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All Flixster 4.0 Stars (24173) Want To See 7030 Not Interested 35961
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Male 4.0 Stars (16265) Want To See 4730 Not Interested 24197

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Plot: In 2029, a hacker known as the Puppet Master is taking over the minds of computer-enhanced humans. Government agent cyborg Motoko Kusanagi is charged with apprehending the villain, unaware that the fi...( read more read more... )end is searching for her as well -- with plans to carry out a diabolical mission. With fantastic visuals enhancing the complex story line, this cyberpunk classic set the standard for future anime features.

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Recent Reviews

  • 3.5 Stars
    MCT:
    October 6, 2008
    A bit overrated, but still a very solid anime. Very dark and almost melancholic. A lot of philosophy and techno babble, but still very interesting. The animation is amazing.
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    September 21, 2008
    What is life? As many think, for me life is a pattern, independent of the implementation (e.g. carbon), and in a complex enough setting, life arises by itself This movie was one of the first films to touch upon the topic.
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    September 17, 2008
    A masterpiece of storytelling and stunning visuals in anime. A story worth watching for the philosophical thoughts alone. What does it mean to be alive? What is a soul?
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    September 10, 2008
    The single greatest animated film ever made, stunning in its artistic realism, amazing technical plot and one the best movie soundtracks ever!
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    September 7, 2008
    Great story that takes place in futuristic Asia, that follows cyborg police officer Motoko Kusanagi, as she tries to stop a mind-hacker. The Wachowski Brosl (the Matrix) took great inspiration from this film, so fans of them should enjoy this. Great frightening, futuristic Sci-Fi, anime, action thriller.
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    September 3, 2008
    'Ghost In The Shell' (1995) by director Mamoru Oshii was a real butt-kicker for its time and brought renewed interest to Japanese Animation from North American film critics, long after the landmark emergence of Akira (1988). The highly cerebral and detailed scriptwriting brought raves from some critics, while the sometimes altered translated English-dubbed version brought baffled reviews from others.

    While there are some great animated cinematic-styled action sequences, the film is still also an intellectual and philosophical mystery maze with characters struggling with the meaning of survival in a cybernetic world - themes that would years later influence and inspire the Wachowski brothers as they explored similar themes in 'the Matrix' trilogy.

    Along with possibly being one of the first original and sophisticated cyber-mystery thrillers, 'Ghost in the Shell' was also one of the first anime that appeared to integrate the old ink, cell, and paint methods into computer CGI digital graphics thoroughly and successfully to a seamless level of cinematic film mastery.

    (Back in the 80's, 'Akira' was still heavily using cell graphics and original BG paintings, while other anime in the 80's like 'the Lensmen" and 'Phoenix 2772' still had CGI technology in its underdeveloped early stages - the differences between CGI and Cell animation could be easily observed by the viewer.)

    Kanji Kawai's striking operatic music beautifully enriches and enhances the mood of 'Ghost in the Shell'. The music classically and digitally bridges the new with the old.

    Still, the qualitative uniqueness of the movie comes down to its detailed and highly complex science fiction screenplay, which is similar in sophistication and spirit to the ones that exists in films like 'Blade Runner' and '2001 A Space odyssey' (and also to some limited degree to Pixar's new 'Wall-E'). These are the type of films that force the viewers to think at times while going along for the ride. (And it appears that films like these just don't come along very often.)

    But if that gets too boring for some viewers there's still always enough stylish but brutal butt-kicking by Major Motoko Kusanagi and Batou to keep any viewer tuned into the cyberpunk thriller right to the very end.

    ***
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    August 13, 2008
    This was the first anime that I ever saw...hooked ever sience.














    Love this whole series. The SCA movie kicked ass.
  • 4.0 Stars
    MCT:
    August 4, 2008
    slightly pretentious, but thats always better than mindless, an actionic scifi with ambition, well animated and soundtracked.
  • 2.5 Stars
    MCT:
    July 11, 2008
    "If we all reacted the same way, we'd be predictable, and there's always more than one way to view a situation. What's true for the group is also true for the individual. It's simple: Overspecialize, and you breed in weakness. It's slow death."

    The first time I watched this, several years ago, I was very bored and impatient with the movie. So, during this second viewing, I was determined to be more alert and focused; and with that effort, I can see why I wasn't impressed during my first experience. There is a lot of information and detail in this film that can go over the average viewers head, since the movie makes no effort to spell out the plot for audience members. I found myself rewatching certain scenes several times so I could get a grip on the dialogue in attempts to understand what the situation and themes were. In doing so, I also discovered layers to the overall theme of the movie being represented throughout the film; which was neat. While the movie is not a great theatrical piece (in terms of comedy or drama), there is a lot of food for thought that this movie has to offer, specifically: Human Existence.

    "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 ... Your effort to remain what you are is what limits you. "
  • 4.0 Stars
    MCT:
    June 23, 2008
    fantastic animation, i mean, AMAZING, but the story bored me horribly. The action sequences were amazing, but the slower parts - where the story should be - were just plain annoying. i guess if you had the time and energy to think it through it would be fine, but they needed alot more action to keep the story moving.
  • 4.0 Stars
    MCT:
    June 13, 2008
    From -96 and still good.A remake is being made with new cgi and Steven Spielberg also want to make a live-action movie based on it.
  • 4.5 Stars
    MCT:
    May 23, 2008
    Must see film for cyberpunk and sci-fi fans. Defines the genre or anime and influenced a whole global movement including Matrix.
  • 3.5 Stars
    MCT:
    April 22, 2008
    "And where does the newborn go from here? The net is vast and infinite."

    Back when it was first released, Ghost in the Shell was looked upon as a thoroughly engaging and original piece of anime. Over 10 years on the film has lost next to none of its original impact.

    But it's a shame the film is too convoluted, confusing, and rather boring at times too. I will admit to never being an anime fanatic but I certainly have enjoyed a number of anime productions.

    Unfortunately, this original Ghost in the Shell feature is marred by its tendency to descend into pure philosophical drivel and confusing dialogue that screams multiple viewings. The whole film is very deep and is a complicated system of sub-plots that require your full attention, or you'll fall behind and be forced to watch the film a few more times to understand what the characters are saying.

    Despite this flaw, the animation looks gorgeous. Director Mamoru Oshii has seamlessly combined fantastic anime with scenes of amazing CGI. And of course the film must get marks for its originality and its brilliant vision of the future.

    Set in 2029, the world is a vastly different place. With upgrades in technology, humans can now be applied with sophisticated implants to enhance functions and allow direct interaction via the internet.

    The film opens as a government police unit called Section 9 are investigating a complicated virus that has the ability to hack into cyborgs and control them against their will. Cybernetic government agents Motoko and her partner Batou become involved in the investigation and eventually begin to uncover evidence of a massive political conspiracy.

    The film's vision of the future is nothing short of stunning. The imagery we're treated to looks gorgeous despite being an anime feature. The cyborgs and weaponry look especially stunning and realistic, accompanied by an equally brilliant sound mix.

    Ghost in the Shell is a stunning thriller. Under the surface it cleverly inserts motifs that invoke philosophical thoughts in the audience's mind to do with the future and a human's place in a society that's becoming more and more reliable on technological advances. It has its fair share of quality action (with frequent gory violence), and it's highly intelligent science fiction. But like I've stated before, despite all this the film is highly boring and irritating at times.

    Overall, I found Ghost in the Shell to be a highly impressive, visually stunning anime thriller. Not among the greatest anime productions, but worth seeing. Followed 9 years later by Ghost in the Shell: Innocence.
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    April 16, 2008
    An interesting plot for an anime. An entity born out of the information strewn throughout the internet. Some people don't like it, but it's good.
  • 3.5 Stars
    MCT:
    April 5, 2008
    La seule chose dont je me souviens, c'est que l'histoire n'était pas si mal mais que les termes étaient incroyablement techniques et compliqués, ce qui fait que mon petit moi, tout fatigué, n'a pas eu le courage de visionner ce dessin-animé japonais avec un dictionnaire. Ce qui, évidemment, a nuit au bout du compte à ma compréhension du film.
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    March 29, 2008
    All these years and finally I watch this and am totally blown away. Hardcore sci-fi masterfully produced. Stupid me for waiting so long
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    March 27, 2008
    Mamoru Oshii give to us his masterpiece. Ghost in the shell shows a future where tecnology and medicine permit to human race to boost their properties, like intelligence, muscules, and communication. But all have a price, who decide this desitiny is slave of upkeep, and most of all bring people to ask to theirself if they are real or not and if true cyborgs and most sophisticated softwares are more human then them. The story is well structured and nothing is leaved at mid air.
  • 1.0 Star
    MCT:
    March 26, 2008
    I thought it was boring at best.. I actually fell asleep! I like the Studio Ghibli animations but these adult, violent ones do nothing for me. I guess Animé is not my thing.
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    March 14, 2008
    Another outstanding Japanese animated Sci-fi classic much like "Akira", this movie also set another big standard in anime using state of the art technology with fluid animation and good story telling.

    If you love Sci-fi and "Akira" then see this movie.
  • 4.0 Stars
    MCT:
    March 6, 2008
    un tres bo film d'animation philosophique qui relate de la notion de vie et de mort! Très interressant autant au niveau script que dessin et réalisme!
  • 3.5 Stars
    MCT:
    March 3, 2008
    Fascinating movie. It feels like an anime mix of Blade Runner and The Matrix. This movie could have been truly great, if it hadn't been for many directorial flaws. This movie has a very complex and vast story, and as such, one should take time to explain it properly to the audience. In this movie, the information is given so fast, that even sci-fi freaks like me have difficulties getting it all. They should have added another 30 minutes (at least) to improve character development and slow down the speed of the information feed. I loved the atmosphere of the movie, as well as the lofty plot. Stylish violence and nudity didn't hurt either. Looking forward to view the second installment.

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