Review of Ghost in the Shell (1995) by Facebook U — 12 Oct 2015

Ghost in the Shell is very important science fiction. It raises many very interesting questions on where technology is going and how it may not be very long before technology and life are one in the same.

It feels very Blade Runner-esque. In fact, I'm pretty sure Ghost in the Shell was very much inspired by Blade Runner. I dare you to watch both and tell me they're not similar. Nearly everything feels stellar, from the ominous, dialogue free shots of the city and land scape, to Kenji Kawai's chilling score.

Another great part is the animation. 90's anime animation just has that crisp feel. All the characters movements look natural, which makes for very good looking fight scenes. It reminds me very much of Cowboy Bebop.

And being a big fan of cyber punk style, I can assure you that the film is full of amazing style and personality. Though sadly due to the nudity and violence, many close minded viewers may dismiss this film as exploitation.

Within the first five minutes you see the main character nude and a man's head explode. I feel very sad about that. Blade Runner was full of violence, but that was never billed as exploitive. I feel it's due to the fact the film is animated.

People view an animation with violence and sex, and it's automatically billed as tasteless. I feel it's just here in America, people don't take animation seriously. In Japan the word "cartoon" means something very different than it does in the USA.

Ghost in the Shell is a powerful social commentary, and if you like movies, it's a must watch. I would put this films like Apocalypse Now, Blade Runner, and Enemy because just like those 3 films, this would be a great movie to have a group seminar on.

There's so much to discus in this film, it's a land mark in cinema and one of my favorite 90s films.