Ghost in the Shell

Ratings:Top:Anime:Titles:Ghost in the Shell

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Name:Ghost in the Shell
Contains:
un-checked Comedyun-checked Mechschecked Drama
checked Violenceun-checked Shoujo 
un-checked Hentaiun-checked Explicit Sexchecked Brief Nudity
Running Length:82 mins.
Description:

Vote Highlights Vote
Ghost in the Shell
I didn't care for this one, it was to mixed up and bazaar for me.

Overall Rating: 1
Animation:10 Plot:1 Humor:1 Sound Track:10
Weight: 40 (Reputable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=186359

Ghost in the Shell
Ghost In The Shell is proof once again, to the western community, that animated productions are not just for kids. Set in a dark future, with gritty realism, this production tells us of a world where our bodies can be altered with cybernetics, allowing us to be faster, stronger, invisibly cloaked with light-altering camouflage or linked telepathically to computers.

The main characters of GITS are members of a special intelligence unit. The protagonist is Major Motoko Kusanagi, a woman with a cyborg body. She is the perfect vessel for the message "how human is human?" a theme continually re-iterated in the cyberpunk genre. Cyberpunk is a type of science fiction that was, for the most part, created by authors such as William Gibson and Bruce Sterling. A large portion of the science fiction animé released in the west, seems to be cyberpunk, a trend that appears likely to continue with the new interest in the genre spurred by the popularity of action film "The Matrix" and increasing popularity of the internet.

The story works on many different levels. It addresses the Major's personal struggle to understand who she is and what makes her human. It introduces the concept of the human soul or "ghost" and the concept that humans' personality and memories are as fragile and transitory as their bodies. It asks the question, "can a machine be alive?" There is a web of political intrigue and deceit which reinforces the theme of the search for truth and identity.

Adapted from the comics by Masamune Shirow, fans may be disappointed that the art style does not mirror that used in the paper form. Instead a more "realistic" approach has been taken to the animation which is drawn in a very destinct style. Backgrounds have been adapted from footage of real Japanese streets and time has been put into how the light falls and backgrounds move to generate 3D effects. Careful attention was paid to getting gunfire effects realistic in both sound and look, and something most viewers will miss, is that the zeroes and ones covering the screen in the opening titles are in fact a binary representation of the words in the credits.

As with most science fiction plots this will not appeal to all people. If you have previous understanding of the cyberpunk genre it will be easier to comprehend or anticipate what happens. There is graphic violence. There is some nudity in the film but it is functional and not designed to be titilating.
That said, this is not a film that will go over well with most kids... or at least not their parents. It is a film that is rated M (15+), for good reason. Young children will probably not understand the mature themes of the movie any way; get them My Neighbour Totoro instead.

Overall Rating: 8
Animation:9 Plot:8 Humor:5 Sound Track:9
Weight: 40 (Reputable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=89623

Ghost in the Shell
Once again, that last vote was mine so it's totally reliable.

Overall Rating: 10
Animation:10 Plot:9 Humor:7 Sound Track:7
Weight: 10 (Trustworthy Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=70761

Ghost in the Shell
This is it, folks. Accept no substitutes... well, at least not until you've seen this one.

Akira is a masterpiece, IMHO, but one targetted at the juvenile, which is no bad thing, really. GitS is aimed fairly and squarely at the adult audience. The characters are adults, the themes are adult, and the plot is very very adult. Not in sexual imagery, just in adult needs, angst and ponderings. Also, the craft that went into the movie is adult...

Check out the instrumental scenes, for example the one that links the chase scene with the diving scene. Not simply a work of art, nor a superb sensory experience, it's actually a peerless demonstration of animation expertise. Take a pair of scissors and trim off the rest of the movie, and that particular two minute scene still warrants a viewing in itself.

Also, check out the scene with the Robocop-style battle tank. Never, but never have I seen such a dangerous looking machine. You really wouldn't want to stumble across one of those on the way home from work. Drop one of those on your foot, and you'd never walk again. And that's before it fires any guns in your direction.

Check out the way that the editors depend on your intelligence to figure out what's going on. No Hollywood-style spoon-feeding here. No corny narrator: no artificial lines inserted into one of the characters mouths; no overt explanation at all. Great. A movie to get yourself involved in. A movie that requires your brains as well as you mind.

Buy it. Watch it. Watch it a few more times. Show your friends. Think about it. Oh, and then get Akira, and enjoy that too. But first: Ghost in the Shell.

Ric

Overall Rating: 9
Animation:10 Plot:10 Humor:8 Sound Track:8
Weight: 5 (Veritable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=282462

Ghost in the Shell
Fantastic film. Mamoru Oshii's masterpiece. Spectacular. Watch it!
P.S.
Lookout 4 his Basset Hound, it's cute!

Overall Rating: 10
Animation:10 Plot:9 Humor:7 Sound Track:7
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=70150

Ghost in the Shell
A bit obtuse, but good overall

Overall Rating: 9
Animation:8 Plot:8 Humor:8 Sound Track:7
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=49227

Ghost in the Shell
The Ghost in the Shell graphic novel was a masterpiece in cyberpunk literature. The motion picture, on the other hand, is a good way to fall asleep quickly. I bought the VHS simply based upon the wealth of critical praise that it received, and was sorely disappointed. This movie barely even touches the complexity of the manga. If you want a thrilling experience in tech-lore, I suggest you forget about this bore of a movie and buy the manga instead. It's much more complex and thoughtful than this feature film's shameful adaptation.

Overall Rating: 5
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=9580

Ghost in the Shell
I was ok had a good story

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=9579

Ghost in the Shell
This stuff is great! Too bad it's not tuu popular in Finland (hard to get)...
Hunger for more...

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=9578

Ghost in the Shell
This is what good cyberpunk is all about! Amazingly impressive visuals and an incredibly cerebral storyline make Ghost in the Shell one of the best animated features of all time.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=9577

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