| Ghost in the Shell | 
 enlarge | Director: Mamoru Oshii
Actors: Atsuko Tanaka, Iemasa Kayumi, Akio Otsuka, Tamio Oki, Koichi Yamadera
Studio: Palm Pictures
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.97
Buy New: $8.16
You Save: $11.81 (59%)
New (43) Used (29) Collectible (3) from $4.85
Avg. Customer Rating:  449 reviews
Sales Rank: 5904
Format: Anamorphic, Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), Japanese (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 82
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
DVD Layers: 1
DVD Sides: 1
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.6
MPN: 5529
ISBN: 6304493681
UPC: 780063552929
EAN: 9786304493687
ASIN: 6304493681
Theatrical Release Date: March 29, 1996
Release Date: March 31, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Five Star Seller!!! New, factory sealed US Region 1 DVD. Item is 100% guaranteed not to be a bootleg or import. Item is shipped directly from our warehouse. Easy exchange if item defective or damaged in shipped.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com essential video
The skillful blending of drawn animation and computer-generated imagery excited anime fans when this science fiction mystery was released in 1995: many enthusiasts believe Ghost suggests what the future of anime will be, at least in the short term. The film is set in the not-too-distant future, when an unnamed government uses lifelike cyborgs or "enhanced" humans for undercover work. One of the key cyborgs is The Major, Motoko Kusanagi, who resembles a cross between The Terminator and a Playboy centerfold. She finds herself caught up in a tangled web of espionage and counterespionage as she searches for the mysterious superhacker known as "The Puppet Master." Mamoru Oshii directs with a staccato rhythm, alternating sequences of rapid-fire action (car chases, gun battles, explosions) with static dialogue scenes that allow the characters to sort out the vaguely mystical and rather convoluted plot. Kusanagi's final quote from I Corinthians suggests that electronic evolution may compliment and eventually supplant organic evolution. The minor nudity, profanity, and considerable violence would earn Ghost in the Shell at least a PG rating. --Charles Solomon
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| Customer Reviews: Read 444 more reviews...
 An inspiration for future sci-fi November 16, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
For an epic like this, I can't recap it as well as others, and I'll probably bring nothing new. With that said, there are an incredible amount of parallels to Hollywood sci-fi throughout, and here's the brief synopsis:
In a hollow, grungy urban future (Blade Runner) with overt government control and covert corruption (Nineteen Eighty-Four), cybernetic police (Robocop), with augmented minds and cyborg bodies (The Terminator & Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 42: Q Who?), are assigned to Section 9 of a police force that uses technology to arrest criminals (Minority Report). One pair, Maj. Motoko Kisangani and Batou, are tracking down an infamous, anonymous cybercriminal, alias "The Puppetmaster". He's a cyberterrorist on the international most wanted list, sometimes viewed as a virus within the mainframe (The Matrix), and he's feared the world wide. His specialty is "ghost hacking", which is essentially breaking into the brains and souls of other cybernetic beings wired into the system, controlling their movements (Saw?). He's been tapping into major political figures, and using humans as his lackeys by inserting false memories and lives, a simultaneous reality and fantasy (Total Recall). During the rundown, Kisangani taps into the mainframe via ports in the back of her neck (Matrix) to trace the last known hacks. The Puppet Master is shown to be creatively conniving villain, with an arsenal of powerful weapons and thermoptic camouflage (Predator) at his disposal. His insidious secondary goal, however, sheds light onto the complicated concepts of life and the philosophical "existence precedes essence" concept of robotic/cybernetic existentialism (Short Circuit, Wall-E, Steve Guttenberg in every Police Academy movie).
What I found very interesting was the concept of "ghost hacking". Breaking the barriers of others' brains, people who are wired into the system - technological brain control - doesn't seem to be all that unlike the trance placed over droves of easily persuaded, technologically-dependant teens of today. What happens in the movie may be a little more direct, but the results are nonetheless similar.
One other very compelling concept is the creation of a perfect being. Whether it's Ghost in the Shell, The Fifth Element, or Weird Science, the perfect being usually ends up being a naked or scantily clothed woman, usually appearing in either a vulnerable or fetal position (Terminator). I agree wholeheartedly with this concept.
For anyone not already a fan of animation, start here. You'll soon be one. (Special shout-out to Woopak for tipping me off to this gem)
4 + Stars: Incredibly Clever and Challenging Science Fiction AIMED at an Experienced Audience November 10, 2008
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
One of the best animated films I have ever seen is a Japanese anime called KOKAKU KIDOTAI, otherwise known as "GHOST IN THE SHELL" (1995) Honestly, for those very unfamiliar with anime, its storyline can be quite difficult to follow; the maturity of its script and its psychological depth is far-reaching. Based on Masamune Shirow's manga (Japanese comic) with screenplay by Kazunoki Ito and directed by Mamoru Oshii, the film attained an award-winning worldwide acclaim not just because it revolutionized current animation standards but also because of its enormous plotline. The film heritage can be traced back to Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" and the Japanese anime "Akira"; but it went on to inspire blockbuster Hollywood films such as "The Fifth Element", "Dark City" and even the Wachowski Bros'. "The Matrix". It is also the winner of the 1997 WORLD ANIMATION Celebration Awards. (Best Theatrical Film and Best Director)
2029 A.D., a time and place in an undetermined future where the fusion of humans and machines, the network and human comprehension has been attained. People have been enhanced by cybernetic implants that makes them stronger, faster, smarter. Section 9, a group of cyborg cops led by Maj. Motoko Kisangani (voiced by Atsuko Tanaka) and Batou (Akio Atsuka) are caught in political intrigue as they search for answers to a mysterious "Puppet Master" or as it would like to call himself; Project 2501. Their investigations have led them to believe that this "ghost" hacker is the one responsible for numerous attacks on public mainframes that changed financial, network manipulations. Findings have led them to conclude that the "hacker" may be an artificial computer intelligence that seeks to co-opt a synthetic body for its own needs.
This anime feature is a dramatic thrill-ride that would be an excellent introduction to Japanese animation with the depth of its script and the complexities of its plot. The story is so rich with philosophical undertones of existentialism and social relations. The cinematography is fantastic and the animated visuals is a "merging" or digitizing of traditional cell animation, computer generated graphics and live-action footage (although one would be hard-pressed to notice). The marvelous compositions and set pieces may cause one to forget that he is watching an animated film. The film is also shot with a lot of moving perspective to convey its mood. The animated invisibility (when Kusanagi gets totally naked) is a first during the time of its release While its premise is almost excellent, the visuals is also its main showstopper, even for today's standards.
The film is a philosophical movie, and while there are quite a few sequences of action, one of which highlights Kusanagi going up against a robotic tank with enormous firepower, the film is full of emotional content, very brooding and quite moody. Shall I say it even contains quite a lot of drama with a restrained amount of human (?) angst. If you approach the film as you would any other action-inspired anime then you will be lost in its translation. The film may be a little slower-paced than most anime features but I found this very inspiring and a refreshing approach. It deliberately takes its time to express its mood through its slow-revelations. It is quite ingenious for director Oshii to abandon the usual dynamics of fast-paced scenes. It allows the viewer to ponder the different existential and social points it is making and take everything in.
What makes an individual? What makes one attain individualism? Is it memories and experiences? The supposed thin line between humanity and cybernetics is drawn in the character of Maj. Kusanagi. She is a female operative who "died" before but is now able to live in an enhanced cyborg body. The main antagonist "the Puppet master" causes her to question her very existence--just how much of her is still human? How can one whose entire body is composed of cybernetics and synthetics be any different from a simple machine? Is Motoko Kusanagi a ghost in a cybernetic shell? Can a machine gain sentience through experiences and generate a "soul"? These are the complex questions that the film delves into--quite impressively I have to say.
The film's main strengths are its groundbreaking visuals, mature and complex storyline and its reliance on emotion and mood rather than a hectic screenplay. Those who are looking for the usual "shoot them up" anime feature may be a little disappointed. While there is action to be had with "Ghost in the Shell", it is NOT an action animated film but a very philosophical sci-fi drama. I only have one response to those who question the reasons as to why Mamoru Oshii's masterpiece is so highly acclaimed, it paved the way to current animation techniques but it didn't stop there; it took its time with a mature and complex storyline that is definitely not for kids but for those esoteric few very adulterated to Japanese type of storytelling. Mamoru Oshii's "GHOST IN THE SHELL" surpasses most of Hollywood's big-budget output, BOTH in style and substance even up to this day. It wasn't a huge box-office success in its U.S. theatrical run, but nonetheless its thoughtful and interesting storyline cannot be matched by any box-office popcorn giant--its non-mainstream appeal is its greatest strength. One of the great Sci-Fi masterpieces.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! [4 + Stars]
Note: It would be better to watch this in its original Japanese language with the English Subtitles.
Video/Audio: Digitally re-mastered Anamorphic Widescreen. Very nice transfer; some scenes look sharper than others but the overall picture is very good. There are some specks of grain probably from its original negative. 6.1 DTS-ES/5.1 Dolby Digital Japanese and English tracks.
Disc 2: Character Dossiers/ Making of feature/Production reports (a must-see)/ Director biography/Trailers/Previews/catalogs/weblinks
Thought provoking and visually stunning September 21, 2008
I am reviewing the DVD version.
The story is light, but metaphysically deep. Its about cosmology and what defines "self." The animation is top notch and blends seamlessly with CG.
The surround sound audio mix is is one of the best you'll ever hear because it is totally immersive.
Awesome anime. August 17, 2008
I saw this for the first time a few days ago when I bought it. I'm new into the world of anime and after buying all the Studio Ghibli stuff, this was recommended to me when I stated I wabted to branch out more. I like the animation style, and the fact that there's gore where the second movie didn't have much.
That Great Cyberpunk Anime August 16, 2008
Ghost In The Shell' (released 1996 in the U.S.) by director Mamoru Oshii was a real butt-kicker for its time and brought renewed interest to Japanese Animation from North American film critics long after the landmark emergence of Akira (1988). The highly cerebral and detailed scriptwriting brought raves from some critics, while the sometimes altered translated English-dubbed version brought baffled reviews from others.
While there are some great animated cinematic-styled action sequences, the film is still also an intellectual and philosophical mystery maze with characters struggling with the meaning of survival in a cybernetic world - themes that would years later influence and inspire the Wachowski brothers as they explored similar themes in 'the Matrix' trilogy.
Along with possibly being one of the first original and sophisticated cyber-mystery thrillers, 'Ghost in the Shell' was also one of the first anime that appeared to integrate the old ink, cell, and paint methods into computer CGI digital graphics thoroughly and successfully to a seamless level of cinematic film mastery.
(Back in the 80's, 'Akira' was still heavily using cell graphics and original BG paintings, while other anime in the 80's like 'the Lensmen" and 'Phoenix 2772' still had CGI technology in its underdeveloped early stages - the differences between CGI and Cell animation could be easily observed by the viewer.)
Kanji Kawai's striking operatic music beautifully enriches and enhances the mood of 'Ghost in the Shell'. The music classically and digitally bridges the new with the old.
Still, the qualitative uniqueness of the movie comes down to its detailed and highly complex science fiction screenplay, which is similar in sophistication and spirit to the ones that exists in films like 'Blade Runner' and '2001 A Space odyssey' (and also to some limited degree to Pixar's new 'Wall.E'). These are the type of films that force the viewers to think at times while going along for the ride. (And it appears that films like these just don't come along very often.)
But if that gets too boring for some viewers there's still always enough stylish but brutal butt-kicking by Motoko (Major) Kusanagi and Batou to keep any viewer tuned into the cyberpunk thriller right to the very end.
***
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