Kōkaku kidōtai

A visual masterpiece that reminded me of Blade Runner in places. It has the same slightly depressing feel, and the metropolis of the future is just as visually impressive. The animation is truly unique, very inventive, and the first half felt like a cinematic poem with great attention to detail with its atmosphere and rather easy flow of the plot. Kenji Kawaie's music is soft, meditative and fits the mood of the film beautifully. I enjoyed the first half thoroughly, but in the second half I got lost in the overload of dialogue in which the cyborgs solve the mandatory problems of "can a machine have a soul" and "what is a soul?", and the plot was a bit convoluted. The second half of the film does not maintain the high bar set and the ending is unsatisfying. Suddenly the closing credits rolled and I was left with mixed feelings. So only four stars, maybe I'll change my mind after a second viewing. (19.03.2004)

For how short it is and how relatively little they talk in it, Ghost in the Shell has a surprising amount to say. A good idea in a good presentation is something always welcome, and this is one of those few select sci-fi films that have somehow managed not to get old (like Blade Runner, Alien, Akira, The Matrix, Back to the Future II...), even though reality has overtaken or almost caught up with them in terms of years. If I had to single out one thing, it would be a completely amazing five-minute long scene in the middle, in which nothing substantial happens at all, it’s "just" the haunting atmospheric music and alternating shots of a neon futuristic city. It draws you in perfectly. (30.11.2023)

The film that confuses you leads into dead ends and suddenly in that moment of understanding, the viewer is left with nothing but surprised gazing and trying to contain enthusiasm. As a result, Ghost in the Shell is incomprehensible, but at the same time incredibly captivating anime, which with a bit better character work could lose the impression of a colder spectacle and therefore easily reach the highest levels. (03.07.2006)

Visually a really spectacular flick, which is something the Japanese are really good at in similar films. It is more complicated with the story, as it certainly does not belong among the simpler ones. And the form of narration does not help that either. I had troubles concentrating on the story about cyborgs, when I was staring at that incredible precision in the animation. And it was not helped by the fact that after the less talkative half, the second half began, which somehow started to explain everything. You would expect some top-notch shocking finale, which in reality is pretty quiet and thought-provoking. So much that during the beautiful meditative music accompanying the end credits (which, after all, was playing throughout the whole film) I was just staring speechlessly, thinking about the meaning of the whole thing. (07.04.2016)

Sorry, Scarlett, but you also failed to bring the American remake to even a slightly competitive level compared to the original Japanese version. I wrote about the remake lacking the cyberpunk soul, and Mamoru Oshii was able to give the film both a cyberpunk appearance and philosophy. There are only a handful of films that can present the cyberpunk world with honor, and Ghost in the Shell holds an honorable place among them. I have no problem with giving it four stars, I just don't want to give it the fifth one because I always had a little problem with the artistic interpretation of manga. Overall impression: 85%. (05.09.2021)