An interesting premise, but the animator was too enamoured with his artwork to keep the story moving (for example, there was one long scene of city streets, no dialogue, only music, dragged everything to a halt, just when the story most needed to come to some progressions). An editing room would have helped this film tremendously. This is considered Iconic cyberpunk, and, many people speak of it being evocative of BLADE RUNNER, but I found the exposition to be labourious, and the anime self indulgent. I, apologetically, give it a 5 (meh) out of 10. I am, however, curious to know where the evolution (pun intended) of the story goes.

Having seen the movie twice in short succession, I still don't understand any of the politics, which is a pretty hefty chunk of plot and expository dialogue. But I don't think it's important neither really the point of the film. The images are stunning and the sound is superb. The main points of the movie about consciousness, life and also some of the more dark aspects of cyberpunk dystopias are very well executed. The first two hinge a bit too much in exposition, but the latter is kind of scary. Not about the deep philosophical issues, but the mundane practical stuff of everyday business. This is a universe in which (some) people's brain can be hacked and implanted with false memories, don't own the body they inhabit and are in complete dependence of third party constant maintenance. You realise that the darkness about becoming more like machines than human is not an abstract sense of humanity, feelings or some esoteric division between biological and mechanical entities; no, it's about how limited machines are and how you lose so much of the benefits of biology.

I've seen it 3 times (just now the new 4k bluray) and still don't get the hype. I do think the setting, design and animation are great. And there are some good ideas here but it's a lot of mumbo jumbo and exposition.

A really good movie and one of the milestones of Cyberpunk culture. If you're moving your first steps into the amazing world of cyberpunk, you don't wanna miss this one.

Deep dives into the nature of consciousness with a side platter of police action, gunplay and high-speed pursuit. At first glance this may come off as stiff and impenetrable, but like the thematically-similar Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell offers untold rewards to repeat viewers. The nature of our memories, how they define us, and the dangers of nefarious interference upon them; these are some pretty heavy topics, and it should come as no surprise that it takes some time to really let it all sink in. Reflective and immersive, the film spends a lot of time ruminating on the meaning of life - both in conversation and in the long, lingering glances of city still-life it indulges upon between bursts of action. In these scenes, Kenji Kawai's magnificent score really gets a chance to shine; haunting and alien, it's a strange beauty and a perfect pairing for the uneasy-in-your-own-skin themes explored by the film. The art direction is a similar brow-raiser, effectively bringing the residents and landscape of New Port City to life in a style that remains loyal to Masamune Shirow's original work while also carving out a bold, fresh identity of its own. It's rare for a twenty-year-old film about technology to still remain relevant in a modern light, but this one somehow seems even more appropriate today. The advent of smartphones and tablets alone has brought the essence of human interaction up for debate, and this lonesome vision of a near-future Japan now seems hauntingly prescient. A conceptual powerhouse, it does have faults - far too many stationary talking heads, breathlessly spouting plot points - but inarguably deserves its status as one of eastern animation's cornerstones. I fear its subtlety and nuance will be lost upon Hollywood's forthcoming live-action adaptation.