Ghost in the Shell Reviews

• Stunning

  
  By on 2000-03-01
  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...
  
  

• Intellectual, existential action anime

  
  By A2P49WD75WHAG5 on 2004-03-06
  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.
  
  

• Well, I had to see it twice to fully appreciate it...

  
  By A2LCZYW6FBUS8O on 2001-11-05
  "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.
  
  

• Mangled Anime

  
  By A3KI4CHVN21VOJ on 2005-01-25
  I was really excited about Ghost In the Shell Special Edition. I am a fan of the movie which covers similar ground as Blade Runner. Unfortunately Manga, which a lot of fans refer to as Mangled got the rights to this title.
  
  The Special Edition is much much better than their original release. The menus are very well done keeping the green terminal like computer motif represented within the film, and makes effective use of the score as background music. Too bad the content is where the disc starts to go downhill.
  
  First, the transfer and audio well done, except that for some lame brained reason, they decided to replace the closing song. This totally throws the flow of the ending off balace. This is a big thing in my book. Who do these people think they are, overriding the original song? Do they think they have more artistic talent than the creators? They also included only english credits, while this isn't anything big, they could have taken the extra step an made a multiangle disc like what disney did for Princess Mononoke. These are pretty glaring considering this is supposed to be a "Special Edition"
  
  The new release comes with a few more extras and on a second disc. There is the production report that was included in the first release of the DVD, but they did not include the Japanese audio track as they did with the original disc. A new feature has been added showing the computer production techniques they used on the move, but this only has a Japanese language track. This time around they also included a few more trailers, but are in one long single sequence showing each of the three trailers back to back.
  
  The packaging is very nicely done. The discs come in a tri-fold that is becoming more comon with dvd's these days. That in itself comes in a clear plastic sleve with graphics printed on it. If you own the original disc, you're just getting fancier packaging, a new extra, good menus, and multi-channel Japanese tracks (a big plus), but still with the messed up ending (a big minus).
  
  

• It's lacking...but it's still good.

  
  By AKRRL7358VJIS on 2000-07-07
  "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!
  
  
• A masterpiece, more intriguing than mainstream anime.
  By A2U26VSL4XZHPD on 2001-01-10
  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.
  
  

• Really a unique film for the genre.
  By on 1999-08-10
  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.
  
  
• What a drag...
  By AV7ATN4TN8AQT on 2002-08-13
  You know, guys, part of the reason that anime is not taken seriously by the populace at large is that people like you keep insisting that awful stuff like this is great, brilliant, sheer art, the form at its best. Is it just that you have no critical thinking abilities, or is it that your brains just for some reason shut off when presented with Japanese animation? Regardless, the truth will out: this is a plodding (god knows how they got an eighty-minute film to plod, but there you are), pretentious, and terribly dull piece of work.

  In many ways, Ghost in the Shell reminded me of The Matrix, another bad film that put style wholly over subtance, and deserves to be mercilessly ridiculed for its obvious and oh-so-shallow stabs at 'depth.' I'm not saying that it would have been impossible to make a decent film built around the hoary old 'what does it mean to be human?' cliche this is emphatically not that film (that film would be Tezuka's Metropolis, which is polite enough to at least not beat you over the head with it). And, regrettably, the shalowness of the philosophy is only matched by that of the characters, removing another element by which the film could have been made to appeal. Do the action scenes succeed, then? No. They are dull and poorly paced, with no really feeling of excitement at any point.

  To be fair, it's not all bad: some of the visuals are sort of decent, and the soundtrack is good (the ending theme is apparently by U2 and Brian Eno...whaddaya know about that?). These are nowhere near enough to overcome the film's prevailing badness, though. Not recommended to anyone.
  
  

• Boring, drab and tedious.
  By A4VH04TA14CPE on 2002-07-17
  There have been great existentialist works in the past, and there have been mediocre ones. Here's one way in which they can be distinguished - in the great works, the existential themes of the works are _never_ delivered literally by one of the characters, speaking in monotone, in a dialogue that is so contrived that it sounds like a series of monologues, addressed directly to the reader or viewer. That is not profundity. That is incompetence. That, however, is exactly what happens in Ghost in the Shell.

  I have not read the book this was based on, and after seeing the film, I will never have any desire to. Even if I charitably grant the possibility that it was good, the film still failed entirely at presenting its content. There is no reason to care for anyone in this film. It supposedly poses some profound existential questions, but it does so in such a self-important way that I could almost hear the sound of the director patting himself on the back, congratulating himself for his own coolness. Since the time that could have been used for character development goes to use for these affected monologues (complete with quoted scripture), at the end of this film I felt no closer to its protagonists than I was at the beginning. I also felt no desire to get any closer to them, since they never serve as aught else than wooden mouthpieces for the director's profound existential questions (which, when treated in this manner, are not anywhere near as profound, or as original, or as worth pondering, as he would like to think).

  The result is drabness and tedium. The screenplay is dry, the characters and their drama are so stilted and forced that they may as well not exist, the action scenes are boring (since there is no reason to be emotionally involved), and the film doesn't even have the saving grace of looking good. I vaguely remember one or two scenes when it was raining that I might have perhaps considered visually appreciable, but I have more recollections of scenes that induced headaches. And the nudity is nothing but gratuitous - bafflingly so, since Motoko Kusanagi is so unlike a real human that she is not only unattractive but vaguely repulsive.

  There is one good line in the film, and even this line is only good relative to the rest of the screenplay. It is this: "You're treated like other humans, so stop with the angst!" There you go. Now you have no need to see this film any longer. This could have been a thought-provoking, beautiful, profound film that might have given Japanese animation some much-needed credibility in the arena of world cinema. Unfortunately, the director of Ghost in the Shell was blissfully unaware of what makes a film any of these things. The result is thoroughly unlikeable.
  
  

• Mind/Body Duality Explored
  By A1E94T4GW7O149 on 2003-09-03
  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
  
  

• Is this the future of Cinema?
  By ALN0TTRTLHA4E on 2004-02-02
  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.
  
  

• A befuddled mess
  By ATQTE464YAZM1 on 2003-10-24
  This is supposedly considered by many "otaku" as one of THE anime films out there. When I finally saw it...I had to wonder why.

  The main character spends most of her time naked. In fact, the opening of the film she says one line and then strips down. The reason she does this is to turn invisible for her stealth mode, and you accept that...then later on a man she's chasing simply has to put a hood over his head and BAM! He's invisible. You have to wonder why if a common street thug can put a hood over his face and become invisible, a government agent has to strip down nude to do it? It sounds like the animators just wanted an excuse for nudity.

  Perhaps the main reason people call this a great anime is because they can barely understand whats going on or what the storyline is. Well, that doesn't always mean its good. "Ghost In the Shell" is a bit of a typical manga-to-anime tribulation in which the writers assume the audience has read the manga and knows it by heart, hence there is no reason to explain backgrounds or why some one is doing this.

  Also, the action is not that great. Its too few, and the supposedly famous scene between the heroine and a tank at the end isn't worth watching. First, its not a tank, its a mechanical spider. Second, there is no "showdown," just her running from point A to point B, then jumping and trying to pull open the door and, failing to do so, ripping her arms off. End of fight. Wow. I thought the showdown between Hiro and the ACTUAL tank at the end of "Venus Wars" deserved more credit than that fight.

  And some one tell me why there is at least ten minutes of random shots of the city and weird, annoying girl choir chanting in the background? I had to fast forward through that. Its like Oshii is telling us, "I can do art! Really! See? Art!"

  Once again, "Ghost In the Shell" taught me to go with my gut on animated films, not what the "otaku" class tells me to watch.
  
  

• "Just a whisper... I hear it in my ghost."
  By A2H9UO8RYFX5MB on 2004-10-24
  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.
  
  
• Brilliantly made and intelligent
  By AEDYFC8UGZZGR on 2000-01-22
  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.
  
  
• Beautiful, stylish, thought-provoking. But ultimately flat.
  By A1LO05OQR2UAG2 on 2000-04-21
  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.
  
  
• Not so much
  By on 2004-04-12
  I will probably get a lot of heat for writing this review but I did not like Ghost in the Shell. I think that the characters are wonderfully drawn and that the writers really tried but Ghost in the Shell just didn't do it for me. There were times when I was fighting myself to not turn it off. I knew that to write a good review I would have to sit through all of it. I did manage to sit through all of it and I still have almost nothing good to say about it. I would only recommend this anime for people who are into the inner workings of computers and people who thought that The Matrix movies was the best trilogy ever.
  
  
• Dub Taints the Experience...
  By A1NXVQ2W9NR1ZA on 2005-05-07
  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.
  
  
• A Classic,
  By on 2005-11-06
  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?
  
  
• Complete Eye Candy
  By A2SYTVNTQ69347 on 2000-04-30
  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.
  
  
• A cut above typical anime
  By A2TXG7G5KJCAG0 on 2000-06-07
  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.
  
  
• A great BIG mistake..
  By A4LP47FYVF5CS on 2002-07-02
  Ok people there are lots of [bad] anime out there, and this movie is one of them. I bought this because all the reviews were good and now it is so overrated and boring. Watching it was like going through ancient chinese torture. In a nutshell, it was a plotless, computer-animated piece of ... And the music? My ears almost burst from that nasty high-pitched nuisance called singing. It was confusing and uninteresting. If I can give it ZERO stars, I would in a heartbeat. By the way I sold this [stuff] to my friend ...boy was I happy from getting that out of my house. If u like Escaflowne, Utena, Gravitation, or Yami no Matsuei...stay away from this movie. If you want to see more [stuff], watch the second part and don't even get me started on Princess Mononoke.
  
  
• The Most Overated Thing Ever
  By A31FOJDD1XFAV on 2002-12-22
  I rented this once, I fell asleep. I figured, well maybe I was just tired that night or something. So I rented it again. I fell asleep again. That should say something about this movie. The only good thing about this movie is the animation which is fantastic. But it takes more than animation to make a quality anime. Especially when it's a an anime that's trying to have a "deep" and "one of a kind" story with the time constraints of a movie format. The entire thing from start to finish was boring and I really wasn't liking Oshii Mamoru (although he redeemed himself in my opinion with Jin-Roh). Kusanagi is naked too often too, I never got what the point was with her being naked so often. It was probably just for fan serivice, and that's not a good idea to throw in pointless fan service in a movie that is supposed to be "deep". I didn't notice the music at all so it probably wasn't very good. All in all Ghost in the Shell is just eye candy. I hope that the new GinS tv series is better than the movie.
  
  
• Not Enough Background
  By A2WELXI7RO4R2D on 2004-05-05
  "Ghost in the Shell" is a rather famous animated film- one which has influenced (and been influenced by) a lot of western science fiction. According to the Wachowski brothers, this film (and many other anime movies) greatly affected their ideas for "The Matrix".
  This movie, like countless others before and since, ponders the questions of "what is reality?" and "what is the individual?". This is not new ground. The 1982 Ridley Scott film "Blade Runner" (the Director's Cut) covered all this same territory with considerably more style and drama.
  The (mostly) good news:
  For fans of animation, "Ghost" is not up to the standards of a Miyazaki movie, but it is a worthy purchase. There were some scenes in which the producers were clearly trying to save money, but they were few and far between. CG effects were used sparsely, but blended seemlessly into the cel animation.
  The Japanese voice-over is solid but, as is often the case, the English version is just awful. I couldn't even watch the entire film in English a single time.
  The bad news:
  Like most anime, this movie is based upon a lengthy manga series and, at less than one and a half hours, it doesn't offer any help to those (like me) who aren't familiar with it. There just isn't much (or any) background information put into the film. In some cases, the uninitiated viewer won't find out some details they should know at the beginning until the movie is almost over. In other cases, it's apparent that important details are never covered.
  This tendency to cater toward the manga fans also presents itself in the area of character development. Without background, I found it difficult to care about the characters or their mission. I never felt involved with the story or empathized with anyone in it. This is in stark contrast to, again, "Blade Runner", which clocked in at just about two hours but really wrapped me up in its world and characters long before the end.
  From what I hear, this is generally considered a "deep" film, among fans of anime, at least. It certainly was not a mindless action film, but it covered ground that was well-tread 50 years ago, let alone in 1996. Most of the philosophy took the form of unrealistically lengthy conversations between characters. The second and third "Matrix" installments came under fire for doing what poor authors everywhere do: 'telling, not showing'. "Ghost in the Shell" was more guilty of that error than any other science fiction film I've seen yet, including the "Matrix" trilogy.
  One could mention how unlikely/implausible the story was as well, but that's an issue that could be taken with fully half of the science fiction movies, books, and short stories out there.
  In short, fans of the manga may find some enjoyment in seeing their favorite characters put into action. For those new to this world, however, "Ghost" is rather sparse and shallow.
  
  
• Attractive ideas for anyone who prefers living in their head
  By A3IB1WPD6MTSB4 on 2006-02-09
  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.
  
  
• Intimations of Ennui
  By A2CON4GD056OGB on 2007-01-21
  When I was a child, I'd brood for hours about the fact that the "world" to me was only what came into the sphere of my senses - so that it was as if I was The Center of the Universe. And yet all the other billions of people in the world, each of them was also the center of the universe, and only perceived of it what THEIR senses showed THEM. We were all trapped in our own heads, as though we were all in Separate Universes. Wow! Eventually, somebody put it into my head to wonder how I could PROVE that anything but myself really existed at all. I would touch things and think "Am I really touching this, or do I just THINK I'm touching this." And then - but oh, wait! I am so sorry. Am I BORING you?
  
  If NOT, then you might like this movie, which is about a woman who stares at the floor a lot and ponders in monotone the fact that she is an android. Her body and much of her brain have been replaced by cooler android updates which make her smarter and more kick than the average human. But IS she still human? Does she have a soul? Why is she asking that question when a soul is something which shows up on a scanner in this movie anyway?
  
  "What is me" she wonders, "Am I my hand, my arm, my big soulful eyes (closeup please), my soft brown hair which keeps waving in every breeze? Is it this really sturdy android body that I strip naked at every opportunity so that the viewer can stare at it, and stare at it, and stare at it some more, and chastely ponder the fact that it is not a real body, while my partner chivalrously avoids staring at it just as though it was a real body, even though it is not. And when you are not staring at me or watching him NOT stare at me, let's have long dreamy shots of the city, which pause at store windows to stare at the mannequins within, so you can further ponder what the difference is between those artificial bodies and MY artificial body. Because that is a very important difference to ponder, and we must make really really sure that everyone in the audience ponders it whether they give a rat's rear end or not."
  
  The animation is seriously excellent, so much so it is probably enough for those who already know and love the story and characters from other sources. But judged on it's own, this film hardly thinks much of the viewer's intelligence. Other films this has been compared to, MATRIX and BLADE RUNNER, might not have been perfect, but they took their main Idea and made it a story. GITS takes an idea and has people stare out the window thinking about it. You can get more Deep Concepts in a single paragraph of HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY. Either GITS doesn't really have anything to say, or the manga had TOO much to say, and the movie chose not to even tackle it. The plot is a convoluted mystery in which we must put a good deal of effort into following, despite that we have zero emotional investment in anyone involved, with an ending reminiscent of bad Star Trek. I personally found it wearisome and even overlong, but what is boring to some might have a meditative quality to others.
  
  This film leaves me with zero desire to read the manga or see the series, a reluctance to attempt any more "classic anime", and some horrible STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION flashbacks. For some reason it also gave me the urge to look up Wordsworth, whom I have not read since freshman English, so I got something out of it.
  
  
• Ah, screw this one, lets watch Ayane's High Kick!
  By A1NXDAMW3KIZUF on 2000-01-27
  I admit it, the animation WAS good, but it DEFINETLY didn't compare to Slayers or Tenchi Muyo. The action was a total sleeper, unlike Slayers or Tenchi Muyo. And there was a bit TOO much unnecessary nudity and cursing, VERY unlike Slayers or Tenchi Muyo. Basically, guys, what I'm saying is, take the money you were gonna use on this, and buy Slayers or Tenchi Muyo instead.
  
  
• Ghost of a Story
  By AYB0IXBPBJ20A on 2000-05-01
  I know that most people will disagree, but I found this movie to be wholly disappointing. While the concept is good, albeit unoriginal, the payoff just is not there. Comparing this movie to the Matrix is doing the Matrix a grave injustice. The technobabble in this anime, while necessary, often times gets a bit excessive and hokey. The segments of "characterization" come off as shallow and unfulfilling. Perhaps my reason for disliking this so much is because I expected much more action, of which there isn't that much(although the opening sequence is beautiful). The plot seems fragmented and disjointed at times, coming together to form what I felt was a completely contrived conclusion. To put it bluntly, there are MUCH better movies to blow your money on than this one.
  
  
• Animation visuals are excellent, but...
  By A2EMRD0L2XOYHP on 2000-01-06
  I think that Ghost in the Shell was simply over rated. I can see why people liked it, but I simply didn't. I found that the animation visuals were awsome, best I've ever seen, but I just found that the story was just slow and really boring. I read the comic that dark horse comics imported and I found it much better than the anime. I still think that Akira was the best anime movie ever made (followed by the Evangelion movies, but thats mostly because I'm a big Evangelion fan). So I guess if you're a visual arts student and are studying animation or whatever (my uncle did that and he bought this dvd as a "study")you'll find this movie great, but if you're looking for action, comedy, or fast moving animation, expect slow boat rides through a beautifully animated city and long talks about life or something. Still, this is a good anime. I'd give it 5 stars for the animation, but 3 for the overall story...so I'll give it a 4. Still really worth checking out though!
  
  
• Intriguing tale of a cyborg and her questions.
  By A2LXZRXUZXV51P on 1999-12-24
  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.
  
  

• Truly a deep anime...
  By A2DUULPFPLXG7R on 1999-10-31
  "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...
  
  

• Ghost in the Shell 2 - Innocence
• Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. - 2nd Gig (Complete Collection)
• Akira [Region 2]
• Ghost in the Shell SAC Complete 1st Season Collection Box Set
• Ninja Scroll