miniPhil
01-07-2007, 07:48 AM
Type: Movie, Running time 82 minutes
Genre: Action, Drama.
Aired: 1995
Companies: Manga Entertainment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manga_Entertainment)
Plot synopsis
In the not too distant future (twenty two years to be exact) everything gets complicated! Our main character, Major Motoko Kusanagi, is a police officer of section nine (a mysterious organisation that we aren’t told much about). To make maters more confusing she’s actually a robot that’s inhabited by a ghost, which could be described as her conscience or mind. She and her fellow section nine operatives are charged with the mission of finding and capturing an international hacker known as ‘the puppet master’. As Motoko digs further into the case things (if possible) get even more complicated, old allies can no longer be trusted, is the puppet master the real enemy? And the very question of her own existence arises (it just wouldn’t be a proper anime if the philosophical element hadn’t been added in now would it.).
Story (7/10)
It’s not bad (if you can keep up). Ghost in the shell gets thumbs up for originality and the ability to make you say ‘what? I think I missed a bit’ every twenty seconds. But don’t be discouraged by the confusing plot, it all ends up with some beautifully thought out fight scenes and the confounding part of the plot guarantees value for money as you watch it again and again! And if you would like to know the story actually inspired the making of the matrix.
Characters (7/10)
Could be better. The characters don’t differ a whole lot and when the do its not necessarily for the better. I love the idea of some characters being inhabited by a ghost or spirit, which adds more to the philosophical element of the film.
Art/animation (9/10)
For its time the animation is superb. Perfect framework and the camouflage looks wonderful. The fight scenes as well as some cool exploding heads are nicely drawn and have absolutely no flaws at all. The film runs so smoothly that you ponder what the artist had to go threw just to get this effect.
Voice acting, music (9/10)
The music fits perfectly with the movie in the category of ‘strange’. It comes across as a light classical background with African music chorus…… you have to hear to believe it. However strange does not, by any means, mean bad. The music fits perfectly with the movie and gives a very satisfying effect.
The only problem I have with the voice acting is being able to hear them (perhaps this is why the story is so confusing). Apart from that the voice are not bad (for an English dub).
Overall (8/10)
Overall Ghost in the Shell proves to be one of the best anime films in existence. Golden music, long drawn out plot and animation that puts many other anime to shame. I highly recommend Ghost in the Shell for your collection, if you don’t buy it at least watch it once so you can say ‘ive seen the film that inspired the matrix and many other anime to date’.
Genre: Action, Drama.
Aired: 1995
Companies: Manga Entertainment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manga_Entertainment)
Plot synopsis
In the not too distant future (twenty two years to be exact) everything gets complicated! Our main character, Major Motoko Kusanagi, is a police officer of section nine (a mysterious organisation that we aren’t told much about). To make maters more confusing she’s actually a robot that’s inhabited by a ghost, which could be described as her conscience or mind. She and her fellow section nine operatives are charged with the mission of finding and capturing an international hacker known as ‘the puppet master’. As Motoko digs further into the case things (if possible) get even more complicated, old allies can no longer be trusted, is the puppet master the real enemy? And the very question of her own existence arises (it just wouldn’t be a proper anime if the philosophical element hadn’t been added in now would it.).
Story (7/10)
It’s not bad (if you can keep up). Ghost in the shell gets thumbs up for originality and the ability to make you say ‘what? I think I missed a bit’ every twenty seconds. But don’t be discouraged by the confusing plot, it all ends up with some beautifully thought out fight scenes and the confounding part of the plot guarantees value for money as you watch it again and again! And if you would like to know the story actually inspired the making of the matrix.
Characters (7/10)
Could be better. The characters don’t differ a whole lot and when the do its not necessarily for the better. I love the idea of some characters being inhabited by a ghost or spirit, which adds more to the philosophical element of the film.
Art/animation (9/10)
For its time the animation is superb. Perfect framework and the camouflage looks wonderful. The fight scenes as well as some cool exploding heads are nicely drawn and have absolutely no flaws at all. The film runs so smoothly that you ponder what the artist had to go threw just to get this effect.
Voice acting, music (9/10)
The music fits perfectly with the movie in the category of ‘strange’. It comes across as a light classical background with African music chorus…… you have to hear to believe it. However strange does not, by any means, mean bad. The music fits perfectly with the movie and gives a very satisfying effect.
The only problem I have with the voice acting is being able to hear them (perhaps this is why the story is so confusing). Apart from that the voice are not bad (for an English dub).
Overall (8/10)
Overall Ghost in the Shell proves to be one of the best anime films in existence. Golden music, long drawn out plot and animation that puts many other anime to shame. I highly recommend Ghost in the Shell for your collection, if you don’t buy it at least watch it once so you can say ‘ive seen the film that inspired the matrix and many other anime to date’.