Ghost in a Shell (6.5/10)

[Parchai]

When this movie ended I thought to myself, "Wait, it's over already? They should call it Ghost in a half-shell. <rimshot>". It just did'nt seem to provide enough closure for me and alot of the characters in the movie just kinda come and go. Perhaps what bothered me the most was how the film seemed to meander in places. At one ponit, a montage of the city goes from comtemplative to coma-inducing. This movie was'nt bad, it just was'nt anything that blew my socks onto my ass. Ghost is an intellegent film, and I've always admired how Japanese films always seem to bare epiphanies through violent, apocalyptic scenes, but the film in whole was just alittle too boring. Despite my claims that the film was too boring, I do think that it needed about another hour. The ending "tank battle" scene seemed like it should've been the middle of the movie. I was still willing to go through the millenium-long scenes if there was some big pay-off, but the film just wrapped itself up alittle too neat and tidy. By the time we figgure out the rules and players of this world, the movie is over.

[Brock Landers]

"Kokaku kidotai" is an amazing film... The secret service in this near future tries to trace down a kind of secret agent that it has created - called Puppet Master: it has no body and can freely access the net and even human bodies and memories to manipulate whatever and whenever necessary. But now the Puppet Master has concluded that it is a life form in its own right and requests a host body to live in. Major Kusanagi is a human agent, her body is almost completely cybernetic, while she has a human mind (thus Ghost in the Shell a title more adequate than the original title which translates as Shell Squad). Kusanagi is an expert on unlawful activity, secret intelligence, and demolition. Eventually she is sent to retrieve the Puppet Master, while her patrons are unaware of its persuasive ability to offer seductive hints at true freedom. And while two agencies battle in direct explosive confrontation, Kusanagi must decide to fulfil her mission or help the Puppet Master... Ghost in the Shell finally taught us Westerners that animation needn't be for kids: this is tough stuff. You will find superior quality throughout the whole film: engaging ideas played out very well, fabulous character design (although not very close to the original manga), fierce and breathtaking action, a memorable score and excellent integration of computer rendered graphics into the hand-drawn action (well for 1995...). For anime fans and for anyone who still believes that animation is for children: definitely a must-see.

[Senefra]

"Ghost In The Shell" was an extroirdinary piece of work in many aspects and I'd like to point out some of those.
1)The script was brilliant, well-paced and intelligent.
2)The anime was dead-on and beautiful to look at, without looking too cartoony or childish. The characters and backgrounds had a beauty to them, but they also had a realistic feel to it as well.
3)The action throughout the film was well thought out, adding to the storyline without deviating from the actual plot.
4) The direction and voiceover work (both English and Asian actors) were perfectly suited for this film.
5) The score was nice, except for the variations in theme. The singers bvasically sang the same thing over and over agin, and that was extremely annoying.

Finally, I'd like to post a link that provides a look at "Ghost In The Shell"'s filmakers next venture, titled "Avalon". It's done well n the Asian and European market, but I'm hoping to see it here in the US. To find it go <a href="http://corona.bc.ca/films/filmlistingsFramed.html">here</a> to see why I'm praising it so much. Did I mention it was live action/anime? Enjoy! /ubb/wink.gif

[Senefra]

"Ghost In The Shell" was an extroirdinary piece of work in many aspects and I'd like to point out some of those.
1)The script was brilliant, well-paced and intelligent.
2)The anime was dead-on and beautiful to look at, without looking too cartoony or childish. The characters and backgrounds had a beauty to them, but they also had a realistic feel to it as well.
3)The action throughout the film was well thought out, adding to the storyline without deviating from the actual plot.
4) The direction and voiceover work (both English and Asian actors) were perfectly suited for this film.
5) The score was nice, except for the variations in theme. The singers basically sang the same thing over and over again, and that was extremely annoying.

Finally, I'd like to post a link that provides a look at "Ghost In The Shell"'s filmakers next venture, titled "Avalon". It's done well in the Asian and European market, but I'm hoping to see it here in the US. To find it go here at http://corona.bc.ca/films/filmlistingsFramed.html/ to see why I'm praising it so much. Did I mention it was live action/anime? Enjoy! /ubb/wink.gif


[This message has been edited by Senefra (edited 08-05-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Senefra (edited 08-05-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Senefra (edited 08-05-2001).]

[Ender]

Ghost is hands-down one of the best animes ever made. I've watched it five times, and with every viewing you notice and understand more about it. Superbly well done. I can't say enough good things about this film. I recommend it to anyone and everyone.

[pennywise46]

I don't remember it very well, I saw it around December. I thought it was good though, and would like to see it again. 7/10