Review of Ghost in the Shell (1995) by Rainer K — 18 Aug 2012
Japanese animation is the best!
That's not the first time I'm saying this and probably won't be the last time.
The way Ghost in the Shell combines beautiful animation with a kick-ass sci-fi thriller is remarkable. As so often in Japanese culture it's about a female heroine - a cyborg, in a world controlled by technology where kybernetic improvements are both boon and bane.
It deals with a variety of themes - some familiar from other sci-fi films (Blade Runner or The Matrix which was strongly influenced by it) and some digging even deeper into existentialist questions.
Ghost in the Shell is through and through profound and I really admire how they put so much film in so little runtime.
Complex themes like concious, artificial intelligence and human existence are explored within a crime/thriller type of plot sometimes reminiscent of classic 80s crime movies.
It's a combination of so many different things we've already seen but it's surpassing most of it with ease. If you love Drive, Blade Runner, The Matrix or the works of Philip K. Dick and Isaac Asimov you'll find some pretty interesting things in here - if you're not - enjoy the animation at least.
This review of Ghost in the Shell (1995) was written by Rainer K on 18 Aug 2012.
Ghost in the Shell has generally received very positive reviews.
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