NEGADON: THE MONSTER FROM MARS

Pure Fun

In addition to its awesome title, Negadon is a short and sweet tribute to 1960's retro tokusatsu (SFX)/Godzilla movies. It has a run time of about 25 minutes but it is one very cool little short. It's shot completely in 3D CGI, but it's not "Final Fantasy: Spirits Within"-realistic-as-possible rendering. Instead, it kind of reminded me of the Devilman CG sequences, but with more detail and...how to say, love put into it. Devilman blended live action footage with CGI that was disastrous. But Negadon, being a sweet homage to suitmation, utilized CG appropriate to the genre.

The story. It's the year 2025 in the 100th year of Showa. Earth is terraforming other planets in order to accommodate its brimming population. During which, an expedition discovers a rock formation beneath the surface of Mars that is subsequently transported back to Earth. However, the ship carrying its cargo crash lands into Earth and the rock reveals itself to be a monster from Mars. Meanwhile, Dr. Narasaki, an aging scientist who blames technology for the loss of his daughter, activates and pilots his monstrous creation, the giant robot codename: MI-6 2. Narasaki's sacrifice pits MI-6 2 against Negadon in a fight for mankind.

I was totally absorbed with the animation and direction all the way through Negadon. Filled with fun references to the films of the Showa era and its Sci-Fi productions, it's even shot with a grainy old-school look. From the ever present Japan Self-Defense Forces to the music, which is a strange amalgamation of a 60's Godzilla score and synthesized instrumentation, it's a unique yet nostalgic experience. The story has a nice, standard setup for a dramatic finale. Although the monster vs mech battle was explosive, it didn't last very long. A pinch more would have been great. Anyhow, for any suitemation geek worth his salt, this is a resounding must-see.

Director: Jun Awazu
Genre: Short Sci-Fi Anime
Year: 2005
Rating: 7.5/8
On DVD at Amazon