dokuz10 It feels bad for me to say this, because I love the cyberpunk genre, but if you've read the Neuromancer before seeing Ghost in the Shell it wouldn't be as satisfactory as seeing it before reading it. It isn't fair to compare a book with a film, as they are different mediums and we should not compare the two, because of the difference in strengths and weaknesses. In this case the idea of the story is close enough that you can't keep your mind off it. Ghost in the Shell is not structured to be able to keep up with the depth of the portrayed concepts. Either, you would need to have more screen time (83 minutes is not enough) or have different volumes of one story rather than sequels. The other option would be to simplify the story, which in this case Mamoru Oshii tried to do and failed to an extent. But, I loved the atmosphere and the music in the film. If only it were written in another way, this would have been one of my favourite anime films.

ryanfarnin If you haven't seen it - it's a must.Probably not everyone's cup of tea but a VERY important Sci-Fi that has inspired countless of clones, Anime-wise or Big Screen.9 out of 10 for its importance.

Sean Newgent Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell manga came near the end of the cyberpunk boom of the 80's. Focusing on the near future and questioning what it means to exist in a world where computerization was becoming more and more prevalent and capitalism was dominant, cyberpunk found its voice early with the works of Phillip K. Dick, but would really shine with the novels of William Gibson and Neal Stephenson. Cyberpunk is a genre that is less explored than certain other "-punks" if only because the main themes have been done to death and the entire genre focuses on tropes that can go over the heads of the general movie-going populace. Smart science fiction isn't exactly what audiences are pining for so even when we are given a rare cyberpunk film in this modern age, they tend to be overblown blockbusters focusing more on action and style than actual commentary or philosophizing.Ghost in the Shell is an animated film and one of a handful of anime films that have showcased that the medium is not just about the more sexually exploitative or comedic cartoons being released every year, but can also be used to produce high quality mature entertainment. It's a critical darling in the United States, something rare for a non-Ghibli release.While the film gives in to philosophy and the plot is heavy on the technological mumbo-jumbo, at its core Ghost in the Shell is an action film. We are focused on Section 9, an elite group of counter-terrorism agents in Tokyo around the year 2030. The assault team is led by a fully cyberized woman named Motoko Kusanagi and she's backed up by a number of individuals of various levels of cyberization. She faces off against a mysterious hacker known as the Puppet Master, a person with the ability to erase the memories of cyberized people or even take over their bodies for himself.The action is quick, fierce, and extremely well animated. The vast majority of the action comprises of shoot outs, with the final battle against a bipedal tank being the standout scene of the film. Through it all we're given moments of quiet reflection, long sequences of Motoko looking around the city or discussions about whether she died after she became a cyborg. The questions of who we are and when we cease to be human are poignant and add a psychological horror element to the affair. Toward the end of the movie, as Motoko battles the tank, there's a misstep, in my opinion, in the use of an genealogical tree motif on the wall of the battleground. I understand what they were going for in using this, but it feels quite overt in comparison to the rest of the philosophizing.The final fifteen minutes are focused on Puppet Master and Motoko conversing, discussing becoming one and death. It's a fitting, thought provoking finale.Of course, I've skipped over quite a bit of story elements. There's a departmental feud between Section 6 and Section 9 that plays a huge role, as well as some broader politics, all of which enhance the world-building. This is a meaty movie, and though I do categorize it as an action flick in many senses, it is action with a purpose. While this site will continue to showcase action films that are seemingly purposeless aside from displaying violence, Ghost in the Shell is one of the rare instances where both action and inaction work together to tell a story that all science fiction and action fans need to see.

swilliky The future is strange with robots and brain-hacking in the animated Ghost in the Shell. The film that sparked a life action update over twenty years later begins with Motoko Kusanagi jumping from a building to assassinate a diplomat. She put on a mission to hunt down a hacker known as the Puppet Master. She finds that this hacker is using garbage and other criminals through trickery and mind-hacking to do his bidding. Motoko also copes with her identity as a robot while still trying to do human things like scuba dive. The action of the chases seems pretty cool and I can only imagine what a live action adaption will look like.The artwork in the animation is stunning capturing the look of a manga comic. The English dubbed version I purchased did have some weak voice-acting and an odd look common in these adaptations, which is why I usually try to see these things with subtitles. Questions of humanity and existence are brought up as the Puppet Master claims to be a sentient being with rights despite not having a sole body. Even Major Motoko isn't sure if she is a human with a body bought from a tech company and brain cells input into it. Check out more of this review and others at swilliky.com