006 4 This is on par with Akira . Okay maybe a close second , but real close . For those of you who had a hard time understanding The Matrix you should leave , read a book , rent Dark City and then try this movie . For those of us who understood the movie clearly , this is a masterpiece . A little short , Akira was much longer , but flawless unless you're picky like a MF'er . Amazing doesn't cover it . . . more like perfect . This is a movie for smart audiences who actually think for themselves and if you're like me , you seem to dispise a lot of things mainstream ' cause they force opinions and decide what's cool for you , you'll love this movie . Don't worry if you don't get it the first time , it does get you thinking . This is a movie that doesn't stop halfway through the film to explain itself to you , you learn along the way . It's like a river , you jump in and go with the flow . This in no way is ' long and boring ' like some other viewer said it's only 82 minutes long . For a short film to be this complex shows the genius of it . It's a challenging and intricate masterpiece . Science Fiction done right .
048 4 If you like a combination of action , ( oriental ) philosophy and beautiful women , you're definitely going to love this movie . It's definitely in my personal top 5 , and I think it can only be compared with the matrix 1 . If you liked that movie , you're probably gonna like this one too .
049 4 This is one of those anime classics which puts domestic animation to shame , and rightfully so . The technical presentation is amazing . The reason I can't recommend this to anyone is the storyline bites big time . If you like waxing poetically ( or not so poetically ) about the inner-workings of human and machine psyches _ ad_nauseum _ , then get it , but I felt it all got old really quickly . Many movies have done the whole man / machine dichotomy so much better . I think the writers thought that if they kept overloading your brain with techno-mumbo-jumbo you'd think it was amazing ( and apparently they were right for a majority of viewers ) , but for anyone who has any technical sense about them , it was just dumb .
056 4 I just have a few things to say . First off this is not a full on action anime so don't try and compair it to movies like Ninja Scroll . Second , it was in fact listed by the creators of the matrix as a insperation for certain concepts of the film but It is more akin to Blade Runner . Third , the main character is not nude the entire movie , she is wearing a body suit ( you can discover this for yourself if you actually pay attention to the film ) . If you want to see a great anime with a pretty good story then check it out . If you are just going to bash it because you can't understand it then do everyone a favor and rent Lion King .
068 4 The original manga from Masamune Shiro was somewhat a great experience . But instead of just trying to render the manga to the screen , Mamoru Oshi ( patlabor 1 2 , Jinro . . . ) created a real piece of art ! Both the design , story , rythm , animation , drawing and music are absolutly astounding ! This is not just a sci-fi movie . It avoids all the clichés and is more poetic than violent . If I had to keep only one movie , this will be the one .
101 4 This is anime at it's best . The story explores the definition of consciousness and the dilemma posed by artificial intelligence . The plot involves the police force in the near future and focuses on three characters 1 ) a robotic officer with an implanted ghost ( human consciousness ) 2 ) a human officer with cybernetic implants 3 ) a network program which becomes sentient . It is a complex movie that asks complex questions and presents them in an action filled story . Secondarily the art in this movie is top notch . This is anime as art or art used for story telling . This movie will appeal to anyone that has ever thought about AI and to any anime fan .
123 4 I don't think I have anything new to say about this film . Animation is fantastic , music score is haunting and beautiful , storyline is involving and the direction was superb . One of the most tense climax's ever ( think James Cameron meets Blade Runner ) . The only fault of the film is the english dubbing ( they most of been about to go to bed or something ) but I can forgive them for that . See this film !
137 4 As a major sci-fi lover , I found this to be a dissapointment after all the rave reviews . I was debating whether to give this 2 or 3 stars , and ended up with 3 only because the Audio and Video quality was very good . The plot is difficult to follow and I can hang with even the best technobabble filled plots . In this case , the conmstant meaningless technobabble and plot were hard to follow leading to a poor experience . It was if way too much of the movie was an ' inside joke ' type of experience . I did not gain anything pleasurable or meaningful from this ' Anime ' . Unless you are a proven Anime fan , I'd rent this DVD ( at best ) . Usually I am very enthusiatic when it comes to anything sci-fi , but this did nothing for me .
138 4 The first half of this was so boring I nearly turned it off - - no real science fiction , just one scene after another of gunfire and profanity with no visual impact or dramatic tension . The second half was a little better , once it started dealing with the science fiction aspects , but then it got bogged down in a confusing plot , obvious exposition , and heavy-handed philosophy that still lacked dramatic tension . Action without humor , nudity that didn't manage to be artistic OR sexy , characters that gave you no reason to care about them - - not even as eye candy . If you want an action anime OR one exploring the cyborg / human question , you'd be better off with Armitage III .
020 4 The first time I rented this movie , I fell asleep half way through . The second time , I fell asleep again . Undeterred , I went on to watch the first season of the Stand Alone Complex TV series and then to read the original GITS manga in its English-language collected form . Having been hooked by the ideas and the characters , I came back to the movie and instead of finding it slow and somewhat impenetrable , it struck me as far too constrained by time limitations to do the story justice . So I guess it all depends on your viewpoint and how much you already know about the world in which GITS is set and the characters who populate it .
Now I am a lot more familiar with the GITS world , I would strongly recommend that anyone struggling with the original movie does stick with it , and then goes on to watch the TV series as well . The latter may not have the same production values but does have the time to expand on many ideas and develop the characters much better than the film could possibly do .
This is a world in which people can truly live inside their heads ( or indeed , other people's heads ) and in which the external body has largely become insignificant . This is a very attractive concept for anyone who already tends to think this way and regard their brain as their most significant body part , if not the only one . It's a world in which physical pain and sickness is limited to those who have not chosen to become full cyborgs , sexuality is potentially irrelevant as anyone with a cyber-brain can switch to an outwardly opposite gendered body , and we can presume that lifespans are extended and far more predictable than they are today . But there are flaws in this futuristic Shangri-La , not the least of which is that people are still people and however perfect their bodies may be , they still struggle with concepts of identity , still strive for power , still feel emotional pain and are still prey to all those human weaknesses that are independent of the shell .
The movie and the television series both carefully overlook the sexuality of the main character , although there are indications that there may be something more than a business relationship developing between the Major and Batou in the first season of SAC . In the manga , though , which is intended for a more adult audience , the Major does have a boyfriend and also indulges her sexual inclinations elsewhere . It's definitely worth bearing this in mind when you judge the characters in the movie , which does not have the time to develop them nor the adult certificate it would need to do so . Despite being almost entirely robotic , these are still real people and their acceptance of mechanical forms and the compromises they have to make in return for the benefits they gain are a significant aspect of the story .
I would say that if there is a flaw in this movie it is that too much has to be compressed into too short a time . Things develop too fast and are too soon over , and explanations have to be passed by in order to get to the end of the story in time . It's not unusual for Japanese storytelling to be thin on explanations but in this case you really do wish you could spend more time with the characters before it's all over . If you find yourself hooked by the concepts of life with a cyber-brain but left wanting to explore more when the movie is over , do follow up with the original manga and the TV series and you won't regret it .
012 4 Excellent anime for anyone getting into the genre , or for those Shirow fans who have to have everything ! A classic , but a classic with one major flaw .
That flaw being that they didn't add the original Japanese audio along with the English subtitles for this UMD ! Sorry , but that is just unforgiveable , and don't get me wrong I still love it and the English audio isn't bad it's just I'd rather listen to the original voices .
Shame on Sony and Manga Video for not including thats why I'm only giving 3 stars .
025 4 FYI , both the original DVD and the Special Edition are missing the original ending song . Also , I have seen pictures comparing these two version . They look exactly the same , and I mean exactly .
So in the end , I would recommend buying the Special Edition over the original if you dont already own this film , otherwise the original DVD is just fine .
The movie itself is great . Short and sweet with some beautiful visuals and gun battles . Defintely not for young kids though as there is pervasive nudity , but absolutely no sex .
033 4 This was my first anime ever , and it was the movie that turned me on to the whole genre . The only problem is that the movie is a tad slow and I feel more could be done with the plot , but the philisophical ( spelling ) ideas brought up in the movie are facinating , the animation is beautiful and extremely detailed , and the voice acting is terefic . . . well , at least in the subbed version . It's terrible in the dubbed version . Also , I really wish more of a soundtrack is used . . . when it is used , it evokes a wonderfully eerie feeling ( check out the minimalistic music during the scene where the puppet is getting beaten by the Major in the water . . . I love that scene ' cause the music makes it so surrealistic ) . But despite a few _ minor _ shortcomings , this is still a fantastic film and it only improves upon repeated viewings . O , and I'm gonna smack the next person who compares this to Blade Runner . I mean , WTF ? The plot simalarites are nonexistant ! Whatever . Just be sure to go the extra mile and get the subbed version .
034 4 This movies ideas do not come from the Matrix . It came out before the Matrix . The do not come from Blade Runner , but from the author Phillip K Dick . William Gibson invented the term cyberspace in his 1984 - acclaimed science fiction novel Neuromancer . If you are unfamiliar with Gibson Johnny Mnemonic with Keanu Reaves is based on one of his short stories . All of these films can fall into the genera of cyberpunk .
Anyway this film is does what should be done with animation . It does things that otherwise would not work with a live action film . This film is very heavy on the philosophical side so for some people they may find it extremely boring . To give this film anything less then 4 stars would be a crime just because of the sheer artistry , and the amount of time spent by these people making this project .
035 4 The film receives the highest possible figure on any scoring system from me . From the smooth and vibrant animation , the well developed characters and smooth pacing , the great direction and the atmosphere it creates , the stunning suggestions of the future and their execution , the action and the intrigue , and of course the philosophical musings and the concepts they explore with quite a bit of depth . . it's all near perfect .
This particular DVD release of said film gets a 4 / 5 . There are some very good things about this package , but there are also some very glaring flaws . You would think Manga Entertainment would give the utmost care to any and all releases pertaining to such an acclaimed and important film . That they wouldn't have very bland disc art or flimsy image quality on the free poster inside .
But they do . The discs are horrid looking . It's quite a shame , since the rest of the packaging is quite nice . The digipak is shimmery and attractive and the slipcase around it eye-catching . The disc content itself is very nice , the menus do not disconnect from the mood of the film . The extras are quite dated compared to the film , but that's one of the reasons why the film is great . There's lots of extras here , but the second disc's space is mostly taken up by an elaborate maze of advertising .
The new cleaned up version of the film is done quite well . What's new ? Nothing is inserted , nothing is altered . The color and sharpness is enhanced and film spots are taken away . Purists take no fear , it is the original film with slight enhancements for the better . Should you buy this ? Only if you can't stand to wait for a better edition to come ( which is only eventual given the historical importance of GITS ) . It's quite perfect for those die-hards who really can't wait , because the new transfer really does look kickass on the home screen .
045 4 This movie is played in Tokyo , in a not very far future . Almost every human that walks the planet has some kind om computer eltering in the mind or the body . The world is becoming more more computerized , and people can communicate every in any situation , just by patching in to the net . The police and the special agents have superior body functions , and some are practicly Cyborgs .
The story line is complex , and very out-studied . A hacker is terrorising the city ( Tokyo ) , and his nick name is puppet master . The rest you will see for your self .
The colors and the art-work are all extra-ordinary , and just stunning .
MY OPINION : The longer you see , the longer you get infiltrated in the story . And by the end you're just gasping for air , and your sences are all on top . After a while in the movie you have all forgotten that it is animated , and you just live the movie with your heart . To compare this movie with Matrix may not be a wrong judgement but I think this is the original , and it is a stand-alone and should not be compared with any movie . This anime-film makes you wonder for days , and you forget the world you really live in . And the more you watch the movie , the more you love it . I can , with a stright spine say to you that this movie is one of the best movies made by mankind , EVER .
It's worth all money .
050 4 Japanese animated films are unusual . A lot more effort goes into them than for conventional western animated films . The extras on this DVD illustrate this and show that the attention to detail included the fact that when bullets were fired they sparked when they hit metal but not other surfaces . The plots are also multi dimensional and the characters more realistic . ( There is of course something strange suggesting that animated characters are realistic )
This is a science fiction story set in the near future in a strange city that from a distance looks like New York but up close looks like Bangcock or Hong Kong . In the future law enforcement officers are not entirely human . They are people who have had parts of their bodies reconstructed using mechanical parts like the old television series the six million dollar man . The central character is a cyborg who probably has some form of human brain but is constructed in the form of a 20 year old playboy centrefold . She is involved in tracking down a computer hacker who is able to plant false memories into people so that they become his unwilling agents .
The film is one that is perhaps more action packed than a Stevan Seagal move with well constructed car chases shoot outs and so on . However it contains meditations on the nature of human identity , a debate sparked by the villain who in changing peoples memories changes the nature of people . A good deal of the film is obviously taken from Blade Runner . The feel and atmospherics and some of the lines of the characters interrogating those who have become the agents of the villain .
Perhaps more interestingly the film seems to be an inspiration for a number of ideas in the Matrix . The opening titles were clearly the basis for the visual portrayal of the matrix itself . Others have commented on how the main character of this film is a role model for Trinity .
In watching the film was is amazed by the skill in the animation . The street scapes , the movement of the people in the background , the use of focus to create the impression of depth and movement . All in all a considerable achievement if at the end of the day it is only a science fiction adventure film with a slightly hackneyed ending .
055 4 Great film , any of the reviewers here will attest to that . But what makes this DVD release very special is a superb Dolby Digital and DTS soundtrack selection . I know of no better film to compare Dolby Digital 5.1 , 5.1 EX , DTS 5.1 , and DTS 6.1 ES soundtracks on your home theatre . The EX and ES tracks boast a sixth channel for Surround Back speakers ( on 6.1 surround receivers ) , and the film utilizes all these channels to the greatest possible degree of realism , and musical immersion . The title sequence ( music ) and the Major's climactic battle with the tank sentry ( sound effects placement ) are scenes that will knock your socks off with a properly set up home installation . Also worth noting is that both Japanese and dubbed English tracks are presented in 5.1 and 6.1 formats .
( Be aware that Dolby 5.1 EX features a matrixed sixth channel , that is , it is encoded into the SL and SR channels ; Dolby Digital EX receivers will decode the channel and play it through the SB speaker . DTS ES features the sixth channel as a separate channel ( Discrete ) and also matrixed into SL and SR ( Matrix ) for backward compatibility . Suitably equipped receivers will display the soundtrack flag information for both formats , and decode the best option appropriately . For this alone , this DVD makes a nice demo disc to test your home theatre equipment . )
062 4 [ NOTE : Considering that the storyline has been dealt with ad nausem , I'll try to highlight the more Philosophical points of the Movie ]
Hailed as a piece with no equal , GitS provides the viewer with both a Visually Stimulating Picture coupled with a more Mentally Irritating Storyline that could possibly cause you to think of the Philosophy of Machines and Souls .
Probably drawing upon the question Do machines dream of electric Sheep ? , the film raises the question about machines being sentinant lifeforms like us , with a soul , and rational thought . It also dwells into the ethics of technology , and how it quietly inflitrates society and in time , subvertly takes control . ( The quote in the begining of the film highlights this point somewhat . )
The main chracter , Major Motoko Kusanagi , deals with questions concerning her body . She is nothing more than a Cyborg Body with very few of her original bodyparts left from her previous body . She begins to doubt her existance , and even her limits , trying to find answers to her questions . But she does find some solace in the main villan in the film , which leads to a very intense debate that couldn't have been written finer by a Professor at some Ivy League College in Philosophy .
This film provides something for everyone ; Girls with Guns , Intense Action Scences , and for the Academics , questions concerning Machines and Souls , Ethics of Technology , and I think a debate on Evolution . In fact , some Professors use this film ( And others ) for their classes .
I suggest you try to watch both sides , as both seem to interact with each other . Who knows , perhaps you can learn something from a cartoon ?
071 4 This is one of the best anime's of all-time , not only for the animation , but for all the layers of psychology in the story . Sometimes it's hard to know what's going on , but that's part of the amazing atmosphere .
Plus , the whole idea of The Puppet Master has to be one of the all-time great concepts for a villain . The notion of a hacker using you and not only wiping out your real memories , but also creating false ones really plays out in a terrifying way in this movie .
The music is also killer , and the English dub is much better than is typical for Anime from the nineties .
If you're into anime , this is a must-have .
076 4 In animation and in sci fi Japan has been leading .
Here ideas about the mix of computers and humans in the future
leads to a new concept in intelligence .
The sexy cyborg secret police agent of the future
is a introspective woman who has a devoted partner .
They run into the super hacker who turns out to be
the product of a another government department's research .
The death and rebirth of these two becomes the end issue ?
078 4 The DVD extras : making of , in japanese with subtitles , loads and loads of text information on various topics related to the feature , the feature trailer , and a rather caffeinated preview of other products from Manga-video .
The DVD has two languages : Japanese with subs being default , but the subs can be removed , or the film played with the english dub .
The film :
The protagonist is a cybernetic denizen of the uncanny valley who is working for the government looking for hackers . These are not the sort of hackers that invade company home-pages and replace them with random images , and turn out to be overweight 14 year old kids when they are caught . These have a much cooler evil scheme .
The story goes about in the future , which happens to be rusty and used up , but unlike so many live action cyberpunk films the sun does shine in this one . Which is how we can see the rust . Then the sun goes down sowe can see the neon . Can't have cyberpunk without neon . Or at the very least a creepy guy called Neo .
Creepy things happen , stuff blows up , there is spectacle .
In the oriental style , the film states its message and ends . That makes the film feel cut off at the end , but it actually said what it came to say , and didn't bother going into fireworks or other showmanship to do it . It is more of an idea movie than an action movie - on the bright side it is an amusing idea you may have considered yourself or seen it on Star Trek . In which case this can add something new , or just a different point of view . Afterwards you could watch the series . They are good , if different in many ways .
089 4 The basic question is worth asking . Start with a world of natural and synthetic bodies , natural and synthetic thoughts , and all combinations along both axes . What percentage of each does it take for some mind in some body to be human ?
The lead character is well placed to ask the question . She convincingly answers the question in her own case . The plot that carries her along is a man ( ? ) - hunt in a futuristic urban landscape . For all its skyscrapers and other features , the city still has its crowded streets , banners , and open store fronts . They are part of the answer , functioning human communities in a man-made physical environment .
The animation was uniformly good throughout , but I found the script to have a choppy pace . There were long , leisurely canal rides between the chases and shooting , and long philosophical monologues . As long as the director chose an action movie for a vehicle , I would have preferred to see the basic questions acted out rather than spoken .
This anime well done , but the plot is too inconsistent for me to call it great . It's a good one , though , and I keep coming back to it .
094 4 This is the first anime film I've watched , so I don't have the usuals to compare to . If this is in any way representive of the quality being produced , then , I'll be back .
It tells an interesting story of cyberpunk origin that led down some plost twists that even left an old sci fi reader like myself surprised .
The animation , artwork and musical score are flawless .
097 4 I first saw this movie at my university's theater during a classic anime week . I'll admit that the first time I saw the movie it bored me to no end . Though I was impressed by the two main action sequences , I lost track of the plot early on and couldn't get back into it . Big mistake .
So I watched it again . Now I find the pace to actually be very , very good . The movie is fast-paced , even in dialogue scenes as the viewer is almost drowned with information ( very fitting to the setting , IMHO ) . As I don't watch much anime , I can't really comment on the quality of the animation , though I was impressed . If you liked The Matrix , you'll probably like this movie , even if you have to see it twice ( it's worth it ) .
And a brief comment about the nudity . The first time I saw the movie , it turned me off . The second time , it seemed completely natural and realistic . And it is , if you think about it . Other than contrasting our preception of her sexuality with the reality that she is mostly machine , the nudity is just a simple necessity when the Major wants to pull that invisible trick . There's nothing else too it . She even manages to look androgenous a lot of the time .
106 4 This is perhaps the best-made anime I have seen , yet somehow not the best animated film as a whole . The artwork is truly sensational at times . It would seem that the music is not for everyone , but I found it to be very good , and often play it in my head ( especially in the rain ) .
The story is more complex than it first seems , and is slightly more coherent when viewing the subtitled version . There are some probing questions and intellectual stimulation , but the movie fails to be completely mind-boggling due to its rather short length , and ends abruptly . The fact that it still stands as one of the best animated films I have seen speaks well of the quality of direction , artwork , and scenery . You will find yourself recalling a particularly meaningful still shot , and wondering if we are all headed for the world depicted here .
The DVD was released rather early in the grand scheme of things , yet still has a lot of goodies , and is well worth it if you are considering it over the VHS version .
110 4 The animation and sound staff worked for reality in this show and it's been one of the best , if not the best , works to date . The extra features of this DVD reveal more than you could ever find on the net of how this movie was made .
The artwork is very sharp even down to the bullet-hole details . Above average special effects . The 5.1 surround sound is awesome with a subwoofer . Machine guns and the background music set it off nicely !
The story is of course , excellent . If you're thinking about choosing VHS over DVD , think again . There are plenty of improvements in sound and the extra features that make the DVD a better choice . . . . END
118 4 I first watched GITS 4 years ago on tape and told myself then . . . I have to get a decent DVD player so that I can purchase this manga in DVD format . Yes . . . it was , and still is that good .
This is a highly intelligent story masqueraded by its anime facade , which has fooled many and thus typical reviews were always boring , plotless , what's the story about ! . . . etc .
I have lost count of the number of times that I have watched and enjoyed this masterpiece . The DVD format offers a valuable insight into how this manga was made , thus allowing the audience an intimate glimpse of every major production stage and the efforts involved in realising GITS .
To fully enjoy this piece , one should watch it till full comprehension is attained , as the main enjoyment is derived from understanding the intelligence , rationale and storyline behind the film ; being realistic in actuality and very much so philosophically . . . pretty much like the sciences behind Star Trek ; fictitious as of now , but who knows what the future may hold ?
Amidst the main plot , my personal intrigue was derived from the discussion of what truly makes an entity a living one ; of how it can understand its true existence and identity ; of how we humans beings and ' artificial lifeforms ' alike can reach within our inner selves to seek and reconcile with whom or what we truly are ; of how we can affirm our intelligence sources despite not having seen our own brains or thinking components . . . Amongst the sea of seemingly obvious absurdity lies an intricate depth of scientific and philosophical substance .
A highly intelligent storyline utilising state-of-the-art technological production from a dedicated team . This is animated sci-fi at its best .
121 4 This is the best anime I know of . Simply excellent . The story is intelligent , based on Masamune Shirows manga . The animation is some of the best I've ever seen . I own the soundtrack , so I guess that explains how I feel about the music .
This is probably the best way to get to know anime . If you are interested in anime , buy this , it will get you hooked . If you like anime , you've aleady got it ( or you're just plain stupid ; ) .
The only disappointment is the awful elevator-music on the otherwise fine making-of documentary .
There are no excuses , if you own a DVD player , you should have this .
128 4 Directed by Mamoru Oshii , who is well-known for his work on the extremely popular Patlabor and Urusei Yatsura anime series , explores issues surrounding one's own existence . It's also filled with some of the most poetic and fluid action scenes ever . The DVD transfer is excellent , and the colors , compared to the benchmark Japanese LD version , appear accurate - - especially in the gorgeous background paintings . One star deduction for Manga heinously removing the original end credit song and replacing it with One Minute Warning ( Brian Eno U2 ) in the Japanese audio track ( somebody was asleep at the wheel in their Quality Control department ) . Otherwise , a top-notch DVD full of extras and should dispel those with the preconceived notion that Japanese animation is simplistic and just for kids .
132 4 alot has been said and written about this great anime film.you know why ? because it diserves it.and all the good reviews you heard about it are true.so go a head , buy it .
full of amazing and unforgettable scenes . like the one after the opening credits when motoko wakes up in her apartment.took my breath away . in a story about cyborgs questioning their humanity , and a virus trying to become one .
the dvd features are your typical making of video and trailers . there is also a production report and a guide to ghost in the shell.you have to read them though .
like akira , the plot isn't that great , but you can't resist watching the film .
great anime.average dvd .
unrated.suggested 17 . means R rated then.alot of artistic nudity .
134 4 First of all , you should know I'm a bit stingy with the stars ; after all ,
giving 5 stars ( like most other reviewers ) requires the movie to be
essentially flawless . Well , there are two problems I have with this
movie . The first is the new-age psycho-babble about souls and so forth ,
but this isn't really a problem since the ideas behind the babble are
interesting . This brings me to the movie's second problem - it tries
to hard to be philosophical . Aren't movies supposed to convey ideas
through actions , not by long and tedious parts where a character speaks
and explains itself ( books can get away with this , but it's very hard
for movies to do so ) . The third problem is that at the end of the
movie I couldn't care less what happened to the major ( the main
character ) . She is barely human - she doesn't laugh ( she smiles once ) . She doesn't display emotions . She does nothing to make me feel for her -
she doesn't have a past , almost no desires , she only acts because it's
her job - why should I care about such a character ? Why not make a
movie about a rock ? Or my 586 ? I remind the movie makers that the characters may be cyborgs , but I'm not Well , I'm not all complaints . . . technically the movie is excellent , I'll
give it that . And it does try . And it's a refreshing change from Hollywood's
intellectually sterile flicks . It has become somewhat of a classic , and
every anime fan owes it to him / herself to view it at least once , but I'm not
spending my money on this one .
140 4 After waiting eagerly for this DVD to arrive , I was sorely disappointed to find that while there are menu choices for Japanese and Japanese with English subtitles , selecting any of these on my Sony DVP S330 results in nothing but the dubbed English track . As english is nowhere near as nice to watch this in as Japanese , I'm thinking of returning it . Aside from the language not sounding as nice , a problem is that the choices of voice actors for the english dubbing is very poor , as is common with much anime . The original soiundtracks are done by professionals , whereas the translations are amateurish in comparison .
058 4 This was my first anime and I was overwhelmed ! It seemed like a mix of Matrix and Bladerunner , but it's just so lush ! Not as gory as I expected based on other reviews . I'm going to show it to my wife this weekend . If you are new to this genre as well , this is a good first look .
096 4 This is truly a great anime , with stunning graphics , great action sequences and marvelous characters . The first time I saw it , I didn't understand the story or what the characters were trying to accomplish . The second time I understood more of the story itself , and noticed little details I skipped when I viewed the movie the first time . Even though I viewed this movie countless times , there are still new things I discover every time I see it , and more of the story I understand . Still the story seems somewhat confusing to me , especially with the extremely confusing ending . I recommend this movie to any anime fan whose looking for a serious movie , with a lot of mystery in it . There isn't too much fighting in it , but the few action sequences are marvelous . The graphics were stunning , with amazing enviorments , and beautifully textured characters . I recommend borrowing or renting it if you aren't serious about anime . . . yet . To completely get the whole movie , you have to watch it three , or at least two times . But overall , this is a fantastic movie .
090 4 This is for those people who say that this movie did NOT inspire the matrix . Actually it did , it was even said by the creators of the matrix themselves in an issue of TIME magazine . And yeah , the lingo used in the movie may not be very viewer friendly but if one opens their mind a little they should get it at a few times . And the animation , top knotch .
103 4 I consider myself a good fan of anime and I can safely say that this is a good one . The story is confusing the first time you watch it , but the more you watch it , the more you can appreciate it . The animation is great . Great details and buildings . This is one to add to your collection if your an anime fan . Get the subtitled one though . So if your a fan and you liked Akira , Princess Mononoke , Vampire Hunter D or Cowboy Beebop , Its a good bet you'll like this . This is one of the first anime's that really made me think . It has a good plot full of deep and developed characters . So go pick this one up .
155 4 I get the weak attempt at explaining consciousness and life in artificial intelligence . But this movie outside of being visually interesting is rather lame in plot and character development . There are a few interesting parts but as a whole it misses badly . Others have compared this to the Matrix and Bladerunner but those were real movies . This is a sad attempt at metaphysics . Don't waste your money . There much better anime movies , i.e . Cowboy Bebop and Metropolis . Its unfortunate that a lot of talented people worked on such a poor script .
107 4 It's very unique , no anime movies I have seen can compare to it . If you are looking for an all around action cartoon like Ninja Scroll or Akira , then you might not like this . This cartoon is a piece of art when it comes down to animation and it also has a great story . I don't think the story is too complicated to understand , but you might have to concentrate more than usual . I wish I could tell you what kind of movie you could compare it to but unfortunatly I can't , it's unique . I would highly recommend this movie . . .
041 4 Along with Akira , this ranks as my favorite anime movie of all time . The animation is incredible . Very detailed with excellent use of CG . Also , the character design is also very good , not quite like any other anime I've seen . The plot revolves around the cyborg Motoko and a mysterious hacker . It gets quite complex , with all kinds of political machinations , so it may take a few viewings to understand .
082 4 If you are a manga fan this classic it's a must have . Clear image and looks pretty cool on my PSP .
091 4 i my friends am an anime fanatic and collector . i loved this anime and feel that many more like it should be created ! !
119 4 Animation and sound quality is really good , one of the best and most detailed I have ever seen . It can hold its own with Akira . Plot and story is alright , makes you ponder a little . If you don't get it at first , you can always watch it again . I am giving this 4 stars , coz the nudity in certain action scenes seemed out of place to me . I mean , do you fight a battle with armor / camoflage or totally without any clothes ? Buy this , its really good to add to your collection . Definitely not for kids of all ages .
120 4 This anime is absolutely beautiful . It has a great storyline , beautiful artwork , and silky smooth animation . At the beginning . . . however I found it a bit hard to follow , but after that it got really really good . This is not for little kids , because of the nudity and the swearing , but if you're mature enough to look past that then you've got one great movie to see over and over again .
114 4 This is one of the best anime's I've seen . Not only is its story line good , but the quality of graphics is outstanding . The attention to detail is incredible . The jump between CG , video , and cell animation enhance rather than confuse the story line . The scary part is how close to a possible future this anime really is . The music and intro song stay with you .
142 4 It tries to be too profound and complex , really . The art and animation are definitely sophisticated though . I liked the way they merged cel animation with computer graphics to give the visuals a realistic look and feel . Still , I've seen a lot of better anime .
122 4 One of the best anime films since Akira . Super animation / artwork and a great story to boot . Excellent visual and audio flavor for an animation feast . If there is anything to knock the film on is too much dialogue , confusing plot to follow at first view , and not enough action for which anime boasts its name . Nudity seems out of place , one may say it was needed for the cloaking to work , but what about the criminal male who used the device to run from the cyber police - was he nude ? However , do not let this push anyone away ! All opinions here , but a fantastic film for any adult who enjoys mature animation !
065 4 This is without a doubt the best feature film anime around . All the action and suspense you come to expect in this genre . The storyline is intriguing , to say the least . You will not regret getting this movie , watching it numerous times .
There are countless ingredients that make up the human body and mind like all of the components that make up me as an individual with my own personality . Sure , I have a face and voice to distinguish myself from others , but my thoughts and memories are unique only to me and I carry a sense of my own destiny . Each of those things are just a small part of it , I collect information to use in my own way , all of that blends to create a mixture that forms me and gives rise to my conscience . I feel confined , only free to expand myself within boundaries .
The Major is also disturbed by the fact that she can't evolve by any natural means since her cyborg body can't grow or change overtime , she's dying to embrace something new , so to speak . After the cyborg suspected to have the Puppet Master itself inside it is snagged by Section 9 , Motoko is dying to ghost dive into it and Batou dismisses the Major's inner struggle about herself and tells her to quit with the angst since she's treated like a normal human and the Major says one of the most memorable lines in the movie :
But that's the only thing that makes me feel human , the way I'm treated .
When the Puppet Master hacks into Section 9 ' s security system and communicates with Chief Aramaki and the Minister of Foreign Affairs , the Puppet Master says a lot of thought-provoking things , but to not spoil everything for you , here's what I think is one of the best :
A memory cannot be defined , but it defines mankind .
As far as the themes about the meaning of being human , the advances of computers , and with the fusion of man and machine , this is only the tip of the iceberg . I'll let you watch the movie so you can absorb the other themes I didn't cover .
ACTION SCENES
While Ghost in the Shell isn't exactly an action anime , the action scenes it does have a rather inventive and cool . For example , the scene towards the beginning where one of the Puppet Master's ghost hacked pawns tries to fight off the Major and her partners in Section 9 , the pawn disguises himself with thermo-optic camouflage to make himself invisible and makes the shootouts more interesting . The Major and Batou have to use infrared to find the invisible man and snag him . The Major beats the guy at his own game by disguising herself with similar camouflage and hands his butt to the perpetrator in the process . Needless to say , the scene towards the end where the Major battles a mecha-tank with only a machine gun is one of the most intense battle scenes I've ever seen in anime .
ANIMATION , ARTWORK , AND COMPUTER GRAPHICS
Ghost in the Shell is very revolutionary to be one of the first anime titles to incorporate computer graphics into traditional cel animation . Best of all , the computer graphics are used to enhance the cel animation rather than use it as a crutch . One of the best examples of this is right before the Major beats the snot out of a ghost-hacked criminal , there's a thermo-optic silhouette of her that zooms in on her head that looks so fantastic and despite that this was made in 1995 , it could compete with computerized special effects in today's animated work . The other special effects , particularly the simplified computer-generated images of the city and of the complex scans of cyborg brains are very , very impressive . The animation itself is excellent , the characters and other animate objects move very fluidly as if they were real . And as far as the smoothness of frame rates goes , it easily competes with Akira and the animated films from Studio Ghibli ( in other words , as close to perfection as possible ) . The artwork of the characters , vehicles , buildings , and everything else are all absolutely fantastic . The characters have that anime aesthetic to them but at the same time , look much more human than the typical anime character . The surroundings and high-tech stuff have TONS of detail attached to them . You can clearly tell that these people didn't cut corners ANYWHERE . I also love the colors used in Ghost in the Shell as everything seems to have a dark tint to create a feeling of uneasiness and even some fear in the depths of a futuristic Hong Kong .
MATURE CONTENT
This anime is recommended to viewers that are 17 + years old due to graphic violence and nudity . I felt that both were used very tastefully as they were only used in scenes when necessary . Also , contrary to what many of you are thinking about the Major's camouflage suit , she's NOT naked when she engages camouflage mode . Her camouflage suit is merely the same color of her skin .
SOUNDTRACK
The soundtrack for Ghost in the Shell is outstanding . Kenji Kawai did an excellent job on his behalf as this really is a big part of the whole GITS experience . The soundtrack consists mostly of minimalist , dark ambient electronic music intertwined with ethnic Japanese female choirs and even some ethnic percussion . The soundtrack in general sends chills down my spine , particularly the scene where the Puppet Master is in Section 9 ' s headquarters and is lecturing everyone about his origins . The music track in that scene has a droning electronic passage accentuated by church bells to create the ultimate form of doom music . That music track by itself is unnerving , but when coupled with the dark visuals in that Puppet Master scene , will make anyone clench their whole bodies like a fist in fear .
EXTRAS AND FEATURES
Since I have the two-disk special edition of Ghost in the Shell , I'll delve into the special features of that edition of the movie . Overall , I felt pretty pleased with the extras , particularly the Production Report and Digital Works featurettes . The Production Report is in English and while it gives a somewhat simplified exploration into the production of GITS , it offers neat interviews with cast and production members and even of Masamune Shirow himself , who is depicted as a drawing for the interview since he doesn't like having his actual face shown in the media . The Digital Works featurette was the best part . It's in Japanese and give a much more in-depth exploration of how GITS was made . Before watching the Digital Works segment , I thought the integration of CGI into cel animation wasn't that difficult but boy was I wrong ! ! They needed a lot of different software to get GITS done , infact , the warehouse featured towards the end of the movie had to be constructed with CAD software to be done right . There's even dossiers for the key characters in GITS , and while not really that big of a deal , are a nice addition to the DVD . My only big gripe with the special edition is that there's no slide show of concept art , storyboards , vehicle designs , production artwork , or anything along those lines . You'd think that something like Ghost in the Shell that's so involved with visuals would have something like this by default for the fans but sadly that's not the case . There's also a bunch of trailers for other Manga titles and of promotional trailers for GITS . There's a multitude of language tracks for this edition of GITS , but honestly , I'm pleased with only watching it in English and Japanese . There's a dual-sided foldout poster with one side of the promotional image used for Ghost in the Shell while the other side features a nude Motoko floating against a computerized red backdrop with a bunch of wires and tubes attached to her body .
FINAL WORD
In terms of anime , Ghost in the Shell is a superb feast for the eyes and the brain . This anime will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the initial viewing with its intense action and nail-biting intrigue throughout the film and when it's all over , it'll leave you wondering about many , many things about humanity and technology . I raise my ice-cold shotglass of Stolichnaya vodka to Mamoru Oshii for making such a timeless , excellent anime . In a time where the words masterpiece and art are thrown around way too much by unseasoned , newer anime fans , Ghost in the Shell is one of the really few titles that truly deserves the title . If the cyberpunk themes in Ghost in the Shell are your cup of tea , I suggest that you check out
Armitage III : OVA
and
A.D . Police : Files 1 - 3
as well .
001 4 I've read a few reviews comparing ' Ghost in the Shell ' to ' The Matrix ' . Personally I don't think it's an accurate comparison at all . Think ' Blade Runner ' here . It has the same kind of atmosphere that made BR such a cult movie and it deals with the same subject . Compared to most other animes out there , GITS may seem a little dull , but if you're the kind who likes to have some brain activity when watching an anime , then you'll probably like this . One other thing that caught my attention is that , like ' Blade Runner ' , it flows along like water . You could easily start watching it and find yourself loosing track of time . It is short tough , only 82 min . It's a shame really , because with the vast amount of sub-plots present in Masamune Shirow's original work they could easily make an anime with well over 2hrs . That aside , the animation is some of the best you will ever see . Kusanagi's battle with the tank at the end comes to mind . Very sleek . The music is also very peculiar . It's kinda of a cross between ambient , electronica and new age . It's not for everyone be warned . Unlike normal music scores , Kenji Kawai's score does not bring the action to life , quite on the contrary . It's always present very softly in the background to the point of you forgetting about it . It creates a sense of detachment , or contemplation that , in my opinion , works great for this kind of movie , however I can see why some people would disagree . All in all , this one is a true classic to be ranked along the side of Akira . Get it !
Image Quality : Very good for the most part . The anime's dark atmosphere and dull colours transfer well to DVD . The blacks aren't as good as I would hope and at some points the image quality is , for some reason , a tad worse ( the intro shots for example ) , however times like these are few and far between . The whole image is very soft and I hoped the edges would be a little more sharp . I'm not sure if this is because of the transfer or the movie itself because I haven't seen ' Ghost in the Shell ' in any other digital format and I certainly aren't going to take for reference the VHS edition * grin * . But don't let what I said put you off , as for the most part you'll be more than satisfied at the image quality . For an example , when the optic camouflage kicks in and you have the ' rainbow ' effect ( if you see it you'll know what I'm talking about ) all the colours are very well defined and very crisp and you'll find yourself thinking how cool it looks . On another shot of Bateau inside his car more to the end , you can see water drops on the side window . . . try doing that on VHS . Very nice .
Sound Quality : When I bought this DVD I wasn't expecting anything special on the sound department . Boy , was I wrong . The sound comes in two flavours : English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 The stereo version is nothing to write home about . It's adequate . . . just . The only good thing about it is that you get to hear the Japanese voice acting which is always nice , other than that ( if you've got a 5.1 setup ) just forget about it . The 5.1 version is where the sound really comes to life . It hasn't got an intricate and complex soundstage like ' Twister ' for example , but it sure delivers the sound with a punch . Your subwoofer will love you every time you pop in this DVD . From the roaring explosions , machine gun fire or the deep drums on some parts of the musical score , the bass is always deep and clear . Music is all around you , coming from all channels most of the time , so this at least creates an involving atmosphere , especially when the music is of the ambient type I've described . The surround channels are also nicely used . When shots are fired you get a sort of ' echo ' effect going in the two surrounds . It might not be accurate , but when those HV bullets start flying around , you'll be glad to have the right setup . On the market chase scene , for example you get voices and sounds coming from the surrounds bringing the market to life . The surround channels are never aggressive nor overused , but I think this is the best you can expect out an anime .
Extras : Well , they're better than most DVD I've seen . You get a 25 - 30 min ' Making of Ghost in the Shell ' which is narrated by the guy who does the voice of Bateau in the English version ( I hope I'm right about this , it does sound a lot like him ) . This won't tell you anything terribly new , but it does provide a little insight at some of the techniques used .
The DVD also has a sort of index that provide information on certain aspects of the universe of ' Ghost in the Shell ' . Characters , machine design , the various sections involved , etc . . . again , nothing terribly new , but I can see how it can shed some light in certain areas to those who aren't very familiarised with Shirow's universe or the anime itself . The rest of the extras are just ads for manga video , polygram , fan clubs , etc . . .
002 4 An existential action anime ? That's what Ghost In The Shell , a.k.a . Kokakukidotai ( Shell Mobile Force ) is , with animation sporting top-of-the-line computer imagery in the Bladerunner-like metropolis of Newport , but that's secondary compared to the underlying intellectual theme .
Major Kusanagi Motoko is a skillfully trained cyborg assassin in Newport's Section 9 , who's taking out a diplomat illegally trying to give immunity to a listed programmer , demonstrates her training , including an amazing moment when she dives off a building , picks off her target , and via a thermoptic camouflage ( i.e . portable cloaking device ) , vanishes from sight .
She and the members of her team , consisting of the mostly human Togusa , Ichikawa , and Batou , a burly no-nonsense blond cyborg with electronic eye implants , are trying to track down the Puppet Master . The Puppet Master is a master hacker who hacks into people's brains and uses them for his dirty work , presumably to carry out espionage or terrorism , leaving his puppets no memory of their infiltration . One of his puppets keeps using a public computer to try to infiltrate the brain of his wife , who is divorcing him and wants custody of their child . When he's picked up , he is told by Section 9 that his wife , child , and divorce are all false memories imprinted by the Puppet Master , causing further distress to the man when he is told the fake memories can't be erased .
However , there are two conflicts going on . One is Kusanagi's mission to hunt down the Puppet Master . The other and the one with a deeper meaning is the search for her identity within the scheme of a whole , or rather , something beyond her individual self , highlighted by her words taken from the Book of Corinthians : For now we through a glass , darkly . This reflects an earlier statement when she says in observation of a victim of the Puppet Master , all data that exists is both fantasy and reality . Whichever it is , the data a person collects in a lifetime is a tiny bit compared to the whole . A postmodernist flair is introduced when the Puppet Master says While memories may as well be the same as fantasy , it is by these memories that mankind exists .
The question thus is , is it possible for the soul to exist in a highly technological world , where special operatives have cyborg shells , metabolic control systems , ESP , and cyber-brains ?
The search is also symbolized when she surfaces , and the animated image of her rising up to meet her reflection , representing her true self . She wonders if she has a ghost , an animating soul or spirit . In looking at the construction of her body in the opening credits , one sees that she's heavily mechanized , with an outer layer of flesh surrounding her .
Her attempt at defining the self begins with a unique face , voice , childhood memories , feelings for the future , and the set of mental processes producing a consciousness that is me . However , upon a discovery involving the Puppet Master , she further worries that what if there wasn't a real me , that I believe I exist based only on what my environment tells me . . . . What if a computer brain can generate a ghost and harbor a soul ? On what basis then do I believe in myself ? In other words , what if there is no higher power to connect to , bringing into mind the word religion , which means to reconnect to .
The action sequences aren't extreme , ultraviolent , or gratuitous in the chase sequences , but are moderate , that is until the heavy artillery is brought out , at which point glass , metal , and rock starts to fly . A very intelligent , thought-provoking , one-of-a-kind existential , soul-searching anime , with Kusanagi despite its cyborg dominance showing some human traits .
003 4 Akira may have been confusing , but keep in mind that film's challenge of adapting 2,000 pages into 2 hours . . . right ! And I still think that movie did remarkably well . Now we have the brainchild of Masamune Shirow , the current cyberpunk manga genius adapted for the screen . And in spite of the endless praise this film gets for its action and its skillful blending of computer graphics and tradition cel animation , I have to say that this film is lacking . Don't get me wrong , it is still my #2 favorite anime of all time , and my #4 favorite sci-fi film of all time ( Blade Runner , Akira , and 2001 being the first three ) . However , in reading the comic , I have to say that the script-writer for this film ( even the original Japanese script , which always tends to be better translated in subtitles than dubbed ) made the mistake of taking a series of 6 storylines , cutting 2 or 3 of them out , and cramming the rest , even though not all of them were related . Elaboration : almost each issue of the original manga had its own storyline , connected only by characters . Not ALL of them had to do with the Puppet Master . However , cut a few unnecessary stories out , add the Puppet Master in place of the badguy , and blend it all in . . . you got the plot of the movie . In spite of that , the film did a rather good job of adapting the original comic , but because of the cramming of storylines , there is a sense of the film being rushed . Hell , it doesn't even clock in at 90 minutes , which tends to be the animated film standard . Now , with that aside , let's get to the real point . The movie itself . It is fantastic ! Without this film , The Matrix would not exist , or it simply would not have been as good or as interesting , because 90% of that movie ( plot , stunts , special effects , etc . . . ) came as a result of the innovations of this movie . The story is very well thought out and brilliantly executed . Because of its shortness , there is a sense of something missing or being lost , but the action in the main gunfight scenes make up for this . The animation is wonderful . The set designs are remarkably well-crafted to recreate a Hong Kong-style city , and the integration of computer-generated 3 - D virtual cityscapes is exceedingly well-done . The character designs and their personalities are given their just attention , and while the unbelievably pale white skin of the characters might blind the viewer , the use of transparent eye colors give the cyborg populace of this film a soul all their own . That is the entire point of the movie . . . the soul . The computer effects are wonderful , and the music score by Kenji Kawai is soothing , ambient , eerie , and beautifully compliments this shadowy virtual world . Of course , the Japanese dialogue is better suited to the characters ( especially since they really tend to go all out and pour their souls into it . . . heh , souls again ! ) , but the English voice cast holds its own . Somehow the bland and almost monotone nature in which Mimi Woods delivers her interpretation of the character of Major Kusanagi compliments the quandary of the cybernetic femme fatale's ghost . The voices of Bateau , Togusa , and Chief Aramaki are well-suited as well , but the dark voice given by Abe Lasser to the Puppet Master is almost frightening . Overall , this film is one of the best animated films to be released in a long time , not to mention one of the highest ranking sci-fi films of all time . Flaws and all aside , this is not to be missed !
004 4 Ghost In The Shell is the most engaging anime I have yet to be exposed to . I've also seen : Vampire Hunter D , Macross Plus ( loved it ) , Do You Remember Love ( a fave ) , and . . . uh , does Robotech , Transformers The Movie , and Voltron ( Golion / Dairugger XV ) count ? Okay , you get the picture - - I'm not exactly a die-hard anime fan yet , but I really do prefer Japanimation to any other kind of animation ( seriously ! ) ; so here goes my review :
I'd heard so much good stuff about this film that I finally decided to rent it , along with 1998 ' s Dark City ( which was a good decision ) . The first time I watched it , I found myself resisting the urge to write down technical details like Section 6 , and Section 9 , and MOFA because they seemed to be important details to remember . The movie ran its course , and I felt a little ( no , very ! ) disappointed . Then I decided to read what others had to say online , and they seemed to ( for the most part ) , enjoy it . Many folks also suggested that viewers watch it at least twice . I decided to watch Dark City instead .
After watching Dark City , I realized that one very cool movie released in 1999 borrowed heavily from both Ghost In The Shell , and Dark City , and that ground-breaking film was The Matrix . From Ghost , I feel that ( visually ) Trinity's character can be likened to Major Kusanagi ( sexy , tough , short-haired ) , some of the combat scenes ( pillars being blown away by machine-gun fire ) , EVEN , Trinity's deadly entrance ( the same way the Major makes her deadly entrance ) . Lastly ( and most obviously ) , the neck interface plugs , and the significance of the internet in this film seem to be elements borrowed for usage in The Matrix . Even the open-ended ending reminds me of the way Neo seemed to look triumphantly on his situation with opened eyes . . . Ghost In The Shell ends in very much the same way . ( Perhaps both Neo and Trinity owe elements of their identities to Major Kusanagi , or maybe I'm stretching things a little to far . . . )
For those of you who haven't seen Dark City or Ghost In The Shell , I suggest you see them both . All I will say about Dark City is , in that movie , things aren't as they seem , and like Ghost In The Shell , the film deals with our perceptions of reality , of our memories , and our souls . Upon my second viewing of Ghost , I realized just what everyone was talking about - - Ghost In The Shell is a super-cool anime , that raises the bar ( thematically ) for any anime that aspires to deal with realistic issues . I liked it much better the second time around . . .
Also , I enjoyed hearing the tough-guy vocal stylings of Lunk ( Robotech ) and Guld ( Macross Plus ) return in the form of Bateau in this film ( Richard Epcar ) . His performance was the best in my opinion . Vocally , Major Kusanagi could sound very cold and flat , but at the same time , maybe this is the way a hardened cyborg would sound - - so you never know ; it may not have been a case of bad acting .
Visually , this film is simply a masterpiece . I loved the exquisite art detail presented during the riverboat scene ( when we got a chance to look at buildings within the city ) , and the lines the artists added during monitor screen scenes ( tre-cool ) . In addition , the final battle scene between the Major and that tank is a must-see . Also , the arguably overdone nudity isn't nearly as distracting the second time around ; it just serves to add a sense of realism . Same with the elaborately depicted offings of the government official in the first scene , and the guy in the car near the end .
So all in all , you've just read the review of an extremely satisfied viewer . Next up ? You guessed it - - Ninja Scroll .
Thanks for reading !
C.H.R .
005 4 Ghost in the Shell has a very cranial plot , so those viewers who think anime is nothing more than flying guts and warped tentacles might as well crawl back into their sewer , because they're not going to like it . On the other hand , anyone who has seen and appreciated 2001 or Royal Space Force : Wings of Onneamis will love Ghost in the Shell . The movie is much more complex than it actually appears , and has a fascinating plot surrounding the destination of the human soul in the future , although the more memorable images are of rampant gunfire and Motoko Kusanagi's omnipresent bare breasts . The animation is excellent in both its computer and cel forms , although the character design is very original - and very worthwhile . Ghost in the Shell surpasses Akira as a vehicle for the popular display of anime largely because of its more charismatic cast and its fascinating plot . Akira dealt with similar subject matter , had a longer running time , and had the same high-quality animation that Ghost in the Shell has , but Ghost is better because it can be widely appreciated not for its spectacle but for its intelligence . Both Akira and Ghost in the Shell had important messages in them . Unfortunately Akira's violence has become a myth in its own right instead of incidental . Some people will fault Ghost in the Shell for not going to the same extremes . They should stick to Akira . In short , if you want beautiful , intelligent and original anime , Ghost in the Shell is for you . It is the showcase that Manga Video promoted , but not in the way they think it is . Still , you don't want to miss it .
007 4 Ghost in the shell , a classic anime . Ghost in the Shell was originally released in the U.S . November 1995 , and amazingly few sci-fi movies fail to live up to it's amazing populariy among fans of the genre . The film takes place in he year 2030 , or roughly so , in which almost everyone in Tokyo , or the world for that matter has been equipped with some sort of cybernetic implant . Whether it be an arm , leg , or even a brain , cybernization is now a way of life for society . Anyway , the film opens with a woman named Motoko Kusanagi , who is cyberized to the point where it is only her brain cells that remain human . The movie basically centers around her . Normally I would give more of plot description , but considering I really suck at it i'm just going to get to the review .
Momoru Oshii is an excellent director , even though I'm not a big Jin-Roh fan , I still think he's fantastic . One thing that contiues to amaze me about this film is it's characters . What Oshii does here is he designs these characters in such a way in which we are able to relate to them and ponder our own views and relationships towards the evergrowing technologies and the effect it has on our own lives . So , basically what the whole movie boils down to is if one is enhanced by non-organic substances , meaning man made substances , are they really completely human ? In other words once man and technology have merged has the line separating them both blured ? With that being said , what then defines humanity ? Well , in the end it is actually memories that define humanity . When one obtains a new memory , that memory is their's , it's only unique to them . Before cybernization it was the human spirit , or ghost , that defined our existance . However , if one's cyberbrain could create a ghost , as Kusanagi asks , then what would be the importance of being human then ? Meaning that once somthing artificial could create a soul then what's the need of having a human body ? You could just be completely artificial and have soul , just like a human . So , since a soul can no longer define humanity then one must turn to memories . They are what make us unique , we must now reley , not on our spirit but our memories for definition . However , in the world of Ghost in Shell there comes a catch . Even though cyberbrains do have amazing abilities , they do have one fatal flaw , like computers , they can be hacked into . So , basically someone could literally hack into your brain and make you think things that aren't true . For example , in the movie a garbage man was conviced that he was having a divorce with his wife , and that his wife was trying to gain complete custody of their daughter , when in reality it is revealed that he never had a wife and kid . He was a bachelor who apparently had never been married , all of his memories were fabrications , caused by a hacker . So basically this line sums it all up . Man has underestimated the effects of computerization . Meaning that , man has underestimated what technology could do to humanity and what defines it as a species .
So thats basically it , well it wasn't really a review , I guess it was my analysis on the whole world of Ghost in the shell . So , heres a guide on what to and not to expect from the film .
I am going to make one thing clear , now listen carefully , this movie is not for people who just want a straight out action flick , it requires alot of thinking , and while the film has some action those expecting alot from the movie in that area may be a little dissapointed . Also , although the film does have some nudity , there is no sexual content whatsoever throughout the film . I know it may be hard to believe , but it's true . So those of you who have been avoiding the film in fear of it being a hentai , you don't have to worry . I mean I wouldn't recommend it to little kids , but I think Fourteen and up would be appropriate . The only other things to watch out for is some strong language , and some brief but graphic violence . Another thing , this is just a word of advice , but as far as the politics go in the film , your better off just going along with them rather than trying to figure out every conspicuous little detail . I'm not saying you should completely ignore it , because of course you do need a basic idea of what's going on in the film , but it's pretty heavy stuff , your better off devoting more of your attention to the philosiphy in the film rather than the politics that are involved . Also , if your one of those anime fans just looking for big eyed Bishonen / Bishoju animes filled with lots of useless fluff , then I suggest you look elsewhere . One thing about Ghost in the Shell is that it is very adultish , in other words it's very mature anime . It may not appeal to everyone , theres virturally no comedy , and takes itself prety seriously , it even shows in the art style . There are no big eyed people , everyone looks realistic , to a point anyway . Also , and most importantly there are no cute furry little animal sidekicks anywhere . So if your looking for a more mature side of anime then GITS is right for you . Another point , unlike Akira , which ran for over two hours , Ghost in te Shell is a relatively short film . It clocks in at around 83 minutes , so if you see the movie in the video store and it costs thirty dollars , then look elsewhere to buy it . Maybe it's just me but I would feel a little cheated if I bought a movie for thirty dollars and found out that it was only an hour and twenty minutes long . But that's just me . Now this is a warning concerning the movie's music . If your like me you will think it's awesome , however I have spoken to some and not everyone shares my opinion . Some find it very annoying and it's plays throughout alot of the film , so it's just a warning but you may not like the music , and it may effect your overall viewing experience . Besides all that though , I do have some very good news for those of you who hate subtitles . The dub on this film is well done . So if you have a problem with subtitles but at the same time are hesitant to try the dub based on bad experiences , you don't have to worry , I don't think you will have too much of a problem with GITS . The DVD on te film is also very good . It comes in five different languages , English , Japanese , German , Italian , French and Spanish , so if you don't speak english or Japanese you might have some luck with the other languages available . The video and Audio on the disk is also very well done . Now theres one thing viewers must understand about Ghost in the Shell regarding it's reltionship to the T.V . series and the other movie . If you are confused here's how everyting is related : the T.V . series , Stand Alone Complex takes place in an alternate reality in which the whole ending of the first movie didn't take place . As far as the Second movie is concerned , it is merely a sequel to the first movie continuing two years after the first movie left off . This actually may sound kind of stange but here's what I suggest you do . If you understand what I said about the T.V . series being an alternate reality in which the whole ending of te first movie didn't take place , and you have seen the series but not the movies then I suggest you watch Innocence first ( the sequel ) then watch the first movie . That's how I did it and I got more out of it . The thing is that the sequel definitely isn't as good as the first movie was , visually it's much better , but as far as story is concerned it is inferior . So upon watching the first film you may be dissapointed with the results of he second film , but this way you won't be dissapointed at all . Another word of advice , if you have already bought the original GITS DVD then I suggest you don't double dip with the new special edition . It really isn't worth it , the extras are pretty much the same , so if you have the first version that came out , just stick with that one . However if you wan't a remastered edition of the movie then maybe it would be in your intrest to pick it up .
This is truly an excellent film to behold . It highly recommed it to anime and non-anime fans alike . But before I end the review I would like you to think of somthing . Ghost in the shell : Sciece Fiction or Science Prophecy ?
008 4 I'm hooked on anime . The movie is fantastic . Drawn in by the similarity between Ghost in the Shell and The Matrix and Matrix Reloaded , this stylistic exploration of an issue that constatnly defies resolution - - the mind / body duality - - is certainly getting a strong revisit here .
Ghost in the Shell is Kazunori Ito's futuristic vision where the confluence of the body ( the shell ) and the ghost ( the mind ) meets cyborg technology and all we are left with is angst . The film is certainly aimed at adults . I am new to the phenomenon of anime so I am still wondering about all the nudity and violence playing to a particular theme . My sense is that the intimate nature of man and machine and the particular threat that cyborg technology poses is considered real and immediate . Reference is made to the high maintenance nature of the cyborg and the technology in this movie . However , despite lines like Aside from a slight brain augmentation , your body's almost entirely human and You're treated like other humans , so stop with the angst ! we are still confronted with the mind / body duality .
Framed in a stylistic space where characters like Maj . Kusanagi run after such unlikely characters as The Puppet Master and similarities of movies like Bladerunner and the X-Files I can't help but grin at the irony of so western ( and I use this word cautiously here ) a consideration played out in such an eastern space . Despite all that , Ghost in the Shell is a cinematic event and should be treated as such . With the fertile cross polination between the east and the west , who knows , we might see a new entity which is a simulacra of the androginous characters that inhabit this genre . Am I hooked ? Absolutely ! Can't wait for the sequel . If you have not seen this movie - - watch it ! It will change your perspective on animation entirely .
Miguel Llora
009 4 I read the reviews on this page about Ghost in the Shell . Some people do not appreciate what this film is about . It is totally different from general anime , such as Gundam , Tenchi , Eva or even Pokemon . what you have here is a very serious , groundbreaking film , worthy of international critical acclaim . As well , some people here say that the subject has been visited many times , i.e . robots having human intelligence , being able to understand emotion . WRONG . This movie was made starting in 1994 , and the story was based on life ( stored as computer information ) travelling over the internet , and existing in the internet . This was an amazing story for a time where people were just beginning to pick up the internet .
The action sequences in this film may be few , but they are exceptional , including amazing visuals and real gunshot sounds . the story is very phylosophical , but not so that not every person could understand , but bordering on intelectualism and fantasy . The scenery is well-drawn , even though you see each for only a couple of moments . Overall , I would say that this is one of greatest animation films I have ever seen . See it .
010 4 This anime has by far the best animation and art work ever . It takes an extremely close second to Akira . But unlike Akira , every character has its own look ( I dunno about you , but it got hard to tell between characters in Akira ) . Sound is incredible in this anime . While sound usually never takes a major role in Japanimation , Ghost in the Shell proves it does . There is only one thing wrong with the movie . . . plot . . . now don't get me wrong , the plot is by far one of the most intellectual and genius plots you could ever imagine , but few will only understand it if you have read the manga . I unfortunately did not , so like Mission : Impossible ( a movie you had to see like 3 times to understand everything ) Ghost in the Shell has to be watched more than once to let everything sink in . My 3rd time watching it , I understood it and appreciated its genius and cleverness . . . This will be a classic for generations along with Akira and Ninja Scroll . I highly recommend this anime if you want action and well thought out plot . Both subtitled and dubbed are excellent , I recommend both of them .
011 4 If you hear the word anime , or Japanese animation , and instantly think of popular shows like Yu-Gi-Oh ! or Dragonball Z or Inuyasha , then it's high time to re-think those perceptions . Ghost in the Shell is japanese animation for adults , in terms of both content and thematic material .
Based on the original Japanese manga by Masamune Shirow and directed by Mamoru Oshii , Ghost in the Shell represents some of the best Japanese animation has to offer . Along with Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away , this film is one which truly showcases the creativity and artisitic potential of animation as a medium . Despite being almost 10 years old , Ghost in the Shell is a movie which still resonates with audiences of today .
The movie centers around Major Motoko Kusanagi , a cyborg police officer involved in some vary dangerous work . The story starts with a bang , almost literally , as the Major assaults a secret meeting by jumping off the top of a building and shooting through a window , then vanishing . Everything about this sequence - - the gorgeous animation , the high-octane action , the developing story - - sets the stage for what is to come .
The animation of Ghost in the Shell raised the bar and set the standard for future animated films . The animators somehow combine the violence of the story with an unparalleled beauty in the animation that still stands out today . True works of art are timeless , and that's just what Ghost in the Shell is : timeless .
Of course , much of the animation is used for the many action sequences in the movie , which are quite unforgettable . From heavy-hitting gun battles to a one-on-one fight with an invisible enemy , the action in Ghost in the Shell is breathtaking .
The story is surprisingly complex and engaging for a relatively short film . Involving government conspiracies , a talented hacker known as the Puppet Master , and some really excellent science-fiction concepts , Ghost in the Shell expresses some pretty deep themes about what being human means , what constitutes a human soul ( or ghost ) , and how we define ourselves as individuals . The ending is surprising and will keep you thinking .
Simply put , Ghost in the Shell is an animated film that sets a high bar for other animated films to achieve , on all fronts . From storytelling to animation to thematic material , it's just one of the best out there . Definitely not for kids , but well worth viewing for almost any adult . You'll hear its whispered messages in your ghost for some time afterwards .
013 4 In Mamoru Oshii's outstanding Ghost in the Shell ( 1995 ) , the director / writer gave himself little time , at less than 90 minutes , to explore the many questions he raised in that script . With his long-awaited sequel , Ghost in the Shell 2 : Innocence , he succeeds in answering many of these questions whilst at the same time giving us many more to ponder , in a film that , though flawed , deserves a 5 star rating .
Rather like a Disney animation , the film can be viewed on more than one level by more than one audience . On the surface it is a sumptuously-animated film in which a fairly conventional who-done-it plot unfolds ; robots are murdering humans , and a crime specialist is brought in to solve the case . Period . We have already seen equivalent plots in films such as Blade Runner or I , Robot and this film has nothing new to add to the basic idea . However Oshii's world is far more disturbing and complex below the surface . He subverts the ending of the film which , could be taken as a triumph of good over evil . However , when distinctions between robot and human become blurred the central notions of good and evil in the film fall down . He pulls other tricks to undermine our assumptions about humanity ; at one point the main cop character puts a coat over a robot to hide its nakedness ; another time a robotic character philosophises over the meaning of existence , whilst chain-smoking . It is in the director's treatment of the paradox of what it means to be human that the film's value lies , not the superficial plot .
Characterisation is a little scimpy ( with the notable exception of the depiction of Oshii's own basset hound , which is drawn with clear devotion ) but visually the film is stunning . Oshii is one of the few directors able to practice the delicate art of inactivity on screen . He is not scared to abandon the plot for minutes on end to luxuriate in , for example , an extended arial shot of a city , or to dwell on a completely motionless face whilst we register its owner's emotional state , or to allow his main characters , motionless on the screen for what seems like ages , to quote western philosophical and religious texts . None of these scenes moves the plot forwards and yet the film would be immeasurably poorer without them .
Too many sequels to outstanding films try to provide glib answers to the issues raised in the original and most fail by this approach ; examples such as 2010 and Matrix Reloaded spring to mind . With this film Oshii has avoided this pitfall and given us a rare sequal , that takes the theme of the original and finds something fresh to say .
In summary , the film deserves a 5 star rating , but I think that it falls short of greatness .
014 4 Ghost in the Shell is a visually stunning animated masterpiece . Japanese animation has always been in a class of its own , so I won't even attempt to describe the incredible attention to detail and beautiful imagery in this movie . In this case the animation is merely icing for what is one of the most important works of science fiction in recent years .
Every generation has had books and movies that have contributed to our collective understanding of reality . Prior to World War II this included books like Yevgeny Zamyatin's We and Huxley's Brave New World , and later Orwell's 1984 . Today most warnings about the future fall into the category of science fiction . Science fiction began to fill this role when Arthur C . Clarke's 2001 warned us of the potential for humanity to create intelligent , even sentient computers that could murder their human creators . 2001 envisioned computer intelligence imprisoned in the physical body of a computer . Where 2001 left off , Ghost in the Shell begins .
Ghost in the Shell tells the story of a future in which a computer program , Project 2501 , becomes self-aware and begins a quest to fill basic needs it feels are qualifiers of being alive by controlling computers and people to achieve its ultimate goals . Whereas the HAL - 9000 computer was relatively harmless , owing to its confinement in the Odyssey space ship , Project 2501 is a recognition that the global internet could have dire consequences for all of us . By comparison , this new villain is virtually invincible . But is Project 2501 a villain ?
Most people who have told me that they didn't like this move said that they didn't understand it . Indeed , the story and concepts are very complicated . I have watched it several times and still get new things out of it every time . Roger Ebert called Ghost in the Shell , Unusually intelligent and challenging science fiction , aimed at smart audiences .
Ghost in the Shell is full of fascinating dialog , such as this diatribe about the cycle of life and death by Project 2501 . A copy is just an identical image . There is the possibility that a single virus could destroy an entire set of systems , and copies do not give rise to variety and originality . Life perpetuates itself through diversity , and this includes the ability to sacrifice itself when necessary . Cells repeat the process of degeneration and regeneration until one day they die , obliterating an entire set of memory and information . Only genes remain . Why continually repeat this cycle ? Simply to survive by avoiding the weaknesses of an unchanging system .
Thus Ghost in the Shell goes beyond simply a prediction or warning for the future : it attempts to contribute to our understanding of reality by breaking existence down into biological terms and making us question , along with the characters in the movie , whether or not any of us has a soul . The characters in Ghost in the Shell are unusually deep and are a refreshing change from the one-dimensional stereotypes we've become numbed by in modern media . Ghost in the Shell would be required reading in many high school and university courses if it weren't for the fortuitous fact that it can be enjoyed in this beautifully animated feature film . This is one of the few movies ever made that everyone should watch at least once .
015 4 Like many other reviews about Ghost In The Shell , I highly recommend this movie . I have had this movie for quite a while , and what has compelled me to write a review is the recent innovations in technology . . . especially biomedical engineering . Current research in neuroscience , Electoactive Polymers ( plastic muscles ) , nano-technoloy , flexible electroluminescent panels ( could make skin the new light bulb ) , and replicators ( printers that make 3 dimensional objects out of plastics . . . . now some are experimenting with live cultured human cells in hopes to build a new organ ( they've already made an ear ) ) is the science fiction of this movie .
Ghost in the shell is a powerful movie for those who know what is possible in today's revolutionary merging of man and machine . Our electrical signals generated in our brains and body are currently being deciphered as a code which is very similar to the 1s and 0s the computer uses you are working on right now . Soon , with respect to historical timelines , our lives just might be parallel to that of this movie .
Stylistically this movie is sharp , interesting and familiar to most anime fans . I first saw this movie over seven years ago and was amazed . Now I occasionally view it and reflect on the technology around me , my colleagues ( teachers and scientists ) , and my students . Those students will be the scientists who make the subject matter in this movie a reality .
Get the movie and think .
016 4 Definitely aimed at the mature audiences , Ghost in the Shell addresses some of the more profound questions that people ask everyday .
To be honest , first time around , I couldn't fully appreciate its thoughtful content because I was overwhelmed by spectacular graphics and dramatic action sequences . However , during the second viewing I was able to go beyond the pretty face and catch the glimpse of its soul , a profound tale of a cyborg haunted by questions that some people choose to ask , or choose to ignore , or worst , forget to ask .
Only aspect of Ghost in the Shell that I thought lacking was the viewing time . I really think it could have been longer to further develop the plot and deal with barrage of questions it poses on the audience .
If you happen to enjoy this Anime , I also recommend Patlabor 2 , by the director of Ghost in the Shell , Mamoru Oshii , which I think is more refined one of the two .
017 4 Ghost in the Shell is a movie which should be seen many times over to grasp its full content and hidden implications . It also has incredible animation and action scenes , but it is the complexity of the plot and the masterful incorporation of metaphor and symbolism ( very rarely successful in movies ) which truly make it a work of art . For anyone who writes it off , dig a little deeper . . .
018 4 Rather than offer another version of what's already been said , I'm going to focus on the one part that , in my opinion , put a big gash on an otherwise beautiful , intelligent anime .
I'm not a fan of having to read movies , so enjoyment of an anime hangs in the balance of whether or not it's dubbed well . In the case of Ghost in the Shell , there's some very good dubbing ( Richard Epcar as Batou ) and some efficient dubbing ( Abe Lasser as the Puppet Master and William Frederick as Aramaki , to name a few ) . However , the movie depends mostly on the voice of the Major , and Mimi Woods was ( no offense ) a terrible choice . Motoko Kusanagi is practically a perfect cybernetic being , so one might think she'd have a beautiful , almost mystic voice to go with her looks and personality . Woods , however , sounds unrefined . . . natural , but too simple and out-of-character . If you close your eyes and try to picture the Major through Mimi Woods ' voice , you don't . You can't . And everything she says loses its strength because the voice just can't deliver it with the thoughtful tone it needs . . . and since most of the insight revolves around her character , that leaves a big dent in the strength of the film's philosophical core .
If you hate all dubs and are strictly a subbed person , then enjoy ; otherwise , be warned : with that dubbed voice , the Major's credibility only hangs on by its teeth .
019 4 Ghost in the Shell is simply my favorite science fiction film second only to Blade Runner - Director's Cut . Which , not surprisingly , influenced this movie a great deal . I remember back in 1996 . . . . . already a full blown anime aficionado , I had followed the production of this film since the first Japanese press release and was eagerly awaiting its indefinate arrival on American shores . Having read Masamune Shirow's graphic novel that inspired the film , this became the first anime title that I ever pre-ordered and counted the days upon its release .
But the movie wasn't what I had expected . The entense action was toned down a bit . The humor in the graphic novel was entirely non-existent in the film . What was left were the deep philosophical ovetones . And I commend Mamoru Oshii for making the risky decision to focus mainly on this aspect of the story . The movie , in fact , was BETTER than I could have ever hoped .
The story seems simple even typical when described , but it's the underlining philosophical themes that make this film such a treasure .
Our protagonist is Motoko Kusanagi , an officer of a military division known as Section 9 . On the trail of a Notorious hacker dubbed The Puppet Master , Kusunagi begins to question her own consciousness or ghost as she unravels the case .
Deep in ' noir ' territory , Ghost in the Shell is definately not for the viewer who likes to check their brain at the door . You will be challenged to discover the existential nature of the characters as they discover it themselves . This is not bad filmaking rather than a forced empathy with Kusunagi that will hopefully get you contemplating some of the philosophical issues presented here .
021 4 This is with out a doubt one of if not the best animes I have ever seen . It has everything I'm looking for in an anime : intregueing characters , an awsome plot , lots of action , and outstanding visuals . The animation its self could garner this move a 5 star rateing . Everything is extremely fluid and detailed . This film uses an interesting mix of both computer generated animation and traditional cell animation . The result is a visual style that is far superior to anything Disney has put out so far . Kusanagi's tour of the city examplifies what i'm trying to say guite well . The plot is top notch . Though some have acussed it of being a bit to phlisopical , I belive those statments are just to unfounded . The plot is very deep . In fact I myself didn't understand everything untill I had seen it three times . Much like the matrix it has to do with what is real , and how our perceptions of reality can be drasticly altered . This is an anime so there is some great action in it . My favorite scenes are battle with the tank and the chase scene involving the ghost half human . The chararcters are also excellent . Kusangi is one of the most interesting women in anime . Baeto is also a great character . He plays the voice of sanity in an insane world . All and all this is excellent anime for mature audiences . Oh yes I feel it nessacary to give that obligatory warning . This one has a good amount of nudity , though none of it is erotic , and some very graphic violence . If your an anime fan you have to see Ghost in the Shell . It's a true masterpeace from Mamoru Oshi .
022 4 Mamoru Oshii brings Shirow's sci-fi thriller to life with such vision and power , one can't help but be intranced from the very first moments . The movie is hands down incredible . Unfortunately , the extras are subpar as is the trend with anime features nowadays . The included movie poster makes up for that though . This is a must buy , especially if you don't already own the movie .
026 4 Before I go off reviewing this anime masterpiece , I'll share my personal history with Ghost in the Shell , which dates back seven years ago . Back in July of 2002 , I had a bug to watch anime that came out of nowhere . I went to the nearest Blockbuster and gazed at their meager selection of anime and the two VHS tapes that caught my attention the most were Akira ( because I heard good buzz from friends ) and Ghost in the Shell . I noticed Ghost in the Shell because the tape box had a naked cyborg woman holding a gun and a mature audiences only sticker on it and my immature 14 year-old brain screamed Violence and nudity ? Yeah ! ! This is gonna be awesome ! ! I had to have my older brother come with me because I couldn't rent these tapes by myself due to my age at the time and a little bit after midnight on July 17 ( when everyone was asleep ) , I popped this baby in my VCR and I was blown away . Much to my surprise , this had A LOT more to offer than superficial violence and nudity and I was very pleased with that . Along with Akira two nights prior , this completely changed my view on the complexity and maturity animation can achieve since I was rather uncultured concerning adult animation since all I watched until then was stuff like South Park and The Ren and Stimpy Show ( I'm not saying they're bad , they're all good , just not nearly as sophisticated . ) . Needless to say , I was so impressed by both anime titles , at around that time , it was those two that made me want to pursue a career relating to animation .
PLOT
The plot is that in the year 2029 , computers and the internet have taken over everything and cybernetic humans are so complex and powerful , they easily pass off as the real thing . There have been a spike in reports of cybernetic humans getting ghost hacked by an elite hacker known only as the Puppet Master , Public Security Section 9 are ready to get to the bottom of the whole Puppet Master dilemma . Major Motoko Kusinagi is a powerful female cyborg and second in command of Section 9 and while investigating the Puppet Master case , she begins to doubt her own human authenticity due to her being a cyborg .
COMPLEX , THOUGHT-PROVOKING THEMES
This is why I love Ghost in the Shell so much , it's not the type of movie where you can just veg out and still be able to comprehend the film , you actually have to pay attention to it . Another thing about GITS that's great is that the focal point of the movie isn't about catching the Puppet Master , but rather about the Major's relationship between her body and her ghost . One of the most moving scenes involving the Major's dilemma has to be where she's on the riverboat as she stares at various windows of department stores and office buildings as she stares at them , she begins to see herself as the manikins or office employees . The Major is consumed by angst over the fact that she doesn't know her origins or even if her ghost is an authentic state of consciousness or a collection of artificial memories to feel like such . I particularly enjoyed the scene were Batou and the Major are on the boat and after the Major goes scuba diving ( which she needs flotation devices otherwise she'll sink like a rock ) in which the Major says to Batou how that when she surfaces from a dive , she feel like she's becoming a different person . I especially enjoyed her explaining to him the aspects of personal uniqueness :
There are countless ingredients that make up the human body and mind like all of the components that make up me as an individual with my own personality . Sure , I have a face and voice to distinguish myself from others , but my thoughts and memories are unique only to me and I carry a sense of my own destiny . Each of those things are just a small part of it , I collect information to use in my own way , all of that blends to create a mixture that forms me and gives rise to my conscience . I feel confined , only free to expand myself within boundaries .
The Major is also disturbed by the fact that she can't evolve by any natural means since her cyborg body can't grow or change overtime , she's dying to embrace something new , so to speak . After the cyborg suspected to have the Puppet Master itself inside it is snagged by Section 9 , Motoko is dying to ghost dive into it and Batou dismisses the Major's inner struggle about herself and tells her to quit with the angst since she's treated like a normal human and the Major says one of the most memorable lines in the movie :
But that's the only thing that makes me feel human , the way I'm treated .
When the Puppet Master hacks into Section 9 ' s security system and communicates with Chief Aramaki and the Minister of Foreign Affairs , the Puppet Master says a lot of thought-provoking things , but to not spoil everything for you , here's what I think is one of the best :
A memory cannot be defined , but it defines mankind .
As far as the themes about the meaning of being human , the advances of computers , and with the fusion of man and machine , this is only the tip of the iceberg . I'll let you watch the movie so you can absorb the other themes I didn't cover .
ACTION SCENES
While Ghost in the Shell isn't exactly an action anime , the action scenes it does have a rather inventive and cool . For example , the scene towards the beginning where one of the Puppet Master's ghost hacked pawns tries to fight off the Major and her partners in Section 9 , the pawn disguises himself with thermo-optic camouflage to make himself invisible and makes the shootouts more interesting . The Major and Batou have to use infrared to find the invisible man and snag him . The Major beats the guy at his own game by disguising herself with similar camouflage and hands his butt to the perpetrator in the process . Needless to say , the scene towards the end where the Major battles a mecha-tank with only a machine gun is one of the most intense battle scenes I've ever seen in anime .
ANIMATION , ARTWORK , AND COMPUTER GRAPHICS
Ghost in the Shell is very revolutionary to be one of the first anime titles to incorporate computer graphics into traditional cel animation . Best of all , the computer graphics are used to enhance the cel animation rather than use it as a crutch . One of the best examples of this is right before the Major beats the snot out of a ghost-hacked criminal , there's a thermo-optic silhouette of her that zooms in on her head that looks so fantastic and despite that this was made in 1995 , it could compete with computerized special effects in today's animated work . The other special effects , particularly the simplified computer-generated images of the city and of the complex scans of cyborg brains are very , very impressive . The animation itself is excellent , the characters and other animate objects move very fluidly as if they were real . And as far as the smoothness of frame rates goes , it easily competes with Akira and the animated films from Studio Ghibli ( in other words , as close to perfection as possible ) . The artwork of the characters , vehicles , buildings , and everything else are all absolutely fantastic . The characters have that anime aesthetic to them but at the same time , look much more human than the typical anime character . The surroundings and high-tech stuff have TONS of detail attached to them . You can clearly tell that these people didn't cut corners ANYWHERE . I also love the colors used in Ghost in the Shell as everything seems to have a dark tint to create a feeling of uneasiness and even some fear in the depths of a futuristic Hong Kong .
MATURE CONTENT
This anime is recommended to viewers that are 17 + years old due to graphic violence and nudity . I felt that both were used very tastefully as they were only used in scenes when necessary . Also , contrary to what many of you are thinking about the Major's camouflage suit , she's NOT naked when she engages camouflage mode . Her camouflage suit is merely the same color of her skin .
SOUNDTRACK
The soundtrack for Ghost in the Shell is outstanding . Kenji Kawai did an excellent job on his behalf as this really is a big part of the whole GITS experience . The soundtrack consists mostly of minimalist , dark ambient electronic music intertwined with ethnic Japanese female choirs and even some ethnic percussion . The soundtrack in general sends chills down my spine , particularly the scene where the Puppet Master is in Section 9 ' s headquarters and is lecturing everyone about his origins . The music track in that scene has a droning electronic passage accentuated by church bells to create the ultimate form of doom music . That music track by itself is unnerving , but when coupled with the dark visuals in that Puppet Master scene , will make anyone clench their whole bodies like a fist in fear .
EXTRAS AND FEATURES
Since I have the two-disk special edition of Ghost in the Shell , I'll delve into the special features of that edition of the movie . Overall , I felt pretty pleased with the extras , particularly the Production Report and Digital Works featurettes . The Production Report is in English and while it gives a somewhat simplified exploration into the production of GITS , it offers neat interviews with cast and production members and even of Masamune Shirow himself , who is depicted as a drawing for the interview since he doesn't like having his actual face shown in the media . The Digital Works featurette was the best part . It's in Japanese and give a much more in-depth exploration of how GITS was made . Before watching the Digital Works segment , I thought the integration of CGI into cel animation wasn't that difficult but boy was I wrong ! ! They needed a lot of different software to get GITS done , infact , the warehouse featured towards the end of the movie had to be constructed with CAD software to be done right . There's even dossiers for the key characters in GITS , and while not really that big of a deal , are a nice addition to the DVD . My only big gripe with the special edition is that there's no slide show of concept art , storyboards , vehicle designs , production artwork , or anything along those lines . You'd think that something like Ghost in the Shell that's so involved with visuals would have something like this by default for the fans but sadly that's not the case . There's also a bunch of trailers for other Manga titles and of promotional trailers for GITS . There's a multitude of language tracks for this edition of GITS , but honestly , I'm pleased with only watching it in English and Japanese . There's a dual-sided foldout poster with one side of the promotional image used for Ghost in the Shell while the other side features a nude Motoko floating against a computerized red backdrop with a bunch of wires and tubes attached to her body .
FINAL WORD
In terms of anime , Ghost in the Shell is a superb feast for the eyes and the brain . This anime will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the initial viewing with its intense action and nail-biting intrigue throughout the film and when it's all over , it'll leave you wondering about many , many things about humanity and technology . I raise my ice-cold shotglass of Stolichnaya vodka to Mamoru Oshii for making such a timeless , excellent anime . In a time where the words masterpiece and art are thrown around way too much by unseasoned , newer anime fans , Ghost in the Shell is one of the really few titles that truly deserves the title . If the cyberpunk themes in Ghost in the Shell are your cup of tea , I suggest that you check out
Armitage III : OVA
and
A.D . Police : Files 1 - 3
as well .
027 4 An extremely stylish film with great production values , but far too abridged in movie form . It only runs 78 minutes ( a far cry from the 115 minutes listed in the specifications here as of this review ! ) , and the story's depth and scope suffers quite obviously in its adaptation to this media because of its relative brevity , equally obviously due to the expense and effort involved in developing animation of this quality . One gets the unavoidable sense that there's an incredible story behind Ghost in the Shell , easily worth several hours of storytelling , but that its surface is only barely scratched in this film . Events happen too quickly , too little is explained beforehand or afterward , and the final credits start scrolling before much of real substance has taken place and before the viewer knows what's really happening . I consider it really unfortunate ; a true injustice to the story's potential , but unfortunately nothing new to anime adaptations ( see Battle Angel Alita , for another , even better example ) . Ultimately , readers of this review will want the answer to one basic question : is it worth owning ? Sadly , in my view it isn't ; while the audience's glimpse of its beautiful , stylish cyberpunk world is not without its rewards , it is ultimately too brief and disjointed to have continued viewing value , especially for those who are not intimately familiar with the original manga ( comic book ) . You may , quite reasonably , disagree and enjoy this film for whatever it does bring to the table , in which case you would find it worth its purchase price . If , however , like me , you find that unfinished potential animation masterpieces like Battle Angel Alita and Lord of the Rings are more a source of mourning than enjoyment , you'd do best to steer clear of buying this DVD , and simply rent it .
028 4 I just saw Ghost in the Shell 2 : Innocence over the weekend and absolutely loved the movie . I saw it after seeing a trailer for the film when I went to another movie last month . I loved the combination of traditional Japanese animation and computer generated images . The imagery was nothing short of stunning . So I knew I had to see the original Ghost in the Shell . I found myself enjoying this movie immensely but next time , I will set the movie to Japanese w / English subtitles . The english was kinda made the film cheesy . Nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed watching Motoko Kusanagi ( a / k / a The Major ) and her companions who are also in the sequel search for the mysterious Puppet Master who is this superhacker . Yes this film is confusing at least for this manga newbie however I still enjoyed watching it and managed to keep track ( somewhat ) of what the characters were doing . I personally enjoyed the music to this movie . I wasn't bothered by the Japanese singing . My only one regret is not seeing this in the theater like I did with the sequel and see / hear this film surround sound . I also saw where The Matrix copped some of its ideas from which I find rather disappointing because it shows lack of inventiveness when you take something unique and original like what I saw in this movie and turn it into some overproduced , overhyped crudfest like The Matrix . The bonus features on the dvd like the half-hour documentary of the making of Ghost in the Shell was cool . I found it fascinating to see how the film was put together and the amount of work the artists invested their time in . Although I don't consider myself a fan of anime , I could really see myself getting into this type of anime . I think Ghost in the Shell really elevated animation in general to new levels .
029 4 When I saw this movie in 1995 , I was pleasantry shocked and sighed . I ( still ) believe this is one of the most influential movies to many movie creators . You can recognize what I meant from its world ( virtual / real world ) , colors ( cyber green ) , designs ( opening title role and the battle at ruined museum ! ) , and so on . If you love The Matrix , you can find core ideas from the Ghost .
As same as the original manga , this movie contents so many information to understand the real concept of the world . No wonder many people saw it at least twice . Well , when I saw it , I felt scare because the Ghost insisted me many possibility of net-future . It gave me an opportunity of thinking about what kind of future awaits us through Motoko's agony . This is just an animation . but quite worth to see over and over . . . . you may find the idea of your identity ( even it is not in a clear shape . )
Ghost 2 is going to be at theater in Japan ( Spring 2004 . The title is INNOCENT ) . I'm very looking forward to see it because this movie is going to show us the hint of the reason of being yourself in the cyber world through doll and dog . ( According to Mr . Oshii , these are the key to understand the movie . ) I hope INNOCENT is even better than the Ghost 1 . Also , Ghost is showing as TV series now ( Ghost in the Shell , Stand Alone Complex ) . I hope it is going to be released in the USA soon . ( . . . . . . Sorry about my bad English . )
030 4 Ghost in the Shell is engaging and exciting on all levels . It goes beyond the typical action driven anime and gives you an interesting story . To me , the tell tail sign of a good movie is whether I am still thinking about it the next day . Ghost achieved this . I love the idea of a consciousness spawned out of the net that strives to merge the best parts of human and computer intelligence . The movie delves into the philosophy of being human without getting bogged down in it and becoming overly preachy . This is by no means just an intellectual film . The animation is absolutely breathtaking and , I would venture to say , the best I have seen to date . The computer rendering really adds to the panoramic scenes , giving them sense of depth and distance that cell animation alone cannot achieve .
The world Ghost paints is also exciting . We see snap shots of a politically complex and technologically exciting culture that leaves the viewer dying to know more . My one qualm with the film is with the dubbing . While it is certainly better than average , it runs into a common anime problem of sounding overly cheesy . The words are right , but the tone of voice detracts from the drama in some of the scenes . This is hardly a critical problem and I still give this movie an enthusiastic 5 stars .
031 4 I remember when this film came out in a limited theater run and was billed as ' Anime as good as AKIRA ' which just isn't true . ' Ghost ' is a good anime film , but neither the sense of diretion or detail to story puts it as a five star film . Several noticible sequences will stick in your head forever ( the sluice scene , the tank scenes ) but aside from those and a very memorable premise , the movie doesn't coalesce into a grand masterpiece . Rather , it should be noted as a must see for every anime fan or action movie buff , but due to some cheap anime conventions to save money this movie is unwatchable at times for non-anime fans . Beautiful art and design . Very good sci-fi plot about artificial life coming of age as an independant and dominant force in the future . I would not recommend this video to the ' lovey cutsey ' anime crowd .
032 4 Maybe I'm just being really nitpicky , but I was really disappointed by the end credits on this DVD edition of Ghost in the Shell . Yes , the end credit sequence . I know how ridiculous that sounds . This version of the film ends with the credits of the English dub , which mistranslate a few of the characters ' names and scroll to a fast , upbeat European-sounding techno piece which utterly spoils the creepy , ambiguous mood as the movie ends . The English-subtitled VHS version , by contrast , used the original Japanese end credits set to the original music by Kenji Kawai ( a continuation of the chanting theme that appears over the opening credits and the Wandering the Streets sequence ) . I know how crazy this all must sound , but it really hurts the experience of this movie to hear the beginning of Kawai's brilliant original music as that last shot of the city fades away , then hear awful techno when the credits begin . If Manga wants to give us a Japanese audio track then they should make it a friggin ' Japanese audio track , giving us the original music and simulating the experience of seeing this film in a Japanese movie theater . ( They should also have given us a DD 5.1 Japanese audio track , but we can't have everything . ) Otherwise this is a great disc and an absolutely essential purchase for any fan of anime or just great science fiction in general . I'm probably the only one who cares about something like this , so don't let me discourage you from getting one of the greatest movies ever made .
037 4 Ghost in the Shell is a visually stunning piece of anime and science fiction . i know my anime and science fiction but i have never seen anything like this . Amazing story about cyber technology and humanity .
038 4 I've watched Ghost in the Shell several times and have never gotten bored with it . The heroine , the Major is an ususal character . She's a tough girl , whose body is entirely machine . Her life is all business . She solves crimes and saves Japan everyday and yet because this is a Japanese movie she's not happy . Although her brain and soul are still human there's something missing and when she's not kicking butt she goes into these marvelous long soliloquies about the nature of individuality and the state of mankind . Her huge partner , Batou who is also 90% cyborg acts as sort of a stand in for the audience . He's the one who breaks into her speeches and moodiness and he's the one who points out that being super strong with parts that can just be replaced with a quick trip to a hardware store is pretty cool . Batou is smart , just as tough as the Major and he's the character that the audience comes to care about the most .
Out of the blue comes a character named the Puppet Master who might be a hacker , or a virus or AI or something else who is extremely interested in the Major . The final scenes are beautifully done . You have action , you have sacrifice , you have suffering and beautiful , dreamy music . Another reviewer compared Ghost to Blade Runner and that's a good comparison except the future depicted in Ghost is far more dark . There's no happy ending in Ghost . Innocents get hurt , the bad guys get away with it in part and the Major is required to make a decision that changes her life forever .
It's a gorgeous film . Even if you're one of those people who would never look at anime check this one out . It's a classic .
039 4 Please let me begin by saying . . that just because it is animation , does not automatically make it a film for children .
I DO LOVE THIS FILM . Years after it's release , I still find enjoyment in watching it .
This is a visually exciting , dream of a movie that brings the viewer into a world that does not exist . . as of yet . It is not about the ' psycho-babble ' as one reviewer called it , or conveying ideas that are meant to re-shape the World . It is a beautiful and entertaining piece of work . . . illustrated to the finest degree .
Some things should not be over analyzed . I know it's in our nature to take things apart and see how they work , and what is in the depth of them . . but sometimes you have take things for what they are . In this case , it's art , animated , telling a story , for entertainment .
Sure there are ideas that are brought up , but mainly they are to help convey the meaning of what is happening . These ' Ghost ' stories take place in a future world . It is really not that far off . . if you do your research . Like I said though . . sit back , be entertained . . and aspire to your own greatness . Let this be a moment of relaxation and stimulation that you can watch and analyze later . Enjoy it . Chill out !
040 4 Ghost in the Shell was just simply the best anime that I have ever seen . This movie is so good that it is an untold rule that if you are new to anime this is the first anime that you should see .
042 4 Ok , first off I would like to say that any reviews that put this movie down , saying that this movie is too confussing to understand should be put aside . This is a classic , and should have a spot in everyone who watches Animie's heart . The concept was so original for the time that it was made ( 1996 ) and some could say that it was part of the inspiration to today's box office smash The Matrix . I do not want to realy say what the movie is about because I could go on and on about it which would totally ruin the movie for those of us deprived souls who have not seen this one . This movie is at the top of my favorite Animies of all time ( along with Akira and the original Vampire Hunter D ) and I highly recomend it to everyone that is into Animie . For all of you fans that have allreay seen this movie , there is also a animated series ( I believe 13 episodes or so ) for Ghost in the Shell - Stand Alone Complex that will be relesed in the states probably within the next year . If you cant wait ( like me ) , the original Japanese w / English subtitles is allready relesed in Japan , you can find it at various online stores . So in short , if your into Animie buy this movie , and when the series is relesed in the U.S . buy it too , I promise you will truly enjoy them ! !
043 4 If you wanna impress your friends with some nice anime this should be your first choice.The plot is deep but understandingly good , I don't wanna give away any of the story so I'll stick with the basics.It blends perfectly hand drawn with computer graphics like nothing I've seen to date , the action is fast paced and nicely choreographed.The music is fantastic it fits each scene perfect.The digitaly masterd dvd is better than most hollywood shot dvds I have in my collection , with a nice crisp picture and the sound , man the sounds great with digital 5.1 that sounds more like a fine DTS filling the rear surround speakers nice and loudly but well balanced with the front.The speacial features are not so shabby either with a good Making of Ghost ia a Shell that includes interviews with director Oshii and other production staff.It also includes a complete production report , and some good interactive menus.Did I mention its in widescreen 1.85 : 1 SUH ! Do ya think thats enough ?
Nowonder James Cameron speaks so highly of this anime its something that fits his movie stlye well !
044 4 I saw this anime by accident on late night television while half zombied with a bad cold , not being able to sleep because I was so miserable . I couldn't find anything to watch , and was channel flicking , and came upon the opening scene of Ghost in the Shell . I removed my finger from the remote as I watched the Major falling earthward , and from that moment forward , I forgot all about my cold , I forgot about the misery I was in , heck - I probably forgot to blow my running nose I was so completely entranced and involved in this movie ! Ghost in the Shell was a mindblowing visual experience like nothing I had ever seen before . It was the very first Anime I had ever seen , other than commercial clips advertising some Pokemon movie or other on TV , which I was definitely NOT interested in seeing . I stared agape as scene after beautiful scene rolled past in fluid , beautiful , artistic splendor . I listened as the background music and sound effects floated through my eardrums like perfectly synchronized instruments seamlessly meshing with the visuals . The movie just kept getting better and better , and by the time the going to work sequence was halfway through , I was in sheer ecstasy . I have always considered myself to be a connoisseur of cinema and have a DVD library of only about 20 carefully selected movies out of thousands I have seen to date , but after seeing Ghost in the Shell , everything I thought I knew about what makes a fine piece of cinema flew out the window . This piece of sheer movie making artwork was done so fine , so flawlessly , so perfectly , that nothing else in my library even comes close . Walt Disney ? Don't make me laugh ! Nothing Disney ever saw in his most vivid dreams could match 1 perfectly animated cel of Oshii's masterpiece . Oh yeah , did I mention that this was an incredible movie ? Well , I take that back . This is a superb , exquisite , rapturous delight of a movie that not only takes my breath away every time I view it , but has absolutely stunned everybody I have had the opportunity to show it to . Ghost in the Shell was my own introduction to the world of Anime , and although I have since found several other gems among the anime movies available , none of the anime I have yet viewed has affected me in quite the way that Ghost did or been of quite the same caliber of work . Thank you , Mr . Oshii , I most eagerly await your next project . Thank you Mr . Oshii , thank you VERY much !
046 4 Ghost in a shell Begins with a bang . It begins with an image of a furturistic city . It zooms on a tall lumious building . On the top of the building is Major Kusanagi , her hair blowing in the cool , night breeze . Major rises from her crouched postion into her full height . She looks down upon the vast city . As cold as it is , Major removes all her of her garments , and , gun in hand , leaps off the building . Major activates a certain device , and becomes invisible . Major lands and materializes at the window of very important person , ( its revealed later ) . The V.I.P is currently giving a speech , but Major decides to interup . She fires multiples shots from her weapon , and the V.I.P wrenches . His upper body explodes . Major leaps backwards and descends into the vast , furturistic city , and vanishes .
Ghost in a shell , based on the manga of the same name , revolves around a cyborg named Major Kusanagi . She gave up most of her once human body parts for robotnic replacemets , but still looks strikingly human ( unlike the manga , in which she cleary resembles a cyborg ) . Major completes her missions almost effortlessly , and is incredably agile . But her a new mission may be her last . The malicous Puppet Master does not kill his victims , but it is just as worst . Instead , the Puppet Master alters its victims minds , giving their memorys . Puppet Master ' s frightening power causes terror and confusion , but when even Major kusanagi bravely attemps to stop the Puppet Master she too starts to question her own self . Are you truly alive if you are a cyborg or a machine ? Can you feel true emotions ?
I will start with the following , Ghost in a shell is a thinking man's film , as it is though provoking , and is fairly complicated.But even if you dont like to think , This film is worth seeing in my opinion simply for the visuals . Animation wise , Its one of , if not the , well animated I have ever seen . The animation blew me away . The character designs looks excellent . The good artwork , attractive animation , spellbounding frame rates ( I swear , the character movements look almost human ) , and toss in computer graphics and you've got . . . well . . . what do you think ? The way they combine Computer Graphics with their artwork is done flawlessly . I never knew I could get so much enjoyment from watching someone walk .
The story for Ghost in Shell is a good one , too . The Puppet Master has so much power , so powerful that it pychologicily defeats Major . I do have a complaint , and it is about the plot . Similar to Akira things seem to happen for no reason , and despite the clever story , It all seems extremly confusing . This didn't entirely suprise me much though . How good can a plot be if it is based on a long running Comic book series . Either way , The plot is overly confusing and seems conpressed . One other problem is the weak character personalities . There was next to nothing character development , and all of the characters personalities seemed lifeless . The Drab dubbing didn't help much either .
I suggest you see this film . Even if you don't like to think , I guarentee you will like the breathtaking visuals . If you like intellect in films , don't hesitate . There are worse animes you coulds rent , plus this one has some cool battles to boot .
047 4 One of the only 2 good animes ever made ( The other of witch is Akira ) this movie is a masterwork with one off the best storylines since . . . well ever . The protaganist is Motoko Kusonagi , a cyborg who with her partner , Bato , acts as the spearhead of section 9 . Section 9 is a group of elite police officers made out of tin cans and circiut boards with human brains and souls . When a mysterious program known as project 2501 goes horribly awry , it it beleived to be the work of a hacker who's going by the alias the pupptet master . I won't spoil any thing more . let's get down to the pros and cons :
PROS :
Beautiful art style ;
Great plot ;
Wonderfull music ;
Great characters ;
Griping action scences ;
Great voice-overs , very close to the source-material .
CONS :
A completely ludicrous ending that leaves you saying Why , Atsuko Tanaka . . . why ! ?
Obscenely short , clocking in at 82 minutes ;
Botom line :
BUY IT !
051 4 I saw this film around the same time as ' Akira ' , and was struck by the similarity between the two . ' Ghost In The Shell ' has a similar sci-fi / cyberpunk atmosphere , and features outstanding animation and artistic quality . But there is also the same sense of style overcoming substance , and the whole experience left me feeling a bit flat .
First off , the animation : it was some of the best of its time , with a seamless integration of hand-drawn and CG elements . The anime really succeeds at bringing to life this futuristic , AI-dominated world . Just a pity it couldn't make a story to go with it .
Like ' Akira ' , ' Ghost In The Shell ' is a compression of a very long manga , and again it feels too rushed and sketchy to satisfy . Apparently the story was taken from the very first and very last part of the manga , meaning the film has a first and third act but not a second . It really does feel as if the movie jumps straight from the set-up to the conclusion without much substance in between . At under 90 minutes , this film simply cannot do justice to its very complex , detailed story .
In a similar vein , the characters are given little room for development ; they're all cold , ruthless , determined types , and the heavy focus on the Major means the remaining members of Section 9 are given cameo roles at best . Why does the Major look so different from her manga appearance ? And all that nudity is just distracting . . . . . yes , we GOT the point the first time . . . . they overdid that concept to the point of it being gratuitous .
It's probably better to view the various television series first , or even better , to read the manga . Both of these do a much better job of fleshing out the story , environment and characters of this world . The film makes far more sense as an extension or conclusion to these series than as a stand-alone piece .
052 4 This review is from :
Ghost in the Shell ( Special Edition ) ( DVD )
Ghost in the Shell is an intricate masterpiece of cyber-punk fiction and storytelling , successfully melding intriguing philosophical ideas with a coherent , well thought-out ( albeit ) confusing plot .
Even more , it's a nightmarish vision of a society that's dominated by cyberspace and looking back now , is eerily prescient of today's computerized times . Many of the characters in the film are enhanced , someway or another by machines , to help them get the advantage in a vastly changing society .
I'll avoid going real deep into the plot simply because there's a whole lot to grasp and even I got more than a little confused trying to follow it . The story is that a team of high-level government operatives are hot on the trail of a notorious computer hacker called the Puppet Master , who is wanted for various crimes in cyberspace and has taken a particularly fond interest in the team's tough , female cyborg leader .
Not surprisingly , as with the stigmas surrounding Anime ' , Ghost in the Shell is not short of nudity and graphic violence . But it's far from being gratuitous , and does not slow down the movie at all .
Ghost in the Shell was one of the first Anime ' films to skillfully blend traditional drawn animation with computerized imagery . This helps to give the film a surreal , yet beautiful look . And the dialogue helps sometimes too , with helping to sort out the confusing plot and many of its mythical ideas about personal identity and human evolution .
This film is also even more revered today , in 2004 , since some of this film's core themes helped to develop the plot basis of the insanely popular Matrix films , and some scenes from Ghost in the Shell were even homaged to in the first Matrix movie . The Wachowski Brothers certainly do owe a lot to this movie for the success of their work in America .
I think that to understand Ghost in the Shell , it would help to accept that Anime ' is much more complex and daring than traditional American animation . Most Japanese animation films , like this one , Akira , or Mayazaki's Spirited Away , are on a level of sophistication that will never be matched in America .
It has been said that the majority of American audiences would be afraid of Anime ' because of the many stereotypes surrounding it , but that's why it's boundless - it's been given free reign to use those stigmas to its advantage in developing truly remarkable pieces of art that have gone largely ignored here in the U.S . Ghost in the Shell could very well be a mere reflection or a parable of a doomed society that's probably already accepted its dark fate . Most American animation would never touch up on this sort of subject matter .
053 4 Ghost in the Shell is an intricate masterpiece of cyber-punk fiction and storytelling , successfully melding intriguing philosophical ideas with a coherent , well thought-out ( albeit ) confusing plot .
Even more , it's a nightmarish vision of a society that's dominated by cyberspace and looking back now , is eerily prescient of today's computerized times . Many of the characters in the film are enhanced , someway or another by machines , to help them get the advantage in a vastly changing society .
I'll avoid going real deep into the plot simply because there's a whole lot to grasp and even I got more than a little confused trying to follow it . The story is that a team of high-level government operatives are hot on the trail of a notorious computer hacker called the Puppet Master , who is wanted for various crimes in cyberspace and has taken a particularly fond interest in the team's tough , female cyborg leader .
Not surprisingly , as with the stigmas surrounding Anime ' , Ghost in the Shell is not short of nudity and graphic violence . But it's far from being gratuitous , and does not slow down the movie at all .
Ghost in the Shell was one of the first Anime ' films to skillfully blend traditional drawn animation with computerized imagery . This helps to give the film a surreal , yet beautiful look . And the dialogue helps sometimes too , with helping to sort out the confusing plot and many of its mythical ideas about personal identity and human evolution .
This film is also even more revered today , in 2004 , since some of this film's core themes helped to develop the plot basis of the insanely popular Matrix films , and some scenes from Ghost in the Shell were even homaged to in the first Matrix movie . The Wachowski Brothers certainly do owe a lot to this movie for the success of their work in America .
I think that to understand Ghost in the Shell , it would help to accept that Anime ' is much more complex and daring than traditional American animation . Most Japanese animation films , like this one , Akira , or Mayazaki's Spirited Away , are on a level of sophistication that will never be matched in America .
It has been said that the majority of American audiences would be afraid of Anime ' because of the many stereotypes surrounding it , but that's why it's boundless - it's been given free reign to use those stigmas to its advantage in developing truly remarkable pieces of art that have gone largely ignored here in the U.S . Ghost in the Shell could very well be a mere reflection or a parable of a doomed society that's probably already accepted its dark fate . Most American animation would never touch up on this sort of subject matter .
054 4 Ghost in the Shell is set in a future not that far from today , and some think that it is an accurate portrayal of the world that will come about in that time-frame . It focuses on the idea of what will happen when technology becomes so powerful that humanity will fuse with it almost entirely . The Internet is the technology used in Ghost in the Shell to show this in the best way . When the Internet achieves such power , people start getting cybernetic brain implants to link their minds to it - thinking that it will make their life easier . However , people always fail to realize that the more complex something becomes , the higher the chances that disorders will start to arise . The Puppet Master - the so-called villain - is depicted as a type of disorder that arises from the vast sea of information created by the Internet . Being aware of it's own existence , the Puppet Master can be called conscious or even alive , a valid point that it tries to make in this film . And since it is the child born from the Internet , its goanna have access to everything linked to the Internet - meaning that it could hack into the minds of anyone who is connected . A certain hack occurs that leaves a person with fake implanted memories . But is it better to live a depressing reality or a happy and meaningful illusion ?
Ghost in the Shell's two major protagonists are Kusanagi and Batou - both from an organization called Section 9 , which deals with public security . A film that is quite heavy in philosophy and somewhat mediocre in action , mixed with artificial intelligence and that dark , gloomy feeling - creating the perfect recipe and making it not only my favorite anime , but also my favorite motion picture .
057 4 This movie is set in the not to distant future , it is about a police officer who happens to be an android . The plot is deeply philisophical , as the android ponders her own existence . She contemplates if she is alive or in fact just a machine . This movie took the world animation festival by storm in 1996 , and rightly so . Even big name directors like James Cameron ( titanic ) praised this film . The plot is smart and the animation is incredible . Even now seven years later the film still looks as good as anything else out there . The color is extremely vivid and the music is also done very well . For anyone out there looking to start a great anime collection , this should definitely be on your list of must haves .
059 4 The speed of this movie makes it * really * difficult to follow . I like to think of myself as a smart person . I watched it the first time , and I didn't get it . I watched it the second and third times , and I didn't get it . I read the manga ( which had a completely different tone ) , then watched it again , and now I * sorta * get it . It's all very interesting , but it's hard to keep track of what the characters are actually * trying to do * . Okay , why is Kusanagi fighting this tank again ?
But , it's definitely a Good Film . What starts as a hunt for a malicious hacker , transforms into a journey to discover the nature of self .
Major Motoko Kusanagi , while the protagonist of the film , cannot fairly be called a hero . After the abovementioned tank has been destroyed , just when you're about to forget about it , the camera focuses on its dead pilot . Kusanagi and her partner have become completely jaded to the concept of death . This is an important trait of Kusanagi throughout the film . Without giving too much away , her decision at the end of the film is made entirely based on her lack of concern for the survival of her own identity .
Ghost in the Shell is a beautifully made movie , so that if you have trouble following the plot , the animation will probably be enough to keep you watching regardless . But there is definitely more to this movie than eye candy , and to dismiss it as such upon one viewing is to do yourself a disservice .
060 4 This movie is one of the most stunning anime movies I have seen . Think of The Matrix and The Terminator and you got Ghost in the Shell . Not only is Ghost in the Shell intelligently intriguing , there is amazing action ( car chases , gun wars , explosions , etc . ) , a great story , and good characters . Coming with that , of course , is the typical Japanese anime nudity . This is probably one of my favorite anime movies of all time but what would have made it better if they made it longer and progressed with the Major's adventures . But besides that MINOR flaw , I thought this movie was excellent .
061 4 I have been a big Anime fan for about 4 years now . I have had Ghost in the Shell for about 3 years . I have NEVER come across any Anime more extraordinary than this . It's bold , truthful and challenging . The animation is the best quality that you'll ever find . When you watch it , pay close attention to when Kusanagi is talking to Bateau on the boat . If you don't get all of it the first time , rewind it . Is this movie basically about Section 9 ( a security force ) hunting down the ultimate computer-criminal known as the Puppet Master ? NO . There is much more . Conspiracies , cyborgs and artificial intelligence being more than the real thing . . . It is a world were only the Ghost - the indefinable element of human consciousness - exists to determine who is truly alive and who is purely a creation of the Net . Kusanagi is caught right in the middle of everything , but she's not by herself . . . someone or something has taken a special interest in her alone .
Don't waste your time renting it . Go ahead and buy it . Ghost in the Shell will shock and amaze you . It is an intelligent movie aimed at an intelligent audience .
063 4 Mamaru Oshi's Ghost in the Shell is a provocative and compelling story of one woman's search for identity and the meaning of being human . Motoko Kusanagi is a human with cyborg components who tackles special security situations for a secret police force . When the mysterious ' puppetmaster , ' a powerful hacker who can crack into people's brains , appears in the form of a woman cyborg , Kusanagi finds herself questioning a lot about herself and spouting out deep philosophical thoughts along the way . The animation and backgrounds are simply stunning , while the DVD has superbly mixed surround sound . There is plenty of action and quite a bit of fan service , but it all ties perfectly into the plot . The skillful blend of action scenes and intellectual drama is why this is one of the most excellent anime films around .
064 4 Ghost in the Shell is groundbreaking in its seamless use of CGI ; this combined with its extreme visual detail makes for an impressive film , especially when seen on a large screen . Based upon the manga ( Japanese comic ) by Masamune Shirow , the main character , Major Kusinagi , is a government agent tracking the ellusive Puppet Master , who ghost-hacks cyborgs in 2029 A.D . and has them commit his crimes . The ubiquitous nature of technology melds with the technophobic aspects of life in the future as deep philosophical questions asked by Humans since the beginning of time are treated in a novel manner via these given SF characters .
Note that the subtitled version is FAR superior to the dubbed version .
066 4 Ghost in the Shell is extremely impressive on two fronts . First , outstanding technical expertise reveals itself in the animation . In a strictly aesthetic level , this film is awesome . There are some parts that you will be forced to rewind . These are the beautifully sequenced scenes of the metropolis , candid pictures of the everyday , with ambient music that is well-fitting . This is , perhaps , one of the most absorbing animated films I've seen in awhile .
The second aspect of this film I enjoyed was the sophisticated science fiction story . Though the dialog is sometimes cumbersome , the subjects touch upon are all very modern . The idea of an all-encompassing computer network is within grasp , though still fantastic . . . definitely not childish in anyway .
067 4 This is the second best anime feature ( ' Akira ' still holds the throne ) . The animation is breathtaking , the story-line is more adult oriented and philosophical than usual , it asks profound questions about the meaning of life and the purpose of human existence . The sci-fi elements of the film are also high-quality . But it also features some heavy-duty action sequences . This film has it all , too bad it's only 82 min . From a scale of 1 - 10 I give this film an 8 !
069 4 Ghost in the Shell takes its place with Akira as a film which transcends the conventions of anime and ventures into pure filmmaking . Combining elements of cyberbunk science fiction , espionage movies and film noir , this film presents us with a plausible future world in which many people are enhanced , meaning they are either part machine , or as in the case of our heroine , The Major , an android with a ghost , or a transplanted human soul . She is an agent for a government agency called Section 9 , which conducts cybernetic espionage . She has been assigned to track down a superhacker who has found a way to infiltrate the electronic brains of other cybernetic organisms . Who or what the superhacker is is the central mystery of the film . The answer to the question is every bit as scientifically intriguing as it is surprising.Fans of William Gibson's fiction , and of that of Philip K Dick might find themselves in familiar territory , but what makes this movie great is the way it treats the audience like it is as least as intelligent as it's makers , something much Hollywood science fiction does not . It's mystery unravels the way a good Raymond Chandler novel does , the action sequences are every bit as taut and electrifying as any live action film , and unlike a lot of filmed science fiction , there is a modicum of actual science . the film does what all good sci-fi ( filmed and printed ) should do - - it uses its premise as a spring board to ask interesting questions . This time , it's What makes a human a human ? If machines can display those same qualities , is there a point in even making a distinction ? It should also be noted that the animation in this film is of the highest quality , comperable to , but different from anything the Disney or Bluth studios . The movie has a distinctive look that separates it from the stylization that gives other anime their sameness.I'd reccomend this film to everyone , not just anime enthsiasts , or fans of science fition .
070 4 This is a serious film for adults , and is a subtle departure from the classic anime style . No school girls with squeaky voices doing action hero stunts or tiresome comedy relief . If you want battling robots , explosions and low-brow action , look elsewhere . Definitely thinking-man's anime . Quite a bit of dialog and exposition . Short attention spans need not apply . Complicated storyline with international political plot twists and amazing high-tech concepts . Can be difficult to follow . However , if you pay attention and listen carefully ( and not just look at the pretty pictures ) it will pay off in a huge way and is immensely gratifying . Leaves you wanting more ; check out Ghost in the Shell 2 and the two complete television seasons on DVD for more intelligent , well-written , no-goofiness anime . Classic stuff !
072 4 I have seen this movie both on TV and on DVD , and it's still one of my favorite anime films ever . People keep conparing it to the Matrix series , but it's NOTHING like the Matrix . It's a sci-fi / mystery story instead of a crazy sci-fi saving man-kind form the obvious forces of evil . Instead it deals with human psychology and with mystery . It follows the two main characters ( the Major and Batu ) as they try to hunt down a new hacker calling himself The puppet master who has been cyber-brain hacking cyborgs all over the place . The story is really good , and the art is incredible . Ghost in the Shell is one of those anime cult classics ( much like Akira or Macross ) that leaves you breathless everytime you see it .
The action scenes are very well done , and very smooth . The scenes where characters are talking ( and let me tell ya , they talk a good amount of time ) are informative to the plot and the background of the world these people live in . If you want jsut wild shoot ' em up action , then I would suggest something more like Akira . This film has a good amount of talking , and a good amount of action .
All in all , this is still one of the best films ever made ( I like anime and live action films ) that i've seen . On a scale of 1 - 10 it gets a 9.5 ( only because it was a little too short ) .
If you enjoy this movie , i'd check out Ghost in the Shell : Stand Alone Complex . It's a good series that follows the exploits of the Major , Batu and everyone else at Public Securtiy Section 9 . Great show , great movie . . . . . great series in general . Check it out .
073 4 Ghost in a Shell is first class Manga entertainment with a positively techno-orientated feel to boot . The world that has been assembled for this movie will blow your mind and at times it feels like you are watching a live action film . The plot is certainly going to bend your intelligence in more ways than one as you must come to grips with a Neo-Tokyo that is home to humans , half-human / half-robots , full robot humans and ghosts that are a type of robot that exist in human form - all before the story even begins . The artwork here is outstanding and many of the action sequences can only be seen in this animation as the cost of a CGI movie done this way would probably be double or more that of the whole Matrix trilogy .
The story revolved around a hacker that is hacking ghosts so that it can take control of the political and economic infrastructure of Neo-Tokyo . Ghosts , humans and half-human / half-robots set out to track the hacker down and along the way meet all sorts of conspiracies .
Yes , GIAS has probably influenced nearly every modern techno-orientated sci-fi movie and certainly movies like The Matrix and games like Metal Gear Solid can not deny where their roots came from .
Ghost in a Shell is not flawless and does end in a strange way that does not feel satisfying but you do not really care because what you are really watching here is the mega-fantasy and unbelievable animation that is on display .
Ghost in a Shell looks visually stunning but is heralded mostly for its techno-philosophical storyline that plays out as brain candy for computer enthusiasts . There are many creative moments to be had and it has heavily influenced many films such as The Matrix and lots of popular directors such as Quentin Tarentino .
The story revolves around cyborgs that are being hacked by the mysterious ` Puppetmaster ' to perform geo-political crimes . Cyborgs are sent out to track down and reveal the identity of the mystery hacker , with a shocking twist .
Ghost in a Shell is up there with the likes of Ninja Scroll , Akira and Vampire Hunter D but is the most divergent of the four . Those expecting lots of action , or even a long Manga , will be disappointed . Ghost in a Shell is surprisingly short and there is more than a fair share of dialogue , politics and techno-jargon to get everyone's neurons firing on all cylinders . That is not to say that the action is absent . It is there , and done well , but not as plentiful as the other top Manga , especially during the second half which is mostly cyborgs talking about neural-stimulating ideologies .
Ghost in a Shell will swirl your mind's eye .
074 4 I rented this tape in the hope that it would be as good as the manga of which it is based off of . Both of them start off the same and both of them end the same ( sort of ) but still it doesn't excuse the fact of what was done to the series . The magna contained humor and plot combined perfectly . This tape while having some humor still can't compare to the magna . Some people say that since I'm into humorous anime I won't like any serious show . This is not true . I love Record of Lodoss war and that is serious . This show just didn't have enough plot to get me into it . They also tried to combine a pretty hefty magna into a 90 minute movie . As such they had to sacrifice plot , comedy , and the funniest robots of all time . If you want Ghost in the Shell go get the full issue magna from Dark Horse Comics this just isn't worth it . So unlike almost all the other reviewers I don't love this movie . Sorry .
075 4 Let's face it , this anime is beautiful . But instead of deciding to tell Masamune Shirow's epic story in a series of films , the producers decided to pack hundreds of pages of manga into a 2 hour feature with slick production values .
What's even worse is that Shirow's characters are drawn and animated by other people ! His great artistic style is not at all present here . If you have ever seen the Ghost in the Shell PlayStation game , you've seen Ghost in the Shell as animated by Masamune Shirow . That is what this film should have looked like .
Roger Ebert and James Cameron gave this film two thumbs up , but it's doubtful they read the source manga . If they did they would say the film is the equivalent of trying to grasp the meaning of the Bible in a 10 page synopsis .
The plot of this Anime falls terribly short . I've read the entire manga and what the film presents is the prologue , and the last two chapters hastily slapped together . If you are an anime / manga fan , I urge you to spend the money on the manga and not this DVD .
077 4 This review is from :
Ghost in the Shell ( DVD )
The DVD extras : making of , in japanese with subtitles , loads and loads of text information on various topics related to the feature , the feature trailer , and a rather caffeinated preview of other products from Manga-video .
The DVD has two languages : Japanese with subs being default , but the subs can be removed , or the film played with the english dub .
The film :
The protagonist is a cybernetic denizen of the uncanny valley who is working for the government looking for hackers . These are not the sort of hackers that invade company home-pages and replace them with random images , and turn out to be overweight 14 year old kids when they are caught . These have a much cooler evil scheme .
The story goes about in the future , which happens to be rusty and used up , but unlike so many live action cyberpunk films the sun does shine in this one . Which is how we can see the rust . Then the sun goes down sowe can see the neon . Can't have cyberpunk without neon . Or at the very least a creepy guy called Neo .
Creepy things happen , stuff blows up , there is spectacle .
In the oriental style , the film states its message and ends . That makes the film feel cut off at the end , but it actually said what it came to say , and didn't bother going into fireworks or other showmanship to do it . It is more of an idea movie than an action movie - on the bright side it is an amusing idea you may have considered yourself or seen it on Star Trek . In which case this can add something new , or just a different point of view . Afterwards you could watch the series . They are good , if different in many ways .
079 4 Ghost in the Shell is one of the rare sci-fi movies that manages to entertain as well as pose interesting questions . To often sci-fi is used as entertainment only with fun trappings of zipping space ships and explosions . There is a place for that kind of story and hell , I enjoy them .
But every once in a while I wish there was more stuff like Ghost in the Shell . You get a interesting story with a resolution that makes you think . On top of that , the animation is still stunning even over a decade later . For me it ranks up there with the top tier animated films like Princess Mononoke and Akira .
First off the animation is very impressive for a number of reasons . The backgrounds include amazing amounts of detail for a mid 90 ' s feature . There is some use of CG , but there is plenty of hand drawn stuff here . The most stunning sequence is where the Major is journeying down the water ways of the city . There is no dialogue , only animation and music . The visuals show the city living around her , no freeze frames or still bodies , everything is moving and alive . It starts to rain and the effect is amazing , transforming this near future metropolis into something beautiful and sad all at the same time .
Those familiar with the manga by Shirow will be a bit disappointed to see much of his character design has been revamped . The characters are given a more realistic look and the comedy of the manga has been toned way down - instead the movie is deadly serious and very moody .
The action set pieces are top notch . The two key ones are a chase into a crowded market place . Again , everything is moving in the market , the villain is camouflaged and attempting a desperate escape . The tension is high and the visuals are excellent . The second involves the Major being seriously outgunned by a tank , and yet doing everything she can to turn the tables . The animation is fluid and angles and mood are used to drive the intensity to a solid climax .
The story combines elements from the manga , picking up a villain here , a plot point here , a revelation there and mixing them all together . Normally this type of approach could end up hurting the film and creating a mish mash of story lines . But the writers have integrated all of it together very well . The key story involves the puppet master and his quest to become something more .
It is the themes that are in the manga and are well executed in the anime that make this film work so well . The character of the puppetmaster is interesting ( and probably based off the idea introduced in the novel Neuromancer ) , and it's quest is intriguing . The ending always leaves me a bit chilled . What kind of being has been created and what will it do . The possibilities are endless .
The sound effects and music are well done and used to help create and sustain mood . As I mentioned this mood is one of tension and melancholy . The score is interesting in that it uses a very traditional Japanese sound and mixes it with a minimalistic and sparse soundscape . It's very effective in the film , but I know several people that find the main theme to this film to be too discordant and irritating . I think it fits in its own way , but I also understand their point of view .
Voice acting in Japanese fits the film a little better than the English cast does . When I first saw the movie it was with the English cast and some of the lines just never seemed to click . I'm not sure if they were playing the cyborg characters as robots or just trying to affect the gloom of the film in the voices , but it just didn't work . The Japanese actors seem to have a better handle on it and the subtitled script seems a little clearer as well .
Director Mamoru Oshii takes all these pieces and adds his own spin on it . Oshii is a man who takes his time telling a story . Even though there are moments of explosive action , for the most part the movie moves at a slow pace , allowing the viewer to drink in the world of the film and most importantly the mood . This creates a common complaint I see leveled against the movie - it's boring . I see where the argument comes from , but I'm never bored watching it . It is not an action film : it is an idea film with action in it . The themes of humanity and identity are what drive the film - not the action . As I mentioned this is very different from what Shirow did in his manga . The themes were there and sometimes they were focused on , but it was done with more humor and more action . It doesn't make Oshii's approach wrong , or Shirow's right . In fact I enjoy both . Oshii adapted the manga and put his own touch on it , and for me he struck a great balance . This was disrupted a bit in his follow up which ended up sacrificing storytelling for philosophy - but that's another review .
This is not part of the Stand Alone Complex television series . It does lead into the second feature film , Innocence , but as I said it is not directly tied to Shirow's work . Still it's a great price for a classic sci-fi anime .
080 4 Believe it or not , there is still a large portion of the general public that believes that animation is a genre of entertainment that is for children . One shot of this classic cyberpunk anime would kill that notion dead . Ghost in the Shell is to anime what
The Matrix
is to Hollywood : a modern classic science fiction masterpiece that defines the genre and even transcends it with a spectacular relevance to both the present and future of humanity's technological advances . GITS can easily stand alongside the the best works of the genre and is absolutely required viewing for fans of sci-fi . Combining the classic themes of artificial intelligence run wild , synthetic humanity , and cyberspace and adding in touches of noir , espionage , action , fantastic visual effects , and a unique overall sensibility GITS delivers in every sense .
The tale begins with the top secret Section 9 ' s star agent , a cyborg nicknamed The Major , carrying out one of the coolest assassinations in film history to prevent the possible defection / abduction of a technician with some very sensitive information . In addition , a criminal hacker known as The Puppet Master has began hacking the cyberbrains of humans with cybernetic implants and using them for dubious purposes . As the plot thickens we find that espionage is only the beginning and that indeed we may be looking at the final step in the evolution of human and machine alike . But before the heavy existential philosophy fully kicks in there are some seriously killer action sequences to enjoy . GITS is heavy on nudity and has a few shots of seriously brutal gore to sate your bloodlust ( or regular lust , you pervert ) , but neither are a good reason to see this film . A story that makes you seriously question the value of your own humanity and existence is a success any way you look at it and that's what this anime offers in part . A side-by-side comparison of the data that defines each and every one of our identities with the data that could make up a virtual entity yields few meaningful differences , especially in a future where humans routinely replace their bodies and even their brains with artificial ones . And should the data that makes up a virtual existence find a way to integrate itself into another similar being and create a third being mixing traits of both parent entities , is that any different from our physical reproduction and evolution ? Indeed , what is to there to stop us as beings comprised entirely of information from simply ceasing physical existence altogether and taking to the limitless depths of the net itself ? This is what great science fiction is made of .
As human and computer become more and more compatible with one another it will be extremely interesting to see what the future holds . GITS has spawned a Blade Runner-esque
direct sequel
, a much lighter-themed
television series
, and another
movie
based on the television series . All are good , but none has captured the sheer originality and brilliance of the original . The relevance of this work will never be diminished and the subtle but poignant political and social commentary is there if you want it . Read between the lines of the opening text's explication that in spite of the advances in technology and communication racial and national distinctions remain for a little personal philosophy suggesting that such meaningless distinctions may have overstayed their usefulness . And being as that is the case , perhaps the answers to humanity's problems lie in leaving physical and geographical differences behind altogether and creating an existence for humanity that is a bit more more . . . . infinite . Food for thought .
081 4 This review is from :
Ghost in the Shell [ UMD for PSP ] ( UMD for PSP )
If you are a manga fan this classic it's a must have . Clear image and looks pretty cool on my PSP .
083 4 For an epic like this , I can't recap it as well as others , and I'll probably bring nothing new . With that said , there are an incredible amount of parallels to Hollywood sci-fi throughout , and here's the brief synopsis :
In a hollow , grungy urban future (
Blade Runner
) with overt government control and covert corruption (
Nineteen Eighty-Four
) , cybernetic police (
Robocop
) , with augmented minds and cyborg bodies (
The Terminator
&
Star Trek - The Next Generation , Episode 42 : Q Who ?
) , are assigned to Section 9 of a police force that uses technology to arrest criminals (
Minority Report
) . One pair , Maj . Motoko Kisangani and Batou , are tracking down an infamous , anonymous cybercriminal , alias The Puppetmaster . He's a cyberterrorist on the international most wanted list , sometimes viewed as a virus within the mainframe (
The Matrix
) , and he's feared the world wide . His specialty is ghost hacking , which is essentially breaking into the brains and souls of other cybernetic beings wired into the system , controlling their movements (
Saw
? ) . He's been tapping into major political figures , and using humans as his lackeys by inserting false memories and lives , a simultaneous reality and fantasy (
Total Recall
) . During the rundown , Kisangani taps into the mainframe via ports in the back of her neck ( Matrix ) to trace the last known hacks . The Puppet Master is shown to be creatively conniving villain , with an arsenal of powerful weapons and thermoptic camouflage (
Predator
) at his disposal . His insidious secondary goal , however , sheds light onto the complicated concepts of life and the philosophical existence precedes essence concept of robotic / cybernetic existentialism ( Short Circuit , Wall-E , Steve Guttenberg in every Police Academy movie ) .
What I found very interesting was the concept of ghost hacking . Breaking the barriers of others ' brains , people who are wired into the system - technological brain control - doesn't seem to be all that unlike the trance placed over droves of easily persuaded , technologically-dependant teens of today . What happens in the movie may be a little more direct , but the results are nonetheless similar .
One other very compelling concept is the creation of a perfect being . Whether it's Ghost in the Shell , The Fifth Element , or Weird Science , the perfect being usually ends up being a naked or scantily clothed woman , usually appearing in either a vulnerable or fetal position ( Terminator ) . I agree wholeheartedly with this concept .
For anyone not already a fan of animation , start here . You'll soon be one . ( Special shout-out to Woopak for tipping me off to this gem )
084 4 I bought this UMD for a road trip so I did not really mind the lack of extras . I didn't get to see Ghost In the Shell until the second season so this was a great way to catch up . And if you are a long time fan I would definitely pick up the UMD or the DVD of this .
The sound isn't that great with movies on the PSP , especially if there is road noise . But the graphics come across just as well as I remember in the tv series . I love this genre because it's a little scary and it makes you think . I did notice the Major is a little less acclimated to her situation in this one . I missed her strong I can handle anything attitude .
Overall a great story and a great UMD to add to your collection .
085 4 This review is from :
Ghost in the Shell [ UMD for PSP ] ( UMD for PSP )
Ghost in the Shell has always been one of my favorite animated movies , and since I just got a new PSP 2000 ( PSP Lite ) recently , I figured this would be a good choice for my 1st UMD .
I have to say that I'm very satisfied with it . Sure , there are no special features and no option to switch the audio track to the original Japanese language , but it's a great movie either way and a nice addition to anyone's UMD library .
The aspect ratio of this UMD appears to be 16 : 9 widescreen , but it's hard to tell since the PSP's display is widescreen itself . . . Although I have heard other people saying that their version is letterboxed or full frame .
Overall : This is a great movie to own on UMD . It may not contain any special features or the original Japanese audio track , but UMDs are mostly meant for viewing on the go .
If you're looking for a good addition to your collection of movies on the PSP , you can't go wrong with the UMD of this classic anime !
If the lack of special features and original audio track are a big deal to you or you just want to watch Ghost in the Shell , buy it on DVD instead . . .
086 4 Ghost in the Shell has always been one of my favorite animated movies , and since I just got a new PSP 2000 ( PSP Lite ) recently , I figured this would be a good choice for my 1st UMD .
I have to say that I'm very satisfied with it . Sure , there are no special features and no option to switch the audio track to the original Japanese language , but it's a great movie either way and a nice addition to anyone's UMD library .
The aspect ratio of this UMD appears to be 16 : 9 widescreen , but it's hard to tell since the PSP's display is widescreen itself . . . Although I have heard other people saying that their version is letterboxed or full frame .
Overall : This is a great movie to own on UMD . It may not contain any special features or the original Japanese audio track , but UMDs are mostly meant for viewing on the go .
If you're looking for a good addition to your collection of movies on the PSP , you can't go wrong with the UMD of this classic anime !
If the lack of special features and original audio track are a big deal to you or you just want to watch Ghost in the Shell , buy it on DVD instead . . .
087 4 This film is one of the few anime films I'd * remotely * consider showing to somebody who is unfamiliar with or uninterested in Japanimation ( cringe ) . It is not a perfect film , but it has alot of very appealing elements .
Visually , it is brilliant , as everyone has noted , combining CGI with cell animation and some other stuff I forget . It really is a great-looking animated film . Anime purists may bash the dubbing , but it in fact quite good ; it certainly isn't the unintentional bad comedy that many dubs are ( e.g . , Godzilla ) . For normal humans , the dub does not detract from the film at all , and would simply be considered good voice acting . The film has slam-bang action , an interesting premise , a convoluted plot , and an excellent soundtrack ( though the Japanese song vocals * can * be grating to my American ears ) . If nothing else , that means that it trumps 90% of the live-action action movies you've ever seen .
The film does have its weaknesses . The plot is hard to follow , not so much because it is complicated per se , but because it throws alot of things at you at once right from the get-go . And it certainly has what seems like gratuitous nudity ( or * apparent * nudity : in most cases , she's actually wearing a skin-colored body suit , e.g . her thermoptic camoflage scenes . ) . Sometimes the philosophical rambling seems to go nowhere , though in fairness it never gets as dumb or boring as the philosophical rambling in the Matrix movies .
Overall , this is an excellent movie . The Special Edition gets you a new digital transfer , more and better audio tracks , but not alot else worth noting compared to the old version ( which still had good English 5.1 sound and a good picture ) .
088 4 Ghost in the Shell is by far the most intellectual anime I have seen so far . The story deals with a group of cyborgs running after a new sort of being , the Puppetmaster .
The animations are of course superb and even realistic . Try the Japanse voices , I heard the American and they are sometimes lacking in emotional depth and range . A little flat sometimes and that did not do good to this otherwise great movie .
If you like the Matrix , it looks a little like it . People who can hook up to the net etc .
092 4 Maybe you've had a friend tell you to check out this Anime scene . Maybe you are venturing into Japanese animation on your own .
This is an excellent movie , and an exemplary display of the Anime genre . Truely , this is a classic movie .
If you saw this once in a theater you'd probably be confused . But you've purchased ( or are about to purchase ) a masterpiece DVD . Repeated viewings are a given and will be rewarded .
What does it mean to be human ? _ The Matrix _ , _ Blade Runner _ , and the like have all asked this question . When does a computing machine stop being a pile of plastic and metal and start becoming life-like ?
_ Ghost in the Shell _ addresses this question and answers it .
If you like watching movies , if you like answering life's puzzles , if you like genre busting and paradigm shifting films , you'll really like _ Ghost in the Shell _ .
093 4 So much effort has been put into the making of Ghost in the Shell . From it's haunting , cultural soundtrack to the incredible visuals , to the intricate story - and it's more then worth your time to watch it if you have the patience and brain capacity to give it a chance . The story is slightly akin to the Matrix but not exactly . Entities have the ability to live on ' the net ' as we all know it , a source of vast untapped potential which certain persons are hoping to exploit for their own ends . There are scenes in this anime which you will remember for quite some time , each of which are spectacles in their own right . Kusanagi is a cyborg trying to hunt down the Puppetmaster - an intriguing enemy who has all the answers Kusanagi's been searching for . But tracking the Puppetmaster may not be so simple as Kusangi and her partner are led astray several times in the chase with curious results . Watching GitS , you feel a sense of awe , intensity and I couldn't help feeling a little disturbed as well . You are enveloped in Kusanagi's sense of curiosity at times and at other times , on the edge of your seat to find out just what is going to happen next - the events are just that unpredictable . GitS is a fine anime worthy of the attention it's been given . It's mature and well made , I hope you like it as much as I did .
095 4 Ghost in the Shell , like Akira , is really hard to follow . I had to watch it twice to make sure I got it . The animation is great , it's very textured and vibrant but it still gives off that eerie , creepy , darkness to the movie as well . There are also some very good Computer animated scenes as well .
It's set in the future and all humans have ceased to exist . Everyone is an android , however they are all given a slight hint of human quality called the ghost . This gives all of them human feelings .
Like I said , Ghost in the Shell is hard to follow . You really have to pay attention in this one or you'll totall miss it . It's still a great movie but if you're looking for an easier movie to follow , go with the classics , Vampire Hunter D , Fist of the North Star etc .
098 4 Ghost in the Shell's awesome . The computer graphics are so well integrated into the animation that the only visible difference is the framerate . The plot was incredible , too . There are very few anime works which I actually have to sit and think about . Neon Genesis Evangelion was one . This is the other , to date . It also carries the distinction of being the only movie I've seen that views the onset of technology as a good thing . I'd put this in my top three anime works , along with Neon Genesis Evangelion and Vampire Hunter D : Bloodlust .
099 4 After finishing ghost in the shell you'll most likely say That was just the introduction right ? No , ghost in the shell isn't really short ( 88 minutes ) but there isn't much of a story line beyond the world they live in . It's kind of one of those What does it mean to be human ? plots .
For an action movie Ghost In The Shell has very little action . But every time there is an action scene it ` s excellent beyond all reason . ( The Major beats the monkey out of a guy while she's invisible on top of a roof ) .
Ghost In The Shell is also really REALLY confusing . It's actually kind of like mission impossible . Mostly talk then it blows you away with unbalieveble fight scenes .
This movie is kind of for adults . Not because it's inapropriate but because it would bore the cheese out of little kids . It's ( like I said earlier ) very confusing . Lot's of stuff about section 9 section 3 , ghost this , ghost that . Kids really wouldn't enjoy it .
Ghost in the shell is an overall high quality movie . It has top-notch animation ( better than the manga which is very unusual . Well actually the manga doesn't have animation , it has drawings , but you know what I mean ) . And really good voice acting . But there isn't a lot of CG like everyone says there is . Not like Metropolis .
It would hard to give a rating to Ghost in the shell ( By rating I mean like R and PG - 13 , not like 4 stars and 5 stars ) because first of all it's a cartoon which changes things a bit , and it doesn't have a lot of innapropriate stuff but when there IS blood there's a lot of it . Of course there's a lot of nudity too but it's never in a sexual manner or without reason . Like when they make the robots they're obviously going to be without cloths . By todays rating system it would most probably be rated from PG - 13 to R . But I would say that a reasonably mature 12 years old could handle it .
Ghost In The Shell is messed up , but at the same time completely amazing . You should definitely check it out , but it's not for everybody .
100 4 Ghost in the shell is a cyber punk anime that mingles machines and flesh so tough that no one really is pure human . It has a real good amount of action in it and also a though provoking anime . It starts out as a female cyborg cop thats going after a enemy called the Puppet Master problem is its hard to tell where or who he is . He messes wit peoples minds and stuff to make um do whatever he wants them to , soon near the end the Female Cop has to make a decision . Its a very good anime wit some nudity ( but name an unedited anime that dosen't , besides Pokemon ) so i would recommend it for 16 and up . My only downside is i wish they would make a sequel . : }
104 4 Believe the hype ! Ghost in the Shell ranks up there with the best Anime films out there . Sort of an action-drama , the story revolves around bionic humans who have human interaction , and feelings , but are synthetic . A hacker known as the puppet master is hacking into the shell of the cyborgs . The cyborgs begin to feel as though they are human and contemplate their own existence . The story get's more complex through many great action and dramatic sequences . The animation is beautiful , and the plot is smart . Ghost in the Shell is one of the finest achievements in Anime . The film has style and worth . It's a film that can be enjoyed more with every viewing . Ghost in the Shell is a landmark film . Believe the hype !
105 4 Deep , dark , and thought provoking . Intense action and extremely advanced plot leads the cutting edge intelligence of this fim way up to the top . Beautifully rendered in it's symphonic , surreal , and almost dream-like environment , the art is among the best of any animated feature ever . No , this movie will not likely be surpassed . The best scene of any movie is deeply engraved here forever , when she goes in against the tank on her own . Power and Intelligence at it's finest .
- Shojin
108 4 If you like Pokepuke , then don't bother buying this . Ghost in the Shell is an original , thought-provoking work of art . It is probably one of the best Anime films ever made . The fantastic story coupled with the amazing visuals will blow you away .
109 4 This is it , one of the best science fiction Anime films that was ever made . Following a plot line and carrying a message similar to that of Blade Runner , Ghost in the Shell features good script , plot , art , and cultural cross over experience .
111 4 A definite must have DVD . In no way possible would you ever get disappointed in purchasing this anime . By far the best japanimation ever . Final Criticism : Story Line : Excellent / Animation : Great / Overall : One of the greatest .
112 4 In the year 2029 A.D , it seems that artificial intelligence makes up over half of the population of the earth . A.I . personalities known as ghosts , ( another name for soul ) live and control mechanical bodies who excel combat , can brake down alcohol , and have super intelligence , not to mention own further , more advanced technology . A team of A.I - cyborgs must stop a powerful computer hacker who calls him self The Puppet Master who is hacking into the minds of local people and different cyborgs , giving them artificial memories , and causing them to hallucinate-forcing them to do as he commands .
His whole mission is to merge into the life of one cyborg ; Kusanagi Motoko , who is more advanced , and acts like a human - meanwhile trying to discover who she really is and how she wants to be treated-like a human , or a machine . Love and emotions are something that these cyborgs tend to forget about , which is sometimes considered a flaw , but romance is definitely what's NOT on these soldier's mind . Durring the climax with the puppeteer , Kusanagi discovers that it is not just herself that she doubts at time , but the technology she is built with . She is told my the Puppet Master when he enters her mind , that they are more a like than she really thinks , and if they merge , they will be the most powerful cyborg there is . Kusanagi is tempted , but stands her ground inside of her mind and refuses his offer .
From a former encounter with a man's power tank , Kusanagi's old body was left as nothing but a shattered wreck that was beyond repair . She regains life , however , now inside the body of a young child and then sets off searching for the right path in which to lead her to a new destiny . Directed by Mamoru Oshii , this is one of the best anime movies that I have ever seen . It's more of an animated version of The Matrix with interesting ( strange ) music , good dubbing , and good fighting scenes . The story was difficult to follow , and it might take a second viewing to fully grasp the plot . However this is a film that surly should be given a viewing by all anime fans-you'll like this one . Also , Matrix fans should check this out . Animation in this film a somewhat of the different and more realistic looking sides of anime , and again , the abnormal , yet interesting hair colors come into play . Not for young kids , this movie contains nudity , violence , language-just your typical anime movie .
113 4 The two biggest Japanise animation titles today for me would be Ghost in the Shell and Ninja Scroll . Ghost in the Shell is very unusuall work , it is much deeper and thought-provoking than most of the titles you can find on the shelf . I also personally believe that the subject matter of Ghost in the Shell is very accurate interpretation of what future will look like . I am very sure that technology will reach a peak where it will be able to blend human species and machines into one being . I think that evidence of the progress can be seen in all of the complex robots and synthetic organs that scientists are working on these days .
Anyway , I greatly enjoyed watching the story unfold with all of its twists and turns . The plot was great and phylosophical conversations between characters were touching . The only drawback of Ghost in the Shell would be in its end . The story did not reach its climax and left it as a loose end almost like in Ninja Scroll . On the other hand , life is a loose end . These kind of endings make us think more about what we just saw .
To sum up , I greatly encorage everyone to see this movie along with Ninja Scroll . If you also happen to be sci-fi or action fan you are surely going to be delighted !
115 4 Actually id give the movie a six . Ghost in the Shell , is an incredible movie . Wonderful visuals and enthralling audio . the plot is very deep . a must see .
116 4 Ghost in the Shell is another movie that defines what a good Anime is . The animation is what really makes it stand out . Each scene is beautifully drawn and the colors have a real mystifying effect . There are some GREAT action sequences that are worth seeing . Its a futuristic setting with cops , crooks , cyborgs , computers , and a big shiny city . While the overall movie is dazzling , it wasn't exactly mind-blowing . The movie was very serious and didn't keep moving at times . It might even confuse some viewers , it didn't have a very fulfilling ending , but the nudity isn't too much . The Ghost in the Shell is definitley worth seeing .
125 4 Finally , the comic has been made into a video ! I managed to get a hold of the laser disc ( English-dubbed on the digital channel , original Japanese dialog on the analog channel ) and it is letterboxed . I was pleasantly surprised at how well the video remained true to the comic , albeit with a little creative freedom in terms of plot chronology of minor details . This is a tale of the future . In the year 2039 , ghost-hacks and thermoptics ( you'll find out what those are once you watch the video ) are commonplace . Major Motoko Kusanagi must find out who the Puppet Master is and what he wants . Bateau , Kusanagi's colleague , does what he can to help her out . Not to say that he's her flunkie ; they are partners working for the Security Division , Section 9 . CG images and hand-drawn cel animation come together in this riveting , highly-charged powder keg of Anime . The plot is staggeringly more complex than that of American animation by any means . If you take a break in the middle of the video , you may as well go back to the beginning and start all over because the plot's details will evade the casual observer . You cannot watch this video as casually as you would watch an American movie ; it is impossible . If you thought The Hunt For Red October and Seven were mind-bogglers , don't even bother watching Ghost In The Shell because it takes most people I know more than one viewing to fully comprehend it . I found that having read the comic helps to understand the video . It's a story that makes you really think , and its moral is really something to think about .
126 4 Set , not in Tokyo as it was in Masamune Shirow's source graphic novel , but in some futureworld Hong Kong facsimile called Newport City where genertic implants are as regular as tooth caps , Mamuro Oshii's Ghost in the Shell is all sensory dislocation , creepy espionage and hardware fetsihism . Mainlining the same dramatic engine as Philipi K . Dick's Do Andorids Dream of Electric Sheep ? , the cult novel that begat Bladerunner : machineries achieving consciousness . The derring-do can get as propulsive as heatseekers . You know Oshii's camera always had the dexterity of a Charlie Parker solo . But here , it's quicksilver . One chase scene through twisted kilometers of beehive tenements and backwater shanties will unhinge your jaw . Still . Mere visual razzle-dazzle isn't all Oshii has in mind . The same conspirational anxieties that crept through Oshii's last stabs at standard-bearer anime ( Patlabor and Patlabor 2 ) are here but spiked with a deeper existential dillema . Is the brain connected to the soul ? Is evil just a memory ? Getting to the bottom isn't easy but the trip is exhilarating . Hands-down . blue-chip renegade entertainment . After Katsuhiro Otomo's watershed humdinger Akira , Ghost in the Shell is the spanking-new Holy of Holies of anime .
127 4 I have to say that it is one of the most Beautiful animated movies I have ever seen . The artwork is superb and the story behind it ( the major's argument of the importance of being human ) is really involving . Having only seen the dubbed version , I can't say much about the acting . Honestly , the english actors aren't all that great in some places . But if you can get past the dubbing , it's still a great story . Maybe the english subtitled version is the way to go . The only real complaint I have ( and the only reason I didn't give G.I.T.S five stars ) is that the story is way too complicated . It requires a couple watchings to get the over all story understood . . . then a few more watchings after that to see how everything ties in . Once you get to the point where everything ties in , however , Ghost in the Shell is a great movie with great art and characters that really are a thrill to follow . Watch it once , you may feel it's just to difficult to follow and give up on it . But I would encourage anyone to watch it again . You find something new every time .
129 4 One of the best animated films I have ever seen is a Japanese anime called KOKAKU KIDOTAI , otherwise known as GHOST IN THE SHELL ( 1995 ) Honestly , for those very unfamiliar with anime , its storyline can be quite difficult to follow ; the maturity of its script and its psychological depth is far-reaching . Based on Masamune Shirow's manga ( Japanese comic ) with screenplay by Kazunoki Ito and directed by Mamoru Oshii , the film attained an award-winning worldwide acclaim not just because it revolutionized current animation standards but also because of its enormous plotline . The film heritage can be traced back to Ridley Scott's Blade Runner and the Japanese anime Akira ; but it went on to inspire blockbuster Hollywood films such as The Fifth Element , Dark City and even the Wachowski Bros ' . The Matrix . It is also the winner of the 1997 WORLD ANIMATION Celebration Awards . ( Best Theatrical Film and Best Director )
2029 A.D . , a time and place in an undetermined future where the fusion of humans and machines , the network and human comprehension has been attained . People have been enhanced by cybernetic implants that makes them stronger , faster , smarter . Section 9 , a group of cyborg cops led by Maj . Motoko Kisangani ( voiced by Atsuko Tanaka ) and Batou ( Akio Atsuka ) are caught in political intrigue as they search for answers to a mysterious Puppet Master or as it would like to call himself ; Project 2501 . Their investigations have led them to believe that this ghost hacker is the one responsible for numerous attacks on public mainframes that changed financial , network manipulations . Findings have led them to conclude that the hacker may be an artificial computer intelligence that seeks to co-opt a synthetic body for its own needs .
This anime feature is a dramatic thrill-ride that would be an excellent introduction to Japanese animation with the depth of its script and the complexities of its plot . The story is so rich with philosophical undertones of existentialism and social relations . The cinematography is fantastic and the animated visuals is a merging or digitizing of traditional cell animation , computer generated graphics and live-action footage ( although one would be hard-pressed to notice ) . The marvelous compositions and set pieces may cause one to forget that he is watching an animated film . The film is also shot with a lot of moving perspective to convey its mood . The animated invisibility ( when Kusanagi gets totally naked ) is a first during the time of its release While its premise is almost excellent , the visuals is also its main showstopper , even for today's standards .
The film is a philosophical movie , and while there are quite a few sequences of action , one of which highlights Kusanagi going up against a robotic tank with enormous firepower , the film is full of emotional content , very brooding and quite moody . Shall I say it even contains quite a lot of drama with a restrained amount of human ( ? ) angst . If you approach the film as you would any other action-inspired anime then you will be lost in its translation . The film may be a little slower-paced than most anime features but I found this very inspiring and a refreshing approach . It deliberately takes its time to express its mood through its slow-revelations . It is quite ingenious for director Oshii to abandon the usual dynamics of fast-paced scenes . It allows the viewer to ponder the different existential and social points it is making and take everything in .
What makes an individual ? What makes one attain individualism ? Is it memories and experiences ? The supposed thin line between humanity and cybernetics is drawn in the character of Maj . Kusanagi . She is a female operative who died before but is now able to live in an enhanced cyborg body . The main antagonist the Puppet master causes her to question her very existence - - just how much of her is still human ? How can one whose entire body is composed of cybernetics and synthetics be any different from a simple machine ? Is Motoko Kusanagi a ghost in a cybernetic shell ? Can a machine gain sentience through experiences and generate a soul ? These are the complex questions that the film delves into - - quite impressively I have to say .
The film's main strengths are its groundbreaking visuals , mature and complex storyline and its reliance on emotion and mood rather than a hectic screenplay . Those who are looking for the usual shoot them up anime feature may be a little disappointed . While there is action to be had with Ghost in the Shell , it is NOT an action animated film but a very philosophical sci-fi drama . I only have one response to those who question the reasons as to why Mamoru Oshii's masterpiece is so highly acclaimed , it paved the way to current animation techniques but it didn't stop there ; it took its time with a mature and complex storyline that is definitely not for kids but for those esoteric few very adulterated to Japanese type of storytelling . Mamoru Oshii's GHOST IN THE SHELL surpasses most of Hollywood's big-budget output , BOTH in style and substance even up to this day . It wasn't a huge box-office success in its U.S . theatrical run , but nonetheless its thoughtful and interesting storyline cannot be matched by any box-office popcorn giant - - its non-mainstream appeal is its greatest strength . One of the great Sci-Fi masterpieces .
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ! ! [ 4 ½ + Stars ]
Note : It would be better to watch this in its original Japanese language with the English Subtitles .
Video / Audio : Digitally re-mastered Anamorphic Widescreen . Very nice transfer ; some scenes look sharper than others but the overall picture is very good . There are some specks of grain probably from its original negative . 6.1 DTS-ES / 5.1 Dolby Digital Japanese and English tracks .
Disc 2 : Character Dossiers / Making of feature / Production reports ( a must-see ) / Director biography / Trailers / Previews / catalogs / weblinks
130 4 This film suffers from the comparisons it attacts . It was heavily plagiarised by the Matrix films in terms of its visual presentation and some thematic elements , but differs to it in all other parts . Where one is a very slick adolescent action film which pretends to be philosophical , the other is an entrancing audio-visual feast which engages your subconscious in a very unexpected way . Ghost in the Shell fits better next to films like Kubrick and Clarke's 2001 : A Space Odyssey , or Scott's Blade Runner , in which the story , although interesting , is ultimately secondary to the experience of the film itself .
From its opening credits , with its sparse pounding percussion , haunting Japanese choir , and subtle electronic tone , set against the dream-like and utterly entrancing android ' birth ' on screen , engages your eyes , ears and mind in an entirely primal way .
The animation , in a word , is astonishing . The combination of digital imagery is truly subtle and masterful , rather than bashing you over the head with its digital achievement . The film revels in its details , small things which go unnoticed but register with the subconscious . The main character , in her android ' shell ' , never once blinks throughout the film , her inanimate ' doll-like ' elements managing to de-sexualise her often nude body / shell . The gorgeously rendered reflections and lights , as well as imperceptible movements of backgrounds create an entirely dream-like world which has lost its sense of human identity through its merger with the machine . The viewer feels the same mental detatchment throughout the film , and engages in an almost spiritual experience , which is thematically social as well as personal .
It won't be everybody's cup of tea . If you came to this film from the Matrix , there's a good chance you'll hate its lack of constant action sequences . If you come to it from a purely anime-loving background , you'll love it if you enjoyed mentally stimulating and willfully experimental anime like Cowboy Bebop , Samurai Champloo , Mindgame , Catsoup , Memories , or Akira . You'll definately hate it if you're a fan of the empty genre-anime such as Naruto , Final Fantasy or Full Metal Alchemist . But if you're looking for a filmic experience which transcends its genre and demonstrates some unsurpassed animation of the highest possible calibre , look no further .
This dvd release is good , though not excellent . The 5.1 surround-mix in English is fantastic in its scope and enhances the experience but the english dub actors are atrocious . I don't know what it is , but english dub actors cannot emote , and speak with the same monotone ' i'm-reading-a-script ' voice that anime-watchers have come to know and despise . The Japanese 2.0 stereo is okay but really could have benefited from a 5.1 mastering , especially considering the Japanese voice-actors are excellent . There is a relatively satisfying ' Making of ' featurette on this dvd , including interviews with most of the creators / actors / artists involved on the project , as well as a decent overview of the technology and techniques used in the films creation .
133 4 This is it , folks . Accept no substitutes . . . well , at least not until you've seen this one .
Akira is a masterpiece , IMHO , but one targetted at the juvenile , which is no bad thing , really . Ghost in the Shell is aimed fairly and squarely at the adult audience . The characters are adults , the themes are adult , and the plot is very very adult . Not in physical imagery , just in adult needs , angst and ponderings . Also , the craft that went into the movie is adult . . .
Check out the instrumental scenes , for example the one that links the chase scene with the diving scene . Not simply a work of art , nor a superb sensory experience , it's actually a peerless demonstration of animation expertise . Take a pair of scissors and trim off the rest of the movie , and that particular two minute scene still warrants a viewing in itself .
Also , check out the scene with the Robocop-style battle tank . Never , but never have I seen such a dangerous looking machine . You really wouldn't want to stumble across one of those on the way home from work . Drop one of those on your foot , and you'd never walk again . And that's before it fires any guns in your direction .
Check out the way that the editors depend on your intelligence to figure out what's going on . No Hollywood-style spoon-feeding here . No corny narrator : no artificial lines inserted into one of the characters mouths ; no overt explanation at all . Great . A movie to get yourself involved in . A movie that requires your brains as well as you eyes .
Buy the DVD . Watch it . Watch it a few more times . Show your friends . Think about it . Oh , and then get Akira , and enjoy that too . But first : Ghost in the Shell .
Enjoy . . .
135 4 When a grown adult talks about Anime , It's kind of weird . I'm getting to that age , But It's because I grew up with the stuff , That means watching it when it wasn't popular . Back then , Anime was dark , and blooming with sensuality . Well , some did . The late eighties , the early nineties are the times I'm talking about . It was this time that influential anime's , Strong independent films of the genre , and new law's banning pubic hairs in cartoons , arose out of the land of the rising sun . When I count off the best Anime's of all time , They mostly come from this time , and among the top two , is Ghost in the Shell . The film has a rhythm to it . It plays like classical music , It sort of dances about in front of you . The characters always seem on the edge of revealing the nature of the universe . The dialoge is very crisp , the android morality weighs on your conscious . The technology is shocking : Exploding rounds , Invisible grafts , Connection-less technology communication . Computer theology , that's been tossed around for years in the Geek department . It has all the complexity that the matrix trilogy wished they could replicate because it made sense . It wasn't tripping out the average viewer , Stumbling them from enjoying the film . You could turn off the sound , and still enjoy this film . It's a trip to the IMAX . A pictoral Superiority not seen in films for the next four to five years . It's the subtle , luminous colors matched with the CGI , matched with the New Age soundtrack . The environment , the setting draws you in . See the movie that inspired so many directors after . Be that Anime , or hollywood . Recognized by fans and critics alike to be a masterpiece . - jeff
136 4 Ghost in the Shell is one of the classics of anime , and it's not hard to see why . This film boasts a groundbreaking blend of traditional and computer animation . Others have tried , like some of our American animation studios , and failed miserably , to mix cell animation with cgi . That isn't the case here . The effect in Ghost is a cohesive , masterful mix , without the jarring , obvious boundaries between the hand-drawn and the computer-rendered . The overall effect is a style that's too realisic for words . The animators even added the moire lines to shots of video screens in the film ! Now THAT'S detail .
Now , with such great visuals , you'd think the story would be just as enthralling , right ? Wrong . Now , I'll admit that the writers weren't going for your regular adolescent male-oriented shoot-em-up action hero storyline . They obviously wanted to touch on the issue of technology today , and how it can insinuate itself into our lives to the point where it first controls us , then devours us . Or something along that line . It just so happens that they bucked the kiddy , Disney-ish trend , and chose animation as the medium to convey this message , and for such a monumental undertaking I applaud them . But I think the story was just too nebulous . At times there didn't seem to be a story at all , and what was there seemed odd and disjointed . The ending simply confused the hell out of me .
Ghost in the Shell can definitley be considered an anime classic , but only for its visual transcendence , rather than its story . If you want to see the zenith of what nearly a century of animation has wrought , then watch this film , but don't expect your traditional storyline .
139 4 When this film was released in theatres in the US , it was denounced by some critics for being too philosophical . It's amazing how often that term comes up around great works of art . Socrates , Jesus , Ayn Rand . . . so many people denounced for being too philosophical . Honestly .
Anyways , I am relatively unfamiliar with most Japanese animation , but I am a great fan of cyberpunk films and this one fits the ticket well . In the future , when the information age has grown to the level of cities and structural definitions of separation between machine and human are breaking down , a feminine cyborg is hunting down a mysterious hacker called the Puppet Master who's history and purpose remains completely unknown .
The animation here is really beautiful and contains magnificent imagery . One of the great things about going with animation as opposed to filming sets and the like is that every shadow , light , and body is completely controllable , even if it's just added in as an afterthought . Nothing in this film seems just added in , though , as everything from the city to the nudity is of symbolic import .
It's also clear that this film is yet another of the many various works that culminated inspired the Wachowski brothers . A lot of the imagery of this film is very much reminiscent of The Matrix ( or , to put it more accurately , The Matrix is very reminiscent of this film ) .
It's not actually much on the action side of things ( though it has it's moments ) , but it certainly is worth the watch , especially to see mostly the imagery and how the characters live and interact with it .
- - PolarisDiB
141 4 As I sit here and type this review , I feel a little contradictory . I have read many reviews for Ghost in the Shell as well as some reviews for many other pieces of anime and some things concern me . While hundreds of people feel that Ghost is the pinnacle of anime to date , I disagree . I must admit that I'm not the consumate expert on anime , but I have found titles that have had lousy reviews that I adore , and there are titles that get rave reviews that I dislike . Personally , I prefer titles like Nightmare Campus , Demon City Shinjuku and Detonator Orgun . I purchased Ghost on DVD and it was OK . If you are a fanatic of anime , it is a must see title , but not necessarily a must own title . Rent if you can . Find your niche . Make your own opinion . Looks like I'm buying Cowboy Beebop next . I'll let you know what I think of it .
Good luck .
143 4 This review is from :
Ghost in the Shell ( DVD )
Ghost In The Shell , when it came out , pushed the borders of anime outwards , into true movies , not just long cartoons . Japan already knew this , but Ghost In The Shell allowed those outside of Japan , who were not already anime fans , to understand this .
The artwork was TRULY art , the soundtrack was stunning , and the settings looked like real sets . The mixture of 3 - D and 2 - D effects made one sit up and notice , even when on a tiny TV screen . There was violence , strong language and nudity , treating the story like a mature story .
My only complain is that the DVD is made for surround sound , so unless you're wired for it you might miss some of what is said by people off-screen .
Otherwise it is almost a perfect DVD , with lots of extras , including a 30 minute making-of-the-movie feature . A must for fans of the manga and for people who wish to watch Ghost In The Shell 2 !
Please remember that , while the DVD is not rated ( at least mine isn't ) , that the film is NOT for kids .
144 4 Ghost In The Shell , when it came out , pushed the borders of anime outwards , into true movies , not just long cartoons . Japan already knew this , but Ghost In The Shell allowed those outside of Japan , who were not already anime fans , to understand this .
The artwork was TRULY art , the soundtrack was stunning , and the settings looked like real sets . The mixture of 3 - D and 2 - D effects made one sit up and notice , even when on a tiny TV screen . There was violence , strong language and nudity , treating the story like a mature story .
My only complain is that the DVD is made for surround sound , so unless you're wired for it you might miss some of what is said by people off-screen .
Otherwise it is almost a perfect DVD , with lots of extras , including a 30 minute making-of-the-movie feature . A must for fans of the manga and for people who wish to watch Ghost In The Shell 2 !
Please remember that , while the DVD is not rated ( at least mine isn't ) , that the film is NOT for kids .
145 4 Watch the anime and then The Matrix . The latter ' borrows ' quite heavily from the former ( e.g . down to entire action sequences ) . Ghost in the shell is by far the superior of the two . Highly recommended
146 4 Ghost in the Shell is a very profound anime , its definitely not for everyone . The action comes in bits and pieces , so action fans will be disappointed , the technology in the anime is mind-boggling , and will no doubt wow techies . But the ending would probably register a HUH ? ! to most entry-level viewers , since the main theme of the story is not really what you'd think it is watching the whole show ( don't wanna spoil it for u : P ) . I'd personally reccommend it to someone who can sit through the whole movie , and at the end of it still ponder about the issues the movie brought up .
147 4 Surpassing the anime classic Akira in terms of detail of animation and storytelling , Ghost in the Shell paved the way for the future of animation . When you first watch Ghost in the Shell , the mind bending animation is the first thing you'll notice ; from the Blade Runner-esque urban landscape to the stylized character designs , Ghost in the Shell is a visual treat . The storyline is also highly intelligent , taking place in the not too distant future when an enhanced human secret agent named Motoko finds herself caught up in a tangled web involving a wanted hacker named The Puppet Master . All the hype thats surrounded Ghost in the Shell since it's release is more than true ; this is a modern day anime masterpiece just as Akira was back in it's day , and serves as an important step in the evolution of anime , most of which influenced by this film . All in all , this is one of the best anime's to be released in recent memory , and if you've never seen it I strongly recommend checking it out .
148 4 The graphic was wonderful . I love the quality of pictures ! It was just amazing . In DVD version , they talk about how they made the pictures and it's worth to see . Especially , I love the fighting scene . They fight on the water . The shadow , lightening make up all the beautiful pictures .
Ghost in the Shell was made in 1996 . I say , it wasn't quite successful from the money perspective in Japan , however , it was more successful in the US .
I thought the story was too complicated . One of the voice actors said you should see this movie from your heart or something . I think that is very right . I tried to understand what was going on there , but it was just too complicated ; I guess I need the booklet to read the story setting etc . I was thinking why were Japanese government people in Chinese city ( you can assume that city is probably in Hong Kong by the writings and houses etc ) ? ? Also , in some part , the main character says some phrase from the Christian Bible . The voice was so low that I couldn't understand what she was saying . Even if I could hear , I wouldn't know that was from the Bible . I think if you have some knowledge about the Bible , you might be able to see something in the story other can't see .
The theme music was made base on Shinto music . Shinto is the Japanese religion , basically believe in spirit everywhere . However , it is more emersed in people's daily lives . So that , most of the people don't know they are practicing Shintoism . Anyways , the music was very mysterious and I think it fits to the movie very well .
Well well well , I hope my review helps . When you get DVD , I recommend to see the appendix part talking about how they made the movie .
149 4 Back when anime was a struggling medium in the United States , there are said to be two movies that really started to open the minds and ears of stubborn US citizens who thought animation was just for children . The first is Akira , and the second is Ghost in the Shell . Both were based off of now legendary manga series ; in the case of Ghost in the Shell , it was based off the fantastic manga by Masamune Shirow . But the manga was so complex that they had to omit a lot from the manga and change quite a bit in order to make an anime movie out of the manga . The result has become a cult classic in the anime circles , but sadly that is all the movie is and will ever be .
The movie deals with Major Kotome Kusanagi , who lives in a futuristic world where cyber criminals are everywhere . One of the biggest crimes concerns ghost-hacking , which is the crime of tampering with someone's spirit , essentially . As the story progresses , Kusanagi must find a mysterious hacker known as the Puppet Master , and from there things take a very bizarre twist .
One of the biggest flaws of the movie is that it tries to condense a fair amount of the manga into the movie . For the most part it succeeds , but occasionally it gets so confusing that a second-viewing might be necessary . Another flaw is that a lot of the movie is talk . It might be argued that talking isn't bad because it makes sure the movie isn't a mindless action movie ; but when there is too much talking , watching the movie can be the same as listening to books on tape . Luckily , this problem isn't present everywhere , but it can get quite bad when it is present .
Not necessarily a flaw but a personal annoyance is the amount of nudity in the film and how much of it isn't necessary . There was nudity in the manga , but not this much . One scene in particular is when Kusanagi , for absolutely no reason , strips her clothes to fight a large robotic tank . But it can hardly be called fan service because of the serious tone of the anime , and the nudity is more tasteful than tasteless .
Visually , Ghost in the Shell is a marvel to look at . The tone of the movie is dead serious , and the animation has that same tone . There are no chibi-like moments here : no sweat drops , no incredibly large eyes , just realistic character models and interactions . The environments are breathtakingly detailed , and the character models are marvelous .
Soundwise , the dub is one of the better dubs on the market today . Dialogue never sounds flat or static , and the voice-actors sound like they are actually enjoying themselves . Don't go in expecting something like the horrible dubs for Ronin Warriors or Pilot Candidate ; Ghost in the Shell makes the anime readily available for its English-speaking audience , however limited it is .
All in all , Ghost in the Shell is a true anime classic but will never grow to be more than a cult classic . Some people will be turned off by the complex story ; others will cringe in disgust at the choral music of the opening credits that is an aquired taste . So while the anime is a work of art , there's little chance of it being accepted in the US mainstream .
150 4 Ghost in the Shell ; amazing , Ghost in the Shell was so good that it got 2 thumbs up from siskel ebert , calling this anime , denys what it deserves to be called , cinema .
The computer use in this movie for the animation was excellent , the colors were great , the plot , stroy , and music were great . I cant seem to find anything wrong with this one .
There is one problem which doesn't take away from the movie , really has nothing to do with it , during the film , she wears a body suit , which could be confused for nudity , but is not .
I would have to say , not for anyone under 13 , there was no sex , and the only ' nudity ' was the body suit . There was a lot of violence , and mild language .
Ghost in the shell was AWESOME !
151 4 Masamune Shirow's world of Ghost In the Shell is completely real and immersive . Less than five minutes into the film , and you'll believe it's real . A definite must-see .
152 4 Based on Masamune Shirow's epic Manga graphic novel , this movie casts a disturbing light on the possibilities of artificial intelligence.A highly intellectual anime .
153 4 it's greatest sci-fi plot.it's for hardcore sci-fi and manga fans . you must have knowledge in computer network , Artifical Intelegent and a lot of Buddhism to understand all story-plot . It is a century that AI won human in business and social by inteligent and strategy not by war like matrix . if you seen some scene u will know that matrix is copy from this story ( exp . a hunt in china market ) , same plot ( the world AI won human ) and etc . , ( have connector at neck to upload data or connect with another )
