 "Robot cartoon" | 2009-10-22 |
| - Reviewed By User: A316B3NZVM6PX1 |
The DVD extras: making of, in japanese with subtitles, loads and loads of text information on various topics related to the feature, the feature trailer, and a rather caffeinated preview of other products from Manga-video.
The DVD has two languages: Japanese with subs being default, but the subs can be removed, or the film played with the english dub.
The film:
The protagonist is a cybernetic denizen of the uncanny valley who is working for the government looking for hackers. These are not the sort of hackers that invade company home-pages and replace them with random images, and turn out to be overweight 14 year old kids when they are caught. These have a much cooler evil scheme.
The story goes about in the future, which happens to be rusty and used up, but unlike so many live action cyberpunk films the sun does shine in this one. Which is how we can see the rust. Then the sun goes down sowe can see the neon. Can't have cyberpunk without neon. Or at the very least a creepy guy called Neo.
Creepy things happen, stuff blows up, there is spectacle.
In the oriental style, the film states its message and ends. That makes the film feel cut off at the end, but it actually said what it came to say, and didn't bother going into fireworks or other showmanship to do it. It is more of an idea movie than an action movie - on the bright side it is an amusing idea you may have considered yourself or seen it on Star Trek. In which case this can add something new, or just a different point of view. Afterwards you could watch the series. They are good, if different in many ways. |
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 "Same merits and flaws as 'Akira'" | 2009-10-17 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2HFL26OQJ2T9X |
I saw this film around the same time as 'Akira', and was struck by the similarity between the two. 'Ghost In The Shell' has a similar sci-fi/cyberpunk atmosphere, and features outstanding animation and artistic quality. But there is also the same sense of style overcoming substance, and the whole experience left me feeling a bit flat.
First off, the animation: it was some of the best of its time, with a seamless integration of hand-drawn and CG elements. The anime really succeeds at bringing to life this futuristic, AI-dominated world. Just a pity it couldn't make a story to go with it.
Like 'Akira', 'Ghost In The Shell' is a compression of a very long manga, and again it feels too rushed and sketchy to satisfy. Apparently the story was taken from the very first and very last part of the manga, meaning the film has a first and third act but not a second. It really does feel as if the movie jumps straight from the set-up to the conclusion without much substance in between. At under 90 minutes, this film simply cannot do justice to its very complex, detailed story.
In a similar vein, the characters are given little room for development; they're all cold, ruthless, determined types, and the heavy focus on the Major means the remaining members of Section 9 are given cameo roles at best. Why does the Major look so different from her manga appearance? And all that nudity is just distracting.....yes, we GOT the point the first time....they overdid that concept to the point of it being gratuitous.
It's probably better to view the various television series first, or even better, to read the manga. Both of these do a much better job of fleshing out the story, environment and characters of this world. The film makes far more sense as an extension or conclusion to these series than as a stand-alone piece. |
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| "Truly Visionary" | 2009-10-03 |
| - Reviewed By poreggio |
This is the Movie that got me to pay serious attention to Anime. Although the voice acting, especially of the major sounds a little wooden sometimes, the movie is truly stunning.
As with many of these movies the thought and detail that goes into the cyborgs, robot think tanks etc is simply amazing.
Highly recommended, this one I would say you should own and not just rent.
The TV anime series Ghost in the Shell SAC is also extremely good :-) |
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| "such a surreal, and stunning animation." | 2009-09-08 |
| - Reviewed By User: AS6Z6VEFJTQXI |
Such Beautiful animation, and a great story as well, one of the best Animes out there that I have seen so far.
I would like to see more from the director..or any of the animators, I will have to check out the IMDB. |
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| "Important science fiction" | 2009-08-27 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2LEJKP03PF8ZG |
"Ghost in the Shell" is an intricate masterpiece of cyber-punk fiction and storytelling, successfully melding intriguing philosophical ideas with a coherent, well thought-out (albeit) confusing plot.
Even more, it's a nightmarish vision of a society that's dominated by cyberspace and looking back now, is eerily prescient of today's computerized times. Many of the characters in the film are enhanced, someway or another by machines, to help them get the advantage in a vastly changing society.
I'll avoid going real deep into the plot simply because there's a whole lot to grasp and even I got more than a little confused trying to follow it. The story is that a team of high-level government operatives are hot on the trail of a notorious computer hacker called the "Puppet Master," who is wanted for various crimes in cyberspace and has taken a particularly fond interest in the team's tough, female cyborg leader.
Not surprisingly, as with the stigmas surrounding Anime', "Ghost in the Shell" is not short of nudity and graphic violence. But it's far from being gratuitous, and does not slow down the movie at all.
"Ghost in the Shell" was one of the first Anime' films to skillfully blend traditional drawn animation with computerized imagery. This helps to give the film a surreal, yet beautiful look. And the dialogue helps sometimes too, with helping to sort out the confusing plot and many of its mythical ideas about personal identity and human evolution.
This film is also even more revered today, in 2004, since some of this film's core themes helped to develop the plot basis of the insanely popular "Matrix" films, and some scenes from "Ghost in the Shell" were even homaged to in the first "Matrix" movie. The Wachowski Brothers certainly do owe a lot to this movie for the success of their work in America.
I think that to understand "Ghost in the Shell," it would help to accept that Anime' is much more complex and daring than traditional American animation. Most Japanese animation films, like this one, "Akira," or Mayazaki's "Spirited Away," are on a level of sophistication that will never be matched in America.
It has been said that the majority of American audiences would be afraid of Anime' because of the many stereotypes surrounding it, but that's why it's boundless - it's been given free reign to use those stigmas to its advantage in developing truly remarkable pieces of art that have gone largely ignored here in the U.S. "Ghost in the Shell" could very well be a mere reflection or a parable of a doomed society that's probably already accepted its dark fate. Most American animation would never touch up on this sort of subject matter. |
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| "The cold eyes of a new life form" | 2009-08-26 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2UR0J92JAR2TW |
Ghost in the Shell is one of the rare sci-fi movies that manages to entertain as well as pose interesting questions. To often sci-fi is used as entertainment only with fun trappings of zipping space ships and explosions. There is a place for that kind of story and hell, I enjoy them.
But every once in a while I wish there was more stuff like Ghost in the Shell. You get a interesting story with a resolution that makes you think. On top of that, the animation is still stunning even over a decade later. For me it ranks up there with the top tier animated films like "Princess Mononoke" and "Akira".
First off the animation is very impressive for a number of reasons. The backgrounds include amazing amounts of detail for a mid 90's feature. There is some use of CG, but there is plenty of hand drawn stuff here. The most stunning sequence is where the Major is journeying down the water ways of the city. There is no dialogue, only animation and music. The visuals show the city living around her, no freeze frames or still bodies, everything is moving and alive. It starts to rain and the effect is amazing, transforming this near future metropolis into something beautiful and sad all at the same time.
Those familiar with the manga by Shirow will be a bit disappointed to see much of his character design has been revamped. The characters are given a more realistic look and the comedy of the manga has been toned way down - instead the movie is deadly serious and very moody.
The action set pieces are top notch. The two key ones are a chase into a crowded market place. Again, everything is moving in the market, the villain is camouflaged and attempting a desperate escape. The tension is high and the visuals are excellent. The second involves the Major being seriously outgunned by a tank, and yet doing everything she can to turn the tables. The animation is fluid and angles and mood are used to drive the intensity to a solid climax.
The story combines elements from the manga, picking up a villain here, a plot point here, a revelation there and mixing them all together. Normally this type of approach could end up hurting the film and creating a mish mash of story lines. But the writers have integrated all of it together very well. The key story involves the puppet master and his quest to become something more.
It is the themes that are in the manga and are well executed in the anime that make this film work so well. The character of the puppetmaster is interesting (and probably based off the idea introduced in the novel "Neuromancer"), and it's quest is intriguing. The ending always leaves me a bit chilled. What kind of being has been created and what will it do. The possibilities are endless.
The sound effects and music are well done and used to help create and sustain mood. As I mentioned this mood is one of tension and melancholy. The score is interesting in that it uses a very traditional Japanese sound and mixes it with a minimalistic and sparse soundscape. It's very effective in the film, but I know several people that find the main theme to this film to be too discordant and irritating. I think it fits in its own way, but I also understand their point of view.
Voice acting in Japanese fits the film a little better than the English cast does. When I first saw the movie it was with the English cast and some of the lines just never seemed to click. I'm not sure if they were playing the cyborg characters as robots or just trying to affect the gloom of the film in the voices, but it just didn't work. The Japanese actors seem to have a better handle on it and the subtitled script seems a little clearer as well.
Director Mamoru Oshii takes all these pieces and adds his own spin on it. Oshii is a man who takes his time telling a story. Even though there are moments of explosive action, for the most part the movie moves at a slow pace, allowing the viewer to drink in the world of the film and most importantly the mood. This creates a common complaint I see leveled against the movie - it's boring. I see where the argument comes from, but I'm never bored watching it. It is not an action film: it is an idea film with action in it. The themes of humanity and identity are what drive the film - not the action. As I mentioned this is very different from what Shirow did in his manga. The themes were there and sometimes they were focused on, but it was done with more humor and more action. It doesn't make Oshii's approach wrong, or Shirow's right. In fact I enjoy both. Oshii adapted the manga and put his own touch on it, and for me he struck a great balance. This was disrupted a bit in his follow up which ended up sacrificing storytelling for philosophy - but that's another review.
This is not part of the "Stand Alone Complex" television series. It does lead into the second feature film, "Innocence", but as I said it is not directly tied to Shirow's work. Still it's a great price for a classic sci-fi anime. |
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International Available
![Ghost in the Shell - Stand Alone Complex (Vol. 1) [Limited Edition DTS DVD and Audio CD]](product_images/3662000/3662173_thumb.jpg)
![Akira [Blu-ray]](product_images/4953000/akira-blu-ray_t-4953457.jpg)
