Review of Ghost in the Shell (1995) by Sameen M — 06 Sep 2013

I absolutely loved this film. It has beautiful visuals, a memorable soundtrack, a believable world, and a unique take on the main protagonist. The action is never inappropriate and some of the dialogue is very thought provoking. Some people have issues with the characters seeming less human in design and in dialogue, but I feel that in this particular case it only cements the fact that they are, for the most part, cyborgs with artificial bodies. The film also brought up an interesting take on what defines an individual by portraying a self aware AI with the desire for recognition as a person. I would've loved for the movie to flesh out the rest of Section 9 more, but I'm quite pleased with what I got. This film's version of Kusanagi is neither better nor worse than the anime's portrayal and is unique in it's own way in that this Kusanagi is openly unsure of her past despite reassurance from Batou that she has an organic brain. In the anime the closest we get to that is a wristwatch the Major keeps as a reminder of her past towards the end of the first season.

Overall I loved it. This film has really gotten me pumped up to see The Matrix and other cyberpunk films. If you loved The Matrix I'm sure you'll like Ghost in the Shell.