It is the year 2032, and the line between humans and machines has been blurred almost beyond distinction. Humans have forgotten that they are human, and those that are left co-exist with cyborgs--human spirits inhabiting entirely mechanized bodies, and dolls--robots with no human elements at all. Batou is a cyborg. His body is .. Read more
| Starring | Akio Ohtsuka, Atsuko Tanaka, Koichi Yamadera |
|---|---|
| Director | Mamoru Oshii |
| Genres | Animated, Anime, Sci-Fi/Fantasy |
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It is the year 2032, and the line between humans and machines has been blurred almost beyond distinction. Humans have forgotten that they are human, and those that are left co-exist with cyborgs--human spirits inhabiting entirely mechanized bodies, and dolls--robots with no human elements at all. Batou is a cyborg. His body is artificial: the only remnants of his humanity are found in traces of his brain--and the memories of a woman called 'The Major'. A detective for the government's covert anti-terrorist unit, called Public Security Section 9, Batou is investigating the case of a gynoid--a hyper-realistic female robot, created specifically for sexual companionship, who malfunctions and slaughters her owner. As Batou delves deeper into the investigation, questions arise about humanity's need to immortalize its image in dolls. The answers to those questions lead to the shocking truth behind the crime--and quite possibly to the very meaning of life, itself.
| Starring | Akio Ohtsuka, Atsuko Tanaka, Koichi Yamadera |
|---|---|
| Director | Mamoru Oshii |
| Studio | MANGA ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 36 mins Blu-ray: 1 hr 40 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Animated, Anime, Sci-Fi/Fantasy |
| Language | Japanese |
| Dubbed | English |
| Subtitles | English |
| Released | DVD: 06 Mar 2006 Blu-ray: 26 Oct 2009 Production year: 2005 |
| Format | DVD |
Visually ravishing and thought provoking
The most impressive Anime ever
I just saw this film in the cinema, and without doubt it is the most visually stunning piece of cinema I have ever seen.
The CG, having moved on in the 8 or so years since the original Ghost was released, sits much happier with the traditional cell animation resulting in something I ve never experienced before.
The first 15 minutes completely blew me away and I thought the film was on for five stars. However, the director takes the film on a slightly muddled journey of philosophical thought about the notions of self and existence that become a little tedious at times (although one always has to expect a little of this from anime movies). The dialogue too is a bit poncy; quotation after quotation from various great thinkers.
The film's awesome set action pieces on the other hand keep it afloat.
I think this film is best watched in the cinema or at the least on a big tv with a descent sound system to blast out the amazing sound design.
If you like a bit of maturity in your films or are an anime fan then definately see this film.
This is everything everybody has claimed it to be in terms of visual flare. The seamless combination of animation techniques, handdrawn and CG. The Ghost in the Shell world is a testiment to the influence of the rain-washed neon Bladerunner. Bright and shiny technology combined with a dark and dingy underworld. The colours used and the glare technique is just a wonder to watch. Pay attention when Batou takes a trip aboard the bird like copter/plane, breathtaking. The futuristic styling is contrasted with old cars etc in typical manga style reminiscent of Final Fantasy VII.
However, amongst all this beauty is a very concept-heavy philosophical story. Fans of the Ghost in the Shell film and series will be prepared for this. Newbies may find themselves lost in endless quotes and theories. Ghost in the Shell certainly requires multiple viewings before its entirity will be understood. But I believe that the combination of beauty and intellectual story was what made the first Ghost in the Shell so popular in the first place.
Just sit back and enjoy the show. If you like things simple, turn off the sound and just watch the view.