audience is and always will be this so-called hardcore audience. Casual or family games on the 360 will remain a niche thing, regardless of how many fancy controllers--or lack thereof--you dress it up with. Long story short, Microsoft, I believe, should have stuck to what they were doing, because they were doing it well.

Nintendo

Nintendo, I love you, but what are you doing?

I love Nintendo. Honestly. I have for almost two decades now. It's that bad. But it hurts to see them getting mocked so horribly by so much of gaming, and it hurts more to see them seemingly taking it lying down.

Don't get me wrong. Whomever it appeals to, the Wii is a massive hit. And this talk of a slowdown in sales? I don't buy it. And the DS? Well, that speaks for itself. But let's go back a few years. The GameCube, much as I loved it, was a failure. And that's a big shame, because it had a ton of fantastic exclusives, and some of the multiplatform titles were the best on GameCube. But after past failures, third parties were reluctant to support it and the dedicated gaming machine fell behind the colossal Xbox and the odd-shaped PS2. Lack of multimedia features to blame? Possibly. Failure to take advantage of the online market in any successful way? Very probably. Even so, it was one of my favorites and it's a shame it fell so flat in the end.

With the Wii, we know Nintendo took another route, and here we are. Some of these peripherals... Vitality Sensor? I'll withhold judgment for now, but it seems like that's only going to be used for fitness games or something (Wii Fit 3 will have it integrated, almost definitely). I'd love to see it used for survival horror, like what they did in Eternal Darkness--except you're doing it with your pulse if you get nervous.

Anyway. The Wii. The lack of HD was a huge mistake, and it drove away the core audience. Going solely motion control for a lot of other games was hit and miss, and some games (RE4, No More Heroes, MadWorld, Rabbids Go Home, Okami) have benefitted hugely from it, while others have only used it as a gimmick (The Force Unleashed). Wii Motion Plus has begun to fix some of that, and hope remains that the "true" motion control will make 2010 a great year for the Wii.

Honestly, I really hope Nintendo can turn it around for the "core" audience within these next two years and bring out some more titles that show they still have it in them to be king. With Other M, Galaxy 2, Reginleiv(sp?) and Zelda coming within the next two years, at least we know Nintendo hasn't abandoned their veteran franchises for another Wii Music or Wii Play. And it remains to be seen what Retro is doing. ...But what about Pikmin 3?

Sony

The PS2 was a huge success, though it's finally slowed down, which I would argue is a good thing. This should show Sony they should start focusing on both the PS3 and PSP--namely getting more compelling exclusives out on PS3 and making a better version of the PSPgo, or just forsaking the thing altogether. Not much to say about their past. They've done well for themselves in the past.

Sony started off this generation in a miserable state, but they've managed to turn the game around, largely due to the Slim and its reduced costs. But it helps that 2009 had a slew of great exclusives and 2010 looks to bring even more. Over the 2009 holiday, Sony was arguably the winner, shattering their previous sales records for the PS3.

I obviously have the least to say about Sony right now, and there's a good reason for that. Mainly, I haven't seen their potential realized yet this generation. Don't get me wrong, though. Sony won the format war with Blu-ray, a technically superior format to Microsoft's HD-DVD, and a lot of the 360's former exclusives have now gone over to PS3, so they've gained momentum. I'd like to see how these next two years play out for them. Maybe they'll catch up to Microsoft? Maybe they'll get ahead? It remains to be seen.

Favorite Games

I'm not doing the "best" games here, because I don't know how to qualify that, and there's definitely no way to do it objectively. I'm going to do a top 15 of the last decade blog sometime to explain these (and others, as I'm doing this off the top of my head), and they're in no particular order:

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Shadow of the Colossus, No More Heroes, Metroid Prime: Trilogy, BioShock, Jak 3, Final Fantasy XII, Paper Mario, Super Mario Galaxy, Beyond Good & Evil, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Hotel Dusk: Room 215

I don't know what to write about. I guess this is the part where I ask you lovely folks to ask me questions. You know, give me something to do, have you guys learn some stuff about me that I won't remember saying and then I'll think I have Internet stalkers. Fun for the whole family!

No, but seriously, as long as you don't ask me anything weird or overly personal, I'll get back to you in the next post.

Activity again! But it's nothing major, unless you like reading about what other people buy. I went on my yearly(?) buying spree not long ago and picked up a bunch of stuff, much of it used games. First of all, I picked up a DSi, which I'd been planning on doing for months but had never worked up the nerve to shell out for one. I also picked up Sonic Rush the same day. Fun stuff. I feel like doing the rest in list form, mostly because I'm lazy and have stuff I need to take care of (Contradictory, but oh well.).

1. Metroid Prime Trilogy: I wanted to upgrade from plain old Corruption, which I'm mailing to a friend of mine at some point. Haven't gotten the chance to play it yet, but the packaging is spiffy.

2. Hotel Dusk: Room 215: I haven't ranted much about this one, but I love this game. And with the recent announcement of a sequel, I'm pretty pleased. I got this one used, but the Club Nintendo code was unused, so that was a nice bonus.

3. Elite Beat Agents: Better than Ouendan. Deal with it. Is the track list all that great? Well... It could be better and more expansive, but it's fun, and the story has a good sense of humor to it. Also used, but the Club Nintendo code was used (though it was left in the case...).

4. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars: Surprisingly very good. I'm impressed with how smoothly the game runs. I'm not all that enamored with the camera setup, but I can deal with that. At times, the dialogue is a little clumsy, like Rockstar tried to think of some of the most awkward places to cram in the F-word, but I can forgive it. It's weird, because I'm having more fun with this than I did with GTA4; maybe a heresy, but this one seems more concerned with enjoyment than realism. There's probably a very late review on the way...

5. Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days: Awkward title aside, this one is pretty fun. The battle system feels familiar, though in a good way, and the level of character customization you can achieve by the end of the game is really nice. It almost feels like they took the Element system from Chrono Cross, decided to make it govern your entire character (as opposed to just techniques), and mashed that up with Kingdom Hearts. Like I said, fun. There isn't a whole lot in terms of new content, and the Disney worlds feel pretty bland, but it's otherwise pretty enjoyable from start to finish.

6. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story: Great stuff. If the other M&L games are half this good, I'll need to check them out. Haven't finished it yet, but the art direction and battle system are great, and the writing is charming and hilarious at once. Worth a look, whether or not you've played the others. Probably a review for this on the way, eventually...

7. The Bourne Trilogy: I guess there's really not much to say about this. Probably my favorites from the action thriller genre. The only problem is the shaky cam in the sequels, which can occasionally really detract from scenes. Otherwise, great storytelling and fantastic action sequences.

8. "And Another Thing...," by Eoin Colfer: I'm a sucker for the inaccurately named Hitchhiker's Trilogy (now on its sixth book out of three), so I had to pick this up when I heard they were continuing the story. I have to say, I'm really impressed with how well Colfer keeps to the spirit of the original Douglas Adams books. It's not spot-on, but it's about as close as you can get without raising Adams from the dead and telling him, "Write another one!" Consider it recommended, if you're into science fiction/comedy.

9. "John Dies at the End," by David Wong: I've been on about this one on multiple occasions. It's one of my favorite books, largely because of how well it blends elements of Stephen King's horror and tone into the comedy elements of Douglas Adams and then throws the mix into a big bowl of Lovecraft. It's a very strange, ridiculous adventure into the hellish realms to which a drug central to the book's story exposes those who take it. (That sentence was awful, but I'm too lazy/busy to correct.) The new edition released in September and if you look at the Amazon reviews... Well, you'll notice people like it a lot. It's worth a look. Check a library.

10. Charlie Wilson's War: Tom Hanks womanizes and fights communism. What more do you need? Philip Seymour Hoffman? Okay, you got it. Watch this movie or something.

11. 007: Quantum of Solace: It's not quite as deep and brooding as its predecessor, Casino Royale, but Quantum of Solace delivers all the snark and action of the first with a lot more tension. The intrigue of Casino Royale is largely gone, and you'll be lost without having seen it, but Quantum of Solace is a satisfying followup. If you saw Casino, check this one out.

This isn't exactly like any blog I've done, and for most it probably won't be very interesting. But I took a philosophy course at my last school (the Art Institute of Pittsburgh), which I left roughly two years ago, and in it I learned a bit about Plato. One concept that stuck out to me was his Allegory of the Cave; it was significant to me because I noticed a lot of parallels between it and Beyond Good & Evil, a game I'd played not long before. It's not a perfect parallel, but the similarities are uncanny.

My Intro to Communication professor asked us early in the semester to write an informal essay about a piece of media that held some significance for us. Informal being sort of a skill of mine, I seized the opportunity to ramble on about Plato and Ubisoft's cult hit. I figured I'd post it here, for anyone bored or interested enough to check it out.

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Ubisoft's "Beyond Good & Evil" was released in 2003 for GameCube, PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The story follows a futuristic alien world called Hillys, which is under attack by an alien race known as the DomZ. A military organization called the Alpha Sections arrive around the same time. They claim to be a group dedicated to fighting the DomZ, and on the surface it seems as though they are.

However, something more sinister is going on beneath the surface. The Alpha Sections do seem to fight the DomZ invaders off, but they're actually a false flag used by the DomZ to catch the people of the worlds they invade off-guard and lull them into a fake sense of security.

As photojournalist Jade, you're tasked with aiding the rogue organization known as the IRIS Network, whose goal is to expose the DomZ-Alpha Sections conspiracy to the people of Hillys.

Tyrone Miller, then public relations manager for Ubisoft, described the title as conveying a "need to investigate beyond the superficial facts of what is good and what is evil." Toward the beginning of the story, the main protagonist believes the Alpha Sections propaganda, but as she progresses through her own investigation Jade uncovers for herself the true nature of the DomZ invasion and aids the IRIS Network in revealing the conspiracy to the public.

"Beyond Good & Evil" presents an interesting parallel to Plato's Allegory of the Cave. In this allegory, prisoners are bound, limbs and all, to the floor of a cave, held in place and facing a flat wall. These prisoners know nothing but this cave and the pictures they see on the wall, projected there by firelight. The pictures are shadows cast by statues that are in turn manipulated by men standing on a raised walkway in front of the fire.

The prisoners of this cave remain as they are for their entire lives, unless one should somehow escape. When this escapee flees the cave he or she sees the world for what it truly is, instead of the moving pictures of the reality once shown to them. They may at first be unable to accept this, but should they return to the cave, their former home, they'll find it to be unreal or lacking.

The old saying, "You can never go home," comes to mind.

At that point, the escapee has a choice: he or she can either return and attempt to set the other prisoners free, or remain where they are. Should they choose to return and set their brethren free, the others may react violently or calmly accept their new reality.

The IRIS Network serves as the prisoner. Recognizing Jade's photojournalistic skills, they decide to free her next, testing her skills with a mission before showing her the truth. When Jade decides to join IRIS Network and out them to the people, she learns the horrifying truth behind the invasion. As the game progresses, more people start to question the DomZ propaganda and believe the IRIS Network reports. By the last act of the story, the entire planet is allied against the DomZ and Alpha Sections due to an attempt to kill Jade.

The world of Hillys, then, is a parallel to the imprisoned. When the game begins, they see only what the DomZ, through the Alpha Sections, want them to see. As Jade's exploits continue, they come to see the situation for what it is, actively protesting against the Alpha Sections.

The DomZ and Alpha Sections are represented by all things projecting images onto the cave wall. They manipulate the statues and images by directing the Alpha Sections, who are in turn supported by the majority of media at the story's outset. They're the gatekeepers, allowing very little that questions them to slip through to the public.

Some commercials are memorable because they're good. Unfortunately, it seems like most are memorable because they're horrible. Here's to those commercials that are bad because of annoying mascots.

5. Taco Bell Chihuahua:

The embodiment of two things that annoy me: Taco Bell and chihuahuas. If you disagree on either count, you're wrong.

4. Max Aroni

Don't remember this guy? I'm not surprised--I barely remember him myself. What I do remember is one of the most asinine commercials to come out of the late 90s. Picture a bunch of kids, shoveling some kind of grey stuff into their mouths in a grade school cafeteria. The lunch ladies laugh insanely as the children slowly poison themselves. The principal stares on with cold indifference as a child contracts malaria and dies on the spot. ...And then some annoying cartoon kid bursts into the cafeteria on a skateboard and starts rapping about mac & cheese, concluding his song with a triumphant shout of "MAX ARONI!" ...What. (Yeah, I know, the first part of the commercial wasn't nearly that cool, but just roll with it.)

3. Crazy Fox... Fox

This guy's pretty obscure, only appearing on G4 (to my knowledge) for a while. The Crazy Fox advertises those "get rich quick" schemes (under multiple domain names, though Crazyfox.com seemed to be the longest-running), saying that you'd have to be crazy to call to find out more--crazy like a fox! His catchphrase was annoying, sure, but it probably wasn't the worst part. To me, the worst part was the terrifyingly bad animation of the CGI fox. It's really something you have to see for yourself, and it's still probably something that might not bother you.Actually, I lied--the catchphrase really is the worst part.

2. The General

Auto insurance? Why not? I debated putting The Money You Could Be Saving With Geico up here, but it didn't annoy me nearly as much as this cornball. Why is he around? And why is he such a badly made 3d model? (The model itself is okay-ish, but it looks beyond outdated in the commercials.) There were better-looking CG characters in the 90s. Maybe someone's looking to save some money--And don't even get me started on his little poem he says at the end of every commercial.

1. FreeCreditReport.com Band

The single most annoying "mascot" is actually more than one person. It started off with a simple country song about selling fish to tourists in t-shirts, and then it snowballed into one of the most horrific and infectious advertising campaigns of all time. Once you get one of those awful songs in your head, there's no turning back--it has you, and it's never letting go.

I saw District 9 with my family this week, and I'm not sure doing so with my family was necessarily a good idea--Those of you who have seen it probably know why, but for those who haven't... It's fairly violent and profane. There are some really graphic scenes of violence, but there's also quite a bit of implied bloodshed throughout the movie, and it makes for some really strong impact with some of the scenes.

First off, it's not at all what I'd been expecting. In many ways, that's a really good thing. When I went in, I was expecting a relatively shallow sci-fi action movie, which would have been fine. What I got was a really interesting allegory for apartheid in South Africa, but with aliens. From outer space.

The movie itself also differs considerably from how I'd been expecting it to unfold. Throughout the movie, you get little documentary snippets about the past and about some of the primary characters, both giving you a lot of background and kind of setting up for what'll happen next. It's a technique that's certainly been done before, but District 9 seems to make a point of using it really well: answering questions while also raising several more to be answered as the story progresses.

The characters, for the most part, are very likable (at least the ones you see the most of are). I guess it's a good thing that a lot of them aren't quite so charming, considering most of the characters anyone will dislike are antagonists and are meant to be disliked. I like a villain you can sympathize with just as much as the next guy, but it is refreshing to see an antagonist who's either just plain mean or crazy.

It's also very pretty, from the alien species living in District 9 to the various other special and visual effects (most of them used for the different kinds of alien weaponry). And that's kind of what I've come to expect of movies with Peter Jackson involved--It's not so much that the guy being involved immediately means the effects will be amazing, but it is an interesting correlation I'm starting to see. But even beyond effects, getting past that tangent, the camerawork is really, really good. It doesn't break new ground, but the whole thing is put together very well.

District 9 isn't a short movie, but its 2+ hour length didn't feel at all that long. It was surprising to see it end so "soon," considering I'd half expected another plot arc to pick up as the climactic sequence began. Even so, it didn't disappoint and it didn't feel at all incomplete. If anything, it's good that it felt so short, because only so many movies can hold my attention so well that I'm surprised to find that they're almost over.

I'm not going to spoil anything about the story here. I'd be doing anyone who hasn't seen it already a disservice. District 9 is easily the best movie I've seen since Gran Torino (I'm kind of a fan of Eastwood), and I'd highly recommend it to anyone. See this movie. I really doubt you'll regret it.