Ghost in the Shell

a

Finally saw gits. It was disappointing and way over hyped. Understandably it is about 10 years old so I'm probably wrongly comparing it against CGI and anime that I've recently seen. But hey this is my honest review. I've seen enough anime and sci-fi, Japanese and American to know the difference and sorry to say this one just doesn't cut it. But nevertheless i watch this story to the end, i found i was just not interested in the story and characters, and the dialogue were simplistic and insulting at times. yes there's a cyborg chick running around battling naked, which i didn't get, and was frankly gratuiuous. If you still feel urge to see this, probably because of the hype, just rent it. but i warned you. oh i remember it actually reminded me of my childhood watching G Force Battle of the Planets shows, which were entertaining as i was in grade 2.

Ghost has some of the best animation I've ever seen, and the character designs really fit the story better than the usual big-eyed beautiful girls that typically are found in anime (Akira excepted). Unlike most animation, the scenes where computer animation is blended with cel look right (was anyone really impressed with the magic carpet ride in Aladdin?). Also, it is very thought provoking and philosophical, even quoting from the bible (the "through a glass, darkly" bit, also used in a film by Ingmar Bergman). However, it doesn't have much emotional punch unless you're one of those people who thought The Matrix wasn't just possible but likely. Even liberals are far too conservative and unwilling for change to feel comfortable with having whole parts of their body replaced to become superhuman (there are already a lot of paranoid people at my college worried about how the government will use the human genome project to control their lives or clone them, despite the fact that there won't be any major advancements for many years). The views of individuality are a bit strange, too. Basically, the movie says that we are who we are because of the information stored in our minds, but gives no creedence to the individual ways people process that information (look at autistics). Think of it this way: a robot can have all the information a human can, but when given a choice between equally good things (such as which kind of ice cream to have or which of the seven urinals to use in an empty bathroom), it would prove itself incapable of this simple human trait. Sure, the movie understands that (a "ghost" in this movie is a soul-like entity), but it doesn't really "show" this--the human and partially-human characters feel as unemotional as the computers around them. Still, that's traditional in science fiction--in the Blade Runner director's cut, the replicants (especially Roy Batty) seem more human than Harrison Ford's character. 7/10 for the subtitled version. The dubbed version is another story. This is absolutely the worst high-budget dub there is--practically on par with the Skuld episodes from Oh My Goddess ("We've--got--to--help--Belldandy!" with very hard and pronounced iambs). On top of that, the sound is so flatly recorded and mixed that you can't understand what's thought and what's spoken (which is very important in this movie). 1/10.

nice graphics, shame about the endless metaphysical claptrap. Imagine the Terminator stopping to ponder the meaning of "soul" and identity just after (or worse, before) the next eagerly awaited violent confrontation. I wouldn't mind if it was *good* philosophy but the drivel spouting from their beautifully drawn mouths made me want to gag and completely ruined this anime for me.

This anime is very slow paced, mostly filled with far too much philosophical conversations between characters - which basically does not mean anything. It tries to make the animation have some depth, but looking into it, I just found it seems to be...silly and too direct to be represent any deep meaning. We have a artificial intelligence life born in the network. (which claims himself as a live thing, how original) And it merges into a female cyborg who is confused about her identity. (of course, there is absolutely no scene that actually represents her identity crisis - just some vague scenes and her self-descriptions) It is the all plot we get. The anime ends there. Just throwing us some unsolved, not-too-brand-new questions about philosophical ideas and it is over. I just cannot believe why this thing is called a masterpiece.

This is an incredible work in the science fiction category, but an absolute masterpiece in terms of animated film. Deep thematic probing and philosophical questions dot the story. Characters that are cyborg-humans question their existence... this is a true potential problem for the far future. Is something created outside of a womb without a soul? Do souls even exist? Set all this against some incredible action sequences, plenty of eye candy, and a very dark, acrid backdrop of the future of civilization. This is a summer blockbuster and more. It's ashame that most people are too close-minded to consider a film like this. Bad guys and good guys? No clue. I had to watch the film 3 times to -Understand the plot fully -Understand the motivations of the characters -Realize the depth of the film -And still I'm left with questions If you open your mind, Ghost in the Shell settle itself within you... it will linger far after your first viewing. You will realize that a movie can have action, incredible effects, and STILL be deep. Drama, mystique, philosophy, intrigue, "going out on a limb" quality, action, adventure, deep characters who don't fall into bad or good categories, beautiful imagery, mind-boggling plot... even some comedy! I just can't get over the fact that I have never before seen a more perfect mix of the elements which make a masterpiece. EVER. 10/10.

I liked everything about this film. Much has been made of the artwork, and with good reason. Voltron, this isn't. I am not an anime fan and haven't seen a lot of anime films. Most plot descriptions of anime films sound boring to me. I'm not into monsters and tentacles or cute wide eyed little girls fighting evil. (Not that cute wide eyed little girls shouldn't fight evil, I mean, I'm all about fighting evil, aren't we all?) Ghost in the Shell, on the other hand, represents the best of its genre and the best of any genre is worth a watch. This movie ought to appeal to anyone who enjoys cerebral films. It addresses interesting philosophical questions about identity, some of which we will no doubt be pondering in the not too distant future. (I'm perhaps foolishly optimistic when it comes to AI). I should add as well that this is definitively in the cyberpunk genre. If you liked the old Max Headroom television series or movies like Wargames, this will no doubt appeal to you. Even the English dubbing isn't bad, even if it is a little bit fast (to keep up with Japanese). Darken the room, sink low in your chair, turn the volume up (the soundtrack is spectacular), and fall into this movie. I wish there were more like it. The artwork is incredible (if you don't consider animation art, you should take a look at Ghost) and the plot and dialogue are three dimensional and thought provoking. Two thumbs up. As I say, best of genre.

Good movie!

hmm

hj