While I can see the similarities between the movies mentioned in some respects, I wouldn't say that the anime was a complete rip of other things (it definitely had it's own ideas and flair mixed in there). Though, do keep in mind that many movies, animes, books, etc share similar plots, the difference between them often being the execution of that plot / of those plot points. I imagine you'd have had a better time of it if you'd actually bothered to finish the anime, as it tends to pick up about a quarter to half of the way through. However, from the first few episodes alone, I can see how you might have thought that it wasn't going anywhere interesting or original. The first half is more of an introduction to the world, its problems, and the people that populate it, which is necessary for the understanding of the main plot once it is introduced in later episodes.

Personally, I've never been able to fault something for not 'looking as good' as other shows, though that's likely because I've seen a lot of anime with lovely animation and crap plot and character development. In fact, that is often the case (or so I've noticed). That beings said, I rather enjoyed the fact that they took a while to build the story and its various supporting elements rather than simply dumping everything in our laps all at once and saying 'here, deal with it,' even if the pacing might be considered 'too slow' for some.

As for the characters and their reactions, much of their stories are revealed later on, and all begins to make sense once you have those additional pieces. The way they react is often tied to the past experiences that shaped them. Though, again, I can understand your line of thinking, as it doesn't sound like the show interested you enough for you to get to that point. At any rate, think of it as a show with increasing returns, the more time you invest in it, the better it gets.